It has been a while since our last blog post. Apologies! We have been now trying out a new series called Tuesday Tips at 2pm with the Goldbergs. Please check us out youtube or our Facebook page: The Goldberg Law Office PLLC.
Here was our first video published back in August 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5gLgmyPRR4
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Deferred Action is over for now. President Trump announced that the deferred action program, known as DACA for short, will be terminated within 6 months. There are people on both sides of the aisle--republican and democrat--that feel sympathy for the young people who entered the US unlawfully with their parents and who face immigration uncertainty.

Since the program started in 2012, our office helped many young people get work permits, and find new opportunities to improve their situations. It was a program that gave applicants a chance that they otherwise did not have. 

It is a sad day for those 800,000 plus individuals who are currently benefitting from DACA. We hope that Congress can get it together, and pass some sort of meaningful legislation to benefit those people who will be losing the work permits granted to them under DACA.

Feel free to contact our office and schedule an appointment to learn what other immigration options may be available.

The holiday season brings a time of reflection and joy. Our office thanks you—our clients, friends, and social media followers for your interest and support of our work. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and happy 2014. Please be safe and enjoy the holiday season.

The Goldberg Law Office, PLLC wishes you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving and Hanukkah holiday. As our office and family continue to grow, we thank you for your loyalty and support. 

May this holiday season and year 2014 bring you and your family joy, health, and success. 

I came across something on TV that has a connection with immigration! Starring on the Bravo TV show, Real Housewives of New Jersey, Teresa and Joe Giudice currently face some serious legal issues. They were indicted on federal fraud charges. Joe Giudice thinks of himself as an American since he came to the United States at the age of 9. Although he has been a lawful permanent resident for decades, he never applied for naturalization. Beyond the federal indictment, he faces possible deportation.

Many times I come across lawful permanent residents who have been living in the United States for most of their lives, and who never felt an urge or reason to apply for citizenship. Unfortunately, folks who never naturalize, and find themselves in criminal proceedings, also may face future deportation. Living in the United States for several years in legal status does not create an iron clad defense against deportation.

That is why I urge people who are lawful permanent residents, and qualify to apply for naturalization, should really take the plunge and do it. It’s important not only for the applicant, but also for the applicant’s family.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/teresa-giudice-joe-giudice-break-silence-indictment-charges-article-1.1471500

The publicly traded company, Infosys Ltd, is set to be slapped with a fine of about $35 million dollars. The investigation came into fruition because of questions on how this Indian outsourcing company brought their employees to the US. Most of their workers came on the B-1 (tourist for business) visa and not on the H-1B work visa.

Many folks that come to the US with work visas hold an H-1B visa in particular. The US issues a maximum of 65,000 H-1B work visas per fiscal year. Infosys brought an unknown amount of employees via the B-1 visa route—a path that requires less elements to prove and does not have a cap on the amount of visas issued. Further, Infosys did not maintain complete Form I-9s for their employees. The Form I-9 is a document that employers have employees complete upon hire to demonstrate that the employee has authorization to work in the US.

The Form I-9 might seem straight forward, but it has brought many woes and thousands of dollars of fines to companies across the United States. But the Infosys $35 million dollar fine is the largest thus far.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/infosys-faces-record-us-immigration-fine-2013-10-29?mod=wsj_share_tweet

The number of immigrants dramatically increased this year from years past. In 2013 fiscal year, over 27,546 people claimed they had credible fear of returning to their home countries. That is a huge jump from 2012 when there were 10,730 cases or in 2008 when there were 3,273. Some contributing factors to the increase in asylum seekers include: tougher border security and the spreading word that seeking asylum can help a person stay in the US longer while undergoing immigration deportation proceedings. 

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304795804579097473250468020

President Barack Obama signed a bill this morning to raise the debt ceiling. This is a short term fix to the problem that left the government in a partial shutdown for 16 days. 

A new budget will need to be approved by mid-January, otherwise the government will be in a similar position again.

What does this mean for immigration? Courts are slowly reopening, and will soon be hearing non-detained immigration cases. During the shutdown, judges were only holding hearings on the detained cases. 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/17/senate-begins-vote-on-budget-bill-boehner-pledges-house-wont-block-it/

Clients are asking me about how their cases are affected by the government shutdown. For now, clients with appointments for fingerprints and interviews with immigration officers, should continue to present for these scheduled events. People in deportation proceedings who are not detained, will have their hearings rescheduled for a later date. Immigration judges are only adjudicating deportation cases that involve immigrants that are detained in immigration jail.

I will try to post more updates as I get them. 

Post 2013-election, immigration became a hot topic once again. The polls showed that more Hispanics came out to vote, and that immigration was a topic they cared about. Since then, the Gang of Eight proposed new legislation to address the current US immigration problems. This includes an attempt to resolve the fact that we have millions of people living in the country without lawful immigration status.

After approval in the Senate, the bill is now waiting for Congressional approval. In the meantime, our country and world face other issues of interest including the war in Syria and national debt.

Immigration reform activists are trying to heighten the interest and awareness about the changes needed in our immigration laws. For now, the push for change is a little stagnant. But it doesn't mean that things cannot change. I think that there is still hope, and activists are reviving the hype that immigration had earlier this year.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/outside-groups-try-to-revive-immigration-reform-96950.html