Boulder Colorado Immigration And Naturalization Legal Blog

While the restrictions imposed on refugees and asylum seekers at the U.S. southern border have received more widespread media attention, others in the U.S., including international students and workers, are also facing escalated problems as they aim to remain in the country. Students and new graduates who have attended university in California are facing lengthy delays or even denials when applying for visas to complete necessary training and launch their careers. For example, international medical residents coming from countries as close as Canada or as far as China have been delayed in their education by immigration hold-ups.

Medical residents and other trainees need OPT, or Optional Practical Training, visas in order to go through the next stage of credentialing. Without an OPT visa, a medical resident cannot see patients and provide medical care. At one large teaching hospital, over 900 international students applied for OPT visas for their medical residencies. However, only 400 have been approved. The delays have hindered students at highly selective universities like Harvard and MIT where the international students involved have already been found to be some of the most promising at a global level.

A California court has ruled to block the enforcement of a Trump administration rule that would deny nearly all applications for asylum at the nation's southern border. The judge issued an injunction against the rule, which requires that asylum seekers look for safe haven in another country before applying for asylum in the U.S. The rule is thereby suspended until further proceedings have been conducted. According to an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, the decision is a victory for vulnerable families and individuals.

The rule that was blocked was part of the Trump administration effort to slow the number of Central Americans attempting to cross into the U.S. at the border with Mexico. Many of these asylum seekers are fleeing from poverty and violence in countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. The rule was announced on July 15, 2019, and it was met with immediate challenges from civil rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union.

Spousal immigration is one of the most common ways for people to join their loved ones in California or elsewhere in the United States. Of course, people who marry want to live together in the same place as quickly as possible. Still, delays in processing time or for lengthy investigations may keep people separated for longer than they may expect. At congressional hearings into the issue of processing delays in the U.S. immigration system, spousal sponsorships were specifically identified as an area of concern where action is needed to improve the system.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration publishes processing times for spousal immigration applications. However, these processing times may not show the full picture of the delays experienced by couples seeking a spousal sponsorship. For example, the USCIS website reports a five-month processing time for I-130 applications. These are submitted by U.S. citizen spouses seeking to sponsor their partners. While this application takes five months to process, the longer processing time begins only after that is approved. The foreign spouse must then apply to adjust status to permanent residency if he or she is in the country or to enter the U.S. from abroad if living outside.

When you stepped onto U.S. soil and traveled to Colorado, you knew you were leaving behind everything and everyone with which you were familiar in your country of origin. Still, you had plans and dreams of starting afresh and building a new life and memories for yourself and perhaps your loved ones, if they traveled with you.

Culture shock is definitely a reality for many immigrants. Especially if you encounter significant challenges regarding a language barrier, you might have a difficult time adjusting to your new surroundings. There are several ways to help alleviate culture shock stress. However, if you also happen to run into legal problems, perhaps regarding your or a loved one's immigration status, it can make matters even worse. That's why it's important to know where to seek additional support, as needed.