Statement from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano:
“After last week’s decision by the Supreme Court 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 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (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.”
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Posted on July 8, 2013 | Category: Immigration News
WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has re-designated Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and extended the existing TPS designation for the country from Oct. 1, 2013, through March 31, 2015. This allows eligible nationals of Syria to register or re-register for TPS in accordance with a notice published today in the Federal Register. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages eligible individuals to register or re-register as soon as possible.
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Posted on June 24, 2013 | Category: Immigration News
WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of El Salvador for an additional 18 months, beginning Sept. 10, 2013, and ending March 9, 2015.
Current Salvadoran beneficiaries seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period that runs from May 30, 2013, through July 29, 2013. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages beneficiaries to register as soon as possible once the 60-day re-registration period begins. Applications will not be accepted before May 30, 2013.
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Posted on June 3, 2013 | Category: Immigration News
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas administered the Oath of Allegiance and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder delivered keynote remarks to 70 new citizens today during a special naturalization ceremony in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Great Hall.
“The Department of Justice has a proud history of protecting vulnerable immigrants from those who seek to exploit them,” said Director Mayorkas. “It is an honor to welcome these new citizens alongside the Attorney General in the Great Hall—a symbol of the promise our nation makes to all its citizens to secure equal justice under the law.”
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Posted on June 3, 2013 | Category: Immigration News
WASHINGTON—In just over one year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) innovative Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) initiative has produced real benefits that will strengthen agency policies and practices relating to job-creating immigrant entrepreneurs who help advance American economic growth. USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas will discuss the EIR team’s accomplishments, including recent enhancements to Entrepreneur Pathways, USCIS’s online resource center for entrepreneurs, today at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He will also announce plans to use the EIR model to bolster agency expertise in a broader range of industries.
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Posted on May 13, 2013 | Category: Immigration News
