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On September 25, 2015, DoS published a revised October 2015 Visa Bulletin superseding the original published September 9, 2015. The government has adjusted Dates for Filing Applications for some Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based preference categories to better reflect a timeframe justifying immediate action.
Applicants should use the revised charts when filing an I-485. (See Employment-Based Priority Dates and Family-Based Priority Dates). DHS will rely on this revised Visa Bulletin when considering I-485 eligibility. more »
President Obama announced an Immigration Executive Action on November 20, 2014. Prior to that time, he had requested DHS to undertake a review to inform recommendations to reform the immigration system through executive action.
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DoS has issued a fact sheet for US citizens considering assisted reproductive technology (ART) abroad. This contains information on automatic transmission of US citizenship; passport issuance to minors; and related issues. It notes that citizenship is not necessarily automatically transmitted if Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is used to conceive a child born outside the US. more »
Statement from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, July 1, 2013: “After the June 2013 Supreme Court decision holding that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, President Obama directed federal departments to ensure the decision and its implication for federal benefits for same-sex legally married couples are implemented swiftly and smoothly. To that end, effective immediately, I have directed USCIS to review immigration visa petitions filed on behalf of a same-sex spouse in the same manner as those filed on behalf of an opposite-sex spouse.” USCIS Same-Sex Marriage FAQ Update of August 7, 2013, is below. more »
On July 2, 2013, DHS issued initial guidance regarding same-sex immigration benefits following United States v. Windsor. This case overturned Section 3 the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on June 26, 2013. more »
Same-sex couples are now eligible for marriage-based green cards and dependent visas on the same basis as opposite-sex couples. On June 26, 2013, in United States v. Windsor, the US Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This prohibited the government from providing federal benefits to same-sex couples. Since US immigration law is federal (national), prior to Windsor, DOMA prevented same-sex couples from receiving marriage-based US immigration benefits. more »
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program takes effect on August 15, 2012. The program will enable certain young people who came to the United States as children and who meet a set of other qualifications to receive “deferred action” (relief from deportation) on a case-by-case basis. more »
On June 15, 2012, in an exercise of prosecutorial discretion, DHS announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. DACA offers relief from deportation for certain undocumented young people who are in the US. The program does not offer a path to a US green card or US citizenship. But DACA closely resembles various versions of legislation introduced over the last decade known generally as DREAM. It allows qualifying individuals to temporarily remain and work legally in the US. more »