Immigrant-owned businesses employ more than 19 million people and generate $4.8 trillion in revenue, according to the National Immigration Forum, figures that demonstrate the tremendous positive impact immigrants have on the US economy. Immigrants are important business creators, in addition to holding positions in the service, construction, and farming industries as well as in Silicon Valley. "This phenomenon is across all ethnicities and education levels," Dr. Kerr, a professor of entrepreneurship who has been tracking the topic for over ten years, says. "There are many reasons immigrants start more businesses. Among them: They tend to be more daring and less risk averse, considering they were brave enough to migrate here and tolerate change. Many come to the U.S. specifically to start a business. Others face discrimination in the job market and opt to become business owners."
Read moreForbes: “USCIS Uses Questionable 'Overstay' Report To Justify Policies”
On May 10, 2018, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum for public comment that changes how the agency will calculate unlawful presence for students and exchange visitors in F, J, and M nonimmigrant status (including F-2, J-2, or M-2 dependents) who fail to maintain their status in the US. This updated policy, which will be effective August 9, 2018, is meant to align with President Trump’s “Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States.” Since USCIS’s announcement of the proposed policy change, many have expressed concern, calling it restrictive and unfair since it may result in international students who unknowingly violate their immigration status being barred from the US up to ten years. Importantly, respected demographer Robert Warren has disputed a key Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report, Fiscal Year 2016 Entry/Exit Overstay Report (released on May 22, 2017), that USCIS relies on to justify its proposed change of policy for students.
Read moreUSCIS Changing Policy on Accrued Unlawful Presence by Nonimmigrant Students and Exchange Visitors
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has posted a policy memorandum for public comment that changes how the agency will calculate unlawful presence for students and exchange visitors in F, J, and M nonimmigrant status (including F-2, J-2, or M-2 dependents) who fail to maintain their status in the US. This updated policy, which will be effective August 9, 2018, aligns with President Trump’s “Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,” USCIS says. L. Francis Cissna, director of USCIS, says the policy sends a message that nonimmigrants in these statuses cannot overstay their periods of admission or violate the terms of admission. “USCIS is dedicated to our mission of ensuring the integrity of the immigration system,” he says. “F, J, and M nonimmigrants are admitted to the United States for a specific purpose, and when that purpose has ended, we expect them to depart, or to obtain another, lawful immigration status.”
Read moreWhat Can I Do Without an Immigration Lawyer?
I will be the first to tell you that immigration law is complex and changing and requires vigilance and care in preparing applications, but there is no requirement that foreign nationals, their employers, or family members use a lawyer. It is also true that under the Trump administration, foreign nationals (and even immigration practitioners) have become more cautious and even hesitant about filing petitions given the increased scrutiny of their applications by immigration officials and consular officers; nevertheless, there are certain applications that should still be straightforward enough to file without legal assistance. Cases filed by individuals without legal representation are subject to the same review and adjudication process as others filed by attorneys. We’ve previously discussed why an experienced immigration attorney can be valuable and in some cases absolutely recommended, but in this post we’ll more closely examine the types of applications and petitions that foreign nationals in most situations can prepare and file on their own.
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