• August 15, 2012 marks the beginning of the "deferred action" policy implementation whereby foreign nationals that came to the U.S. as children and are 30 years old or younger, gain eligibility for temporary relief from deportation and ability to file applications for work authorization for a 2-year period. DHS has recently provided additional information regarding the deferred action filings and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is expected to make application forms and related instructions available to prospective applicants on August 15th. If you or your employees are interested in applying under the deferred action program, consult your immigration legal counsel before undertaking further steps as there are advantages and risks to be considered.
  • USCIS has developed and published guidance on the civics portion of the naturalization test in 15 languages including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Importantly, while applicants can study test questions and answers in their native languages, the actual test will be held in English.