Today, USCIS published a new edition of the form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, dated 04/07/22.

Starting Sept. 30, 2022, USCIS will only accept the 04/07/22 edition. Until then, you can also use the 07/20/21 edition.

This form is to be used when a person was rendered inadmissible to the United States, and is applying for:
- an immigrant visa at the US embassy abroad;
- K-1 fiancée visa at the US embassy abroad;
- green card through adjustment of status in the USA;
- adjustment of status as T visa/status or Special Immigrant Juvenile;
- TPS Temporary Protected Status, for example, for Ukraine, Venezuela, Somalia, or any other of TPS-eligible countries.

The situations where it might be required are the 10-year or 3-year ban on admission, misrepresentation of fraud, vaccination waiver, prostitution, health, criminal, etc.

​The filing fee remains the same: US$930.00.

This is considered to be one of the most difficult applications because it requires a lot of evidence, specifically, showing of extreme hardship to a qualifying relative in the United States if the status/visa is not granted.

To schedule a consultation with immigration attorney, please email and we will forward to you our confidential questionnaire. 

Briefly in Russian:

Начиная с 22 сентября 2022 USCIS будет принимать только новое издание форма I-601, заявление на вейвер, которое требуется, если человека признали невъездным для получения иммиграционной визы, грин карты через adjustment of status, для статуса ТПС (например, для украинцев) и получения грин карты через визу Т (жертвы траффикинга) и другие категории.

Это одно из самых сложных заявлений, т.к. положительное решение не гарантировано и решение по усмотрению офицера иммиграционной службы. Доказательства требуют показать необычно сильные сложности hardship для американского родственника из определенной категории родных.

Госпошлина остается таже, а именно US$930. 

Для консультации с адвокатом, свяжитесь с нами по адресу.

​

07-28-2022 Update: USCIS is currently experiencing delays in issuing receipts for Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. Due to these delays, you may not receive a receipt notice in a timely manner after you properly file your Form I-589. For purposes of the asylum one-year filing deadline, affirmative asylum interview scheduling priorities, and Employment Authorization Document eligibility based on a pending asylum application, your filing date will still be the date that we received your properly filed Form I-589 (not the date we processed it). If you did not properly file your application, we will reject it and note any deficiencies in your filing. If you do not receive your receipt notice in a timely manner, please do not submit multiple Forms I-589, as this may further delay your case.
Properly filing your Form I-589 allows us to process your form with fewer delays. Please review the reminders below to ensure you are properly filing your Form I-589:

• You must submit your application for asylum within one year of arriving in the United States (one-year filing deadline), unless you can establish that there are changed circumstances that materially affect your eligibility for asylum or extraordinary circumstances directly related to your failure to file within one year.
• You must type or print all of your answers in black ink.
• You must provide the specific information requested about you and your family and answer all the questions on the form. If any question does not apply to you or you do not know the information requested, answer “none,” “not applicable,” or “unknown.”
• If you file your application with missing information, we may return it to you as incomplete.
• You are strongly urged to attach additional written statements and documents that support your claim. Your written statements should include events, dates, and details of your experiences that relate to your claim for asylum.
• Put your Alien Registration Number (A-Number), if you have one, your name (exactly as it appears in Part A.I. of the form), the date, and your signature on each supplemental sheet and on the cover page of any supporting documents.
• Follow the instructions in the Where to File section and the Special Instructions section on the Form I-589 webpage to determine where to file your Form I-589.
• If you are applying for asylum as an Afghan Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) parolee, please review the Afghan Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) Parolee Asylum-Related Frequently Asked Questions page.

Please note: Do not submit any Forms I-589 to the Vermont Service Center (VSC). The VSC is not currently processing Form I-589 and submitting your Form I-589 to the VSC will result in additional delays.
We continue to experience receipt issuance delays in other workloads across some service centers. 

​Form I-589. 

Often we talk to someone who was a victim of immigration scam. For example, a notary (notario) helped to complete immigration paperwork and apply for immigration benefits that the person was not eligible for, of submitted a frivolous application for political asylum, which contained false information and was later denied. Or assisted in commuting "marriage fraud" to numerous other clients, and an innocent couple who was assisted by the same "notario" got their case denied and placed under investigation.

Please remember that in the United States only a licensed attorney (a lawyer) is authorized and qualified to give you legal advice, help with your immigration applications, forms, etc.

A Notary Public is not an attorney. To become a notary, a person has to pass a simple test, but doesn't have to be a lawyer, doesn't even need a college degree! (It is very different in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Europe or Latin America, which is why it is confusing to immigrants from those countries).

​For convenience of their clients, many lawyers also hold a license of a Notary Public in their state. However, these lawyers are licensed attorneys.

Please do not be fooled by people who offer to help with your immigration paperwork for "reduced fee". Or offer your "free legal advice". As they say, free is only the cheese in the mousetrap.

How to report scam to USCIS: https://www.uscis.gov/scams-fraud-and-misconduct/avoid-scams/report-immigration-scams

Reporting immigration scams will not affect your immigration application or petition.
Please help stop the unauthorized practice of immigration law by standing up to scammers and reporting them. Also, many states allow you to report scams anonymously.

How to Report Immigration Scams

Report the scam to your state consumer protection office. See the table below for state-specific information.
If you lost money or other possessions in a scam, report it to your local police, too. To learn more about where to report fraud and scams, visit USA.gov’s Common Scams and Frauds webpage.
You can always report scams to the Federal Trade Commission. In the table below, we've included information on where to report scams in your state and links to the laws that protect you as a consumer.
Scam Websites and Social Media AccountsSome websites and social media accounts claim to be affiliated with USCIS and offer step-by-step guidance on completing a USCIS application or petition. To report a website or social media account that claims to be affiliated with USCIS, send an email to [email protected].

Briefly in Russian:

Нередко нам приходится помогать людям, которым до нас "помог" нотариус или "иммиграционный консультант", и в результате испортил их шансы на получени грин карты и гражданства.

В США нотариусы не имеют право оказывать юридические услуги, в том числе иммиграционные услуги, такие как подача заявления на полит убежище и разрешение на работу. Для оказания таких услуг нужна лицензия адвоката (а не нотариуса).

В США нет иммиграционных консультантов (как в Канаде, например), которые в тоже время не являются юристами. В США только юрист может быть адвокатом и оказывать юридические услуги, в том числе иммиграционные услуги.

Если вам так "помогли", вы можете пожаловаться властям штата или федеральтным органам власти. Это не будет использовано против вас, но сможет остановить такого "помощника".

Информация от USCIS по линку.

Информация по отдельным штата тут по линку - State consumer protection.

Будьте осторожны и всего доброго!

Most individuals paroled into the United States for urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit purposes pursuant to INA section 212(d)(5) are eligible to seek employment authorization under category (c)(11). Generally, this includes individuals who are paroled into the United States, including individuals paroled through the Uniting for Ukraine process. Please see the Form I-765 instructions for more information.  

Effective immediately, applicants for employment authorization under category (c)(11) may file Form I-765 online, with limited exceptions. Applicants seeking a waiver of the filing fee or those eligible for a fee exemption, such as Afghan nationals paroled through Operation Allies Welcome and filing an initial Form I-765, must continue to submit Form I-765 by mail. Whether applications are submitted by mail or electronically, USCIS is committed to employing technological solutions and efficiencies to reduce processing times.

To file Form I-765 online, eligible applicants must first visit my.uscis.gov, to create a USCIS online account. 

Briefly in Russian:

Начиная с 28 июля 2022, люди приехавшие в США по паролю, включая гуманитарный пароль и программа для Украины U4U - могут создать аккаунт онлайн и подавать заявление на разрешение на работу также онлайн. Есть исключения. Если вы просите освободить вас от уплаты госпошлины, это заявление по прежнему подается по почте.

​Для записи на консультацию к адвокату, пишите нам по электронной почте.

​To schedule consultation with immigration attorney, please email us.

USCIS is extending again certain COVID-19-related flexibilities through October 23, 2022, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors.

Under these flexibilities, USCIS considers a response received within 60 calendar days after the due date set forth in the following requests or notices before taking any action, if the request or notice was issued between March 1, 2020, and Oct. 23, 2022, inclusive:

• Requests for Evidence;
• Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
• Notices of Intent to Deny;
• Notices of Intent to Revoke;
• Notices of Intent to Rescind;
• Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers;
• Notices of Intent to Withdraw Temporary Protected Status; and
• Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant.

In addition, USCIS will consider a Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, or a Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings (Under Section 336 of the INA), if:

• The form was filed up to 90 calendar days from the issuance of a decision; and
• USCIS made that decision between Nov. 1, 2021, and Oct. 23, 2022, inclusive.

In an effort to take the lessons learned from our pandemic posture, USCIS has been evaluating which flexibilities can and should be extended permanently. As a result of this evaluation, the reproduced signature flexibility announced in March, 2020, will become permanent policy on July 25, 2022.

Briefly in Russian:

​​Еще раз был продлен период для ответа на запросы от иммиграционной службы, а также на подачу апеляций и жалоб в USCIS. Этот период продлен еше раз по 22 октября 2022. USCIS не будет принимать решения по вашему делу до тех пор пока не получа ваш ответ или не пройдет 60 дней ПОСЛЕ истечения официального срока для ответа.

​COVID-19 USCIS Updates.

USCIS is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding Afghan and Iraqi nationals seeking special immigrant classification. The new guidance is effective immediately.
The updated guidance:

• Explains that noncitizens seeking an Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) on or after July 20, 2022, must file Form DS-157, Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV Applicants, with the Department of State when they are applying for Chief of Mission approval. In some circumstances, noncitizens must still file a petition with USCIS to pursue an Afghan SIV;
• Updates eligibility criteria to reflect that the employment requirement for an Afghan SIV is now one year and clarifies what type of employment with the International Security Assistance Force qualifies;
• Updates eligibility criteria for surviving spouses and children of deceased principal noncitizens to expand the scope of who may apply for Afghan and Iraqi SIVs;
• In cases where a visa is not immediately available, removes the date limitation to convert an approved petition for an Afghan or Iraqi translator or interpreter to an approved petition for an Iraqi or Afghan employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government; and
• Clarifies statutory requirements that a noncitizen seeking an Afghan or Iraqi SIV must establish that they provided faithful and valuable service to the U.S. government by submitting a positive recommendation or evaluation from their supervisor.

For more information, see the Policy Alert (PDF, 347.6 KB). Visit the Policy Manual Feedback page to provide feedback on this update. USCIS welcomes feedback on this guidance and will consider any feedback received in future updates.

​USCIS Policy Manual is here.
​July 20, 2022 USCIS Policy Alert is here.

TPS for Ukraine Updates: Новости по ТПС для Украины.

Today, on July 14, 2022, I attended a conference call with the USCIS headquarters, and they provided important updates about TPS for Ukraine. Below are some of the talking points in English and Russian.

Cегодня 14 июля 2022 USCIS ответили на многие вопросы по ТПС для Украины во время конференции с адвокатами, которую я посетила.

1) USCIS is expecting that the processing time for TPS for Ukraine will be about 6 months. Soon, the processing times will be available at USCIS website. Ожидается, что сроки рассмотрения ТПС для Украины будут 6 месяцев. Скоро даты будут опубликованы онлайн на сайте USCIS.

2) Some TPS applications will be denied. The reasons for denial are inadmissibility grounds, criminal, frivolous asylum application (it is important!), reinstatement of a prior deportation order, etc. Некоторые заявления на ТПС получат отказ. Например, если у вас открыто решение по депортации, вы подавали фривольное заявление на полит убежище в прошлом, у вас есть судимости и другие основания для признания вас невъездным в США. Проконсультируйтесь с адвокатом.

3) Application for TPS can be filed online. However, if you are requesting a fee waiver, currently, it can be only filed by mail. However, USCIS is working on making a Fee Waiver request available for online filing soon. Заявление на ТПС может быть подано как онлайн так и по почте. Если вы хотите подать бесплатно - только по почте. USCIS планируют скоро поменять правила - и разрешить подачу бесплатно онлайн (подать заявление на fee waiver).

4) Be careful preparing your application and what documents you are submitting with your application.
Внимательно готовьте свое заявление и документы для подачи.

5) Avoid immigration scams. Consult licensed attorneys, not notarios or someone says that they are a "paralegal" or "immigration consultant". USCIS sees a lot of fraudulent activity.
Избегайте иммиграционного мошенничества. Многие нотариусы, паралигалы и так называемые "иммиграционные консультанты" на самом деле не являются адвокатами, не имеют права давать юридический совет, но занимаются иммиграционными услугами. Обращайтесь за помощью к адвокату. USCIS видит много нарушений и мошенничества по делам ТПС.

6) If your application is pending too long or you didn't receive a Receipt Notice, form I-797, they might be investigating your case more closely. Consult an attorney. Если ваше заявление слишком долго ждет решения или вы даже не получили письмо с номером дела, возможно какие-то проблемы именно с вашим заявлением, и оно требует больше времени. Проконсультируйтесь с адвокатом.

7) You can travel to Ukraine and return back to the USA if you have an advance parole (if TPS is pending) or travel authorization (if TPS is granted). Вы можете путешествовать в Украину и обратно в США, если у вас есть travel document. А именно, advance parole (если ТПС все еще на рассмотрении) или travel authorization (если ТПС уже утвержден). Помните, что это требует особого заявления, госпошлины и времени для получения.

8) If you applied for TPS online and made a mistake that you noticed too late, there is a way to correct it through your online account.
Если вы сделали ошибки в своем заявлении онлайн, то есть способы их исправить через ваш аккаунт онлайн.

9) YES, you can have another valid Non-immigrant status while in TPS. However, you must maintain that status. There are rules to follow. Да, вы можете одновременно с ТПС поддерживать другой неиммиграционный статус. Помните, что важно не нарушать это второй статус, чтобы его не потерять (например, студенческий).

10) If you left Ukraine in a hurry and do not have some important documents, there is a way to submit "secondary evidence", and if accepted, it could be used instead of the missing documents from Ukraine.
Если вы оставили на Украине какие-то важные документы и у вас их нет с собой, их можно заменить другими документами. Проконсультируйтесь с адвокатом.

11) In some instances, people without Ukrainian citizenship could be granted TPS. В некоторых ситуациях человек не являющийся гражданином Украины может получить статус ТПС для Украины. Это узкие исключения.

12) TPS is issued individually to each applicant (to parents and children separately). You need to submit an application for each family member. There is no "derivative" TPS status. Статус ТПС это не семейный статус. Он не выдается на всю семью. Каждый должен подать индивидуальное заявление, включая детей. Кому-то могут отказать, не взирая на родственные связи, если они не соответствуют требованиям ТПС.

Для консультации с адвокатом, пишите по адресу.[email protected]  ​

​Beginning July 1, 2022, USCIS will issue a new travel authorization document to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries: Form I-512T, Authorization for Travel by a Noncitizen to the United States. USCIS will no longer issue advance parole documents to a TPS beneficiary’s for travel outside the United States.

If you are a TPS beneficiary (TPS was approved) with an existing, unexpired advance parole document, you may continue to use it for travel outside the United States through the period of validity printed on it.

If you are a TPS beneficiary applying for a new travel authorization document, you should continue to use Form I-131, Application for Travel Document.

If you have a pending Form I-131, you do not need to file a new application.

USCIS will continue issuing advance parole documents to noncitizens with pending applications for TPS (Form I-821).

Recently we published very important related news on our blog.

Briefly in Russian:

С 1 июля 2022 USCIS начал выдавать новый документ для поездок за пределы США лицам в статусе TPS..

Мы недавно опубликовали на нашем блоге важные новости по этому вопросу и будущей возможности получить грин карту.

Форма заявления - таже форма I-131.

Если заявлние I-821 TPS все еще находится на рассмотрении, то по прежнему USCIS будет выдавать advance parole.

To schedule a consultation, please email us to schedule.

Information about TPS from USCIS. 

USCIS announced today that they are extending the designation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for another 18 months.
​
The 18-month extension of TPS for Venezuela will be effective from September 10, 2022, through March 10, 2024. Only beneficiaries under Venezuela’s existing designation, and who were already residing in the United States as of March 8, 2021, are eligible to re-register for TPS under this extension.

Venezuelans who arrived in the United States after March 8, 2021, are not eligible for TPS.

Approximately 343,000 individuals are estimated to be eligible for TPS under the existing designation of Venezuela.

​TPS for Venezuela page at USCIS is here.

​Extensión del TPS de VenezuelaEl Departamento de Seguridad Nacional anunció la extensión del Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) de Venezuela por 18 meses, desde el 10 de septiembre de 2022 hasta el 10 de marzo de 2024.
La extensión del TPS de Venezuela por 18 meses entrará en vigor el 10 de septiembre de 2022. DHS publicará una notificación en el Registro Federal que explicará cómo reinscribirse bajo la designación de Venezuela y solicitar un Documento de Autorización de Empleo (EAD). Se estima que aproximadamente 343,000 personas estar elegibles para TPS bajo la designación existente de Venezuela. 
USCIS continuará con el procesamiento de las solicitudes pendientes. Los solicitantes que tengan un Formulario I-821, Solicitud de Autorización de Empleo o el Formulario I-765, Solicitud de Autorización de Empleo, no tienen que presentar la solicitud nuevamente. Si USCIS aprueba su Formulario I-821 pendiente presentado durante la designación inicial de TPS para Venezuela, USCIS le otorgará al solicitante TPS hasta el 10 de marzo de 2024. De manera similar, si USCIS aprueba un Formulario I-765 pendiente relacionado con TPS para un solicitante inicial, emitirá un nuevo EAD válido hasta el 10 de marzo de 2024.
Mas Información
DHS planificará y coordinará oportunidades de enlace comunitario con respecto a la extensión y redesignación de TPS para Venezuela para brindar información y responder preguntas del público.
Para obtener la información más actualizada relacionada con el Estatus de Protección Temporal, visite nuestra página de TPS.

As of May 1, 2022, all employers must only accept unexpired List B identity documents as part of the I-9 process.

After July 15, 2022, e-Verify will no longer provide extended timeframes for employees to visit the Social Security Administration (SSA) to resolve Social Security mismatches.

During COVID-19 pandemic, USCS and DHS temporarily allowed employers to accept expired List B identity documents as part of the I-9 process. It was acceptable for employers to accept expired state IDs or driver’s licenses for List B if the document expired on or after March 1, 2020, and the state extended the document expiration date due to COVID-19.

This temporary policy ended on May 1, 2022. Employers have until July 31, 2022 to update their I-9 Forms for employees that presented expired List B documents between May 1, 2020, and April 30, 2022. A chart detailing these changes can be found here.

Similarly, due to the closure of SSA offices to the public, USCIS allowed employers participating in E-Verify to postpone dealing with Social Security mismatches (cases in which an employee’s Social Security number did not match the number in the E-Verify database resulting in a “TNC” or “tentative non-confirmation”). Before the pandemic, an employee contesting a TNC was required to contact the SSA within 8 federal working days or risk getting a Final Non-confirmation and loss of employment. Beginning March 2, 2020, this requirement was temporarily suspended. uscis e-verify

As of July 15, 2022, employees receiving a TNC for a Social Security mismatch will again be required to contact the SSA within 8 federal working days to resolve the mismatch. Employees with mismatches between March 2, 2020 and July 14, 2022 have until September 29, 2023 to resolve their cases. 

​Read more here. Updates are here.

On June 24, 2022, USCIS updated its Policy Manual. New policy is intended to make it easier for people to obtain a green card without having to apply for an inadmissibility waiver.

Purpose

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy
Manual on inadmissibility under section 212(a)(9)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(INA), specifically, the effect of returning to the United States during the statutory 3-year or 10-
year period after departure or removal (if applicable).

Under this new policy guidance, a noncitizen who again seeks admission more than 3 or 10 years after the relevant departure or removal, is not inadmissible under INA 212(a)(9)(B) even if the noncitizen returned to the United States, with or without authorization, during the statutory 3-year or 10-year period.

Background

In 1996, Congress provided specific grounds of inadmissibility related to a noncitizen’s accrual of
unlawful presence in the United States, including inadmissibility under INA 212(a)(9)(B).

A noncitizen is inadmissible under INA 212(a)(9)(B) if the noncitizen accrues more than 180 days of
unlawful presence, departs or is removed (whichever applies), and again seeks admission within 3-
years or 10-years, respectively, after the departure or removal. This INA provision does not speak to
the effect of returning to the United States during the statutory 3-year or 10-year period without first
obtaining a waiver of inadmissibility.4 There are neither regulations, precedent federal court
decisions, nor published5 administrative decisions on the issue. However, more recently, two federal
district courts have issued decisions on this issue, concluding that the statutory 3-year and 10-year
periods run from the date of departure or removal (whichever applies) without interruption. 

USCIS is issuing this guidance to explain the effect of returning to the United States during the statutory 3-year or 10-year period after departure or removal (whichever applies) on inadmissibility determinations under INA 212(a)(9)(B). USCIS has not previously issued guidance on this specific issue in a policy memorandum, the Adjudicator’s Field Manual, or the Policy Manual.7 USCIS is now issuing this policy guidance to memorialize clear, express, and public-facing policy guidance in the Policy Manual regarding the impact of returning to the United States during the statutory 3-year and 10-year periods of inadmissibility under INA 212(a)(9)(B). This policy guidance, which is consistent with two recent district court decisions and an unpublished BIA decision on this issue, will ensure efficient and consistent adjudication in such cases, and enable the government to preserve significant resources.

This guidance contained in Volume 8 of the Policy Manual is effective immediately and applies prospectively to USCIS inadmissibility determinations made on or after June 24, 2022. The guidance contained in the Policy Manual is controlling and supersedes any prior related guidance on the topic. In addition, some noncitizens may be eligible to file a motion to reopen8 their previously denied application with USCIS using a Notice of Appeal or Motion (Form I-290B).

For more information, see the Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility webpage.

Policy Highlights

• Explains that USCIS does not consider a noncitizen who has accrued more than 180 days of unlawful presence and has departed or been removed (whichever applies) inadmissible under INA 212(a)(9)(B) unless the noncitizen again seeks admission to the United States within the statutory 3-year or 10-year period after departure or removal (whichever applies) following accrual of the requisite period of unlawful presence.

• States that the statutory 3-year or 10-year period begins to run once the noncitizen departs or is removed (whichever applies) and continues without interruption from that date until 3 or 10 years after such departure or removal.

• States that a noncitizen’s location during the statutory 3-year or 10-year period and the noncitizen’s manner of return to the United States during the statutory 3-year or 10-year period are irrelevant for purposes of determining inadmissibility under INA 212(a)(9)(B). 

Untimely Motions to Reopen for Certain USCIS DenialsOn June 24, 2022 USCIS published new policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual concerning the effect of returning to the United States during the statutory three-year or 10-year period after departure or removal. Under this policy guidance, a noncitizen who again seeks admission more than three years or 10 years after the relevant departure or removal is not inadmissible under INA 212(a)(9)(B), even if the noncitizen returned to the United States, with or without authorization, during the statutory three-year or 10-year period.
Generally, under 8 CFR 103.5(a)(1)(i), a motion to reopen filed by an applicant or petitioner must be filed within 30 days of the decision that the motion seeks to reopen. However, on or before December 27, 2022, you may file an untimely motion to reopen your previously denied application with USCIS on Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, and in accordance with the form instructions and filing fee, if:

• You returned to the United States during the statutory three-year or 10-year period;
• You filed your application with USCIS after the expiration of the statutory three-year or 10-year period; and
• We denied your application on or after April 4, 2016, solely based upon inadmissibility under INA 212(a)(9)(B) and your return to the United States during the statutory three-year or 10-year period.

You should write “Return to United States during three-year or 10-year statutory period” to assist with identification and to prevent rejection for untimely filing. We will accept untimely motions to reopen that meet the requirements above. Any individual in litigation on this basis may work through the government’s representative in litigation. If your case is reopened, it will be adjudicated under the new policy guidance
Read more here. 

More Information about Unlawful Presence and the BarsYou can find more information on unlawful presence in AFM Chapter 40.9.2 (PDF, 1017.74 KB). You can also find additional information about grounds of inadmissibility in the USCIS Policy Manual.
Read here.

Whether an unlawful presence ground of inadmissibility applies to you depends on the immigration benefit you are seeking.
​Depending on the immigration benefit you are seeking, the law may exempt you from the ground of inadmissibility.
If you are inadmissible due to one or more of the unlawful presence grounds of inadmissibility, you generally cannot obtain a visa from the U.S. Department of State, enter the United States at a port of entry, or obtain an immigration benefit such as adjustment of status (Green Card) in the United States without first obtaining a waiver or another form of relief (such as consent to reapply for admission).
You can find information about some of the waivers or forms of relief on the following form pages:

• Form I-192, Application for Advance Permission to Enter as a Nonimmigrant
• Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility
• Form I-601A, Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver
• Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal

​Read new policy at USCIS website. 

Big news for TPS:

On July 1, 2022, USCIS updated its policy regarding eligibility for adjustment of status of certain recipients of TPS.  USCIS clarified that TPS beneficiaries who travel abroad temporarily, with the prior consent of the USCIS (new travel authorization form I-512T), and who return to the USA in accordance with that prior authorization, may be inspected and admitted into TPS upon return, with certain exceptions. TPS beneficiaries whom DHS has inspected and admitted into TPS after such authorized travel are considered “inspected and admitted” and therefore eligible to apply for a green card through a process known as adjustment of status under INA 245(a) and INA 245(k). This is true even if the TPS beneficiary was present without admission or parole when initially granted TPS. USCIS  introducув a new form, TPS Travel Authorization (Form I-512T) for authorizing such travel. A TPS applicant has to be eligible to apply for a green card, in one if the categories, this didn't change.

Briefly in Russian:

1 июля 2022 USCIS опубликовал официальный меморандум, который изменил стырые правила по ТПС. Теперь человек в статусе ТПС, может получить разрешение на поездки за границу, новую форму, которую вводят специально для ТПС, и по возвращении в США, ему или ей будет разрешен официальный въезд в США на основании инспекции офицером на границе. С этим официальным разрешением на въезд, человек сможет подать на грин карту через процесс известный как adjustment of status, даже если до этого они въехали без визы и проживали нелегально в США. Естественно, человек должен иметь основания для подачи на грин карту, в соответствии с законом.

To be eligible for adjustment of status under INA 245(a), a noncitizen must have been inspected and admitted or inspected and paroled into the United States, unless exempt from this requirement. On June 7, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the interpretation that a noncitizen who enters the United States without having been inspected and admitted or inspected and paroled, and who is subsequently granted TPS, generally does not meet this requirement.1 USCIS is updating its guidance to reflect the decision of the Supreme Court. USCIS is also updating the effect of authorized travel by a TPS beneficiary on eligibility for adjustment of status under INA 245(a). On August 20, 2020, USCIS adopted a decision by the Administrative Appeals Office in Matter of Z-R-Z-C- as agency policy.

Matter of Z-R-Z-C- held that treating TPS beneficiaries who were paroled upon returning from travel authorized under INA 244(f)(3) as parolees for purposes of eligibility for adjustment of status under INA 245(a) was contrary to the language of the statute, as such noncitizens should not be considered to have been paroled, despite the issuance and use of parole documents for reentry into the United States. The adoption of this holding as the agency’s policy position significantly changed the agency’s position on the effect of authorized travel and return to the United States by TPS recipients. Matter of Z-R-ZC- also held that being “inspected and admitted” after TPS-authorized travel does not constitute being inspected and admitted for purposes of adjustment of status under INA 245(a).  

USCIS has reviewed its interpretation of the relevant statutory authority3 and the effect of TPS authorized travel on eligibility for adjustment of status, and on July 1, 2022, rescinded its designation of Matter of Z-R-Z-C- as an adopted decision.

USCIS is updating its guidance to clarify that TPS beneficiaries who travel abroad temporarily, with the prior consent of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and who return in accordance with that prior authorization, may be inspected and admitted into TPS upon return, with certain exceptions. TPS beneficiaries whom DHS has inspected and admitted into TPS after such authorized travel are “inspected and admitted” for purposes of adjustment of status under INA 245(a) and INA 245(k).

This is true even if the TPS beneficiary was present without admission or parole when initially granted TPS.

USCIS is also updating its guidance relating to how it authorizes TPS beneficiaries to travel pursuant to the Miscellaneous and Technical Immigration and Nationality Amendments of 1991 (MTINA).

USCIS is introducing a new form, TPS Travel Authorization (Form I-512T) for authorizing such travel and will no longer be using Authorization for Parole of an Alien Into the United States (Form I512L) for this population. Presenting with a valid Form I-512T allows a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at a port-of-entry to admit the named bearer into TPS.

USCIS is also removing guidance and reserving the affected Policy Manual section regarding the effect of TPS and TPS-authorized travel on whether a naturalization applicant was lawfully admitted for permanent residence, as required under INA 318.

The removed guidance did not reflect the 2021 Supreme Court decision that conferral of TPS was not an admission, and it applied the rescinded policy in Matter of Z-R-Z-C- to TPS beneficiaries who returned from authorized travel. Guidance reflecting these changes will be issued subsequently. USCIS is also updating its guidance relating to when adjustment of status applications are in the jurisdiction of USCIS, as opposed to the jurisdiction of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).

The update also clarifies that jurisdiction is based on whether or not DHS places a noncitizen into removal proceedings as an “arriving alien.” This guidance, contained in Volume 7 of the Policy Manual, is effective immediately and applies prospectively to applications adjudicated on or after July 1, 2022. The guidance in Part B, Chapter 2, Section A, Subsection 5, Temporary Protected Status, also applies retroactively to past travel in all cases arising under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit under the recent decision Duarte v. Mayorkas, 27 F.4th 1044 (5th Cir. 2022), as well as in individual cases arising elsewhere where USCIS has determined that retroactive application is appropriate, as explained in the guidance. The guidance contained in the Policy Manual is controlling and supersedes Adjudicators Field Manual Chapter 54.4(a)(3)(A), TPS Advance Parole Procedures, and any other related prior guidance on the topic.

Policy Highlights:

• Incorporates the Supreme Court’s decision in Sanchez v. Mayorkas.

• Reflects the rescission of Matter of Z-R-Z-C- as an adopted decision.

• Clarifies that if a TPS beneficiary is inspected and admitted into TPS following a return from authorized travel, this meets the requirements of INA 245(a) and 245(k) for adjustment of status.

• Provides that USCIS may deem past travel under advance parole to have been an admission into TPS in certain cases.

• Clarifies the circumstances under which USCIS or EOIR have jurisdiction over adjustment of status applications following a TPS beneficiary’s inspection and admission into TPS after a return from authorized travel.

• Clarifies that jurisdiction over an adjustment application by a noncitizen in removal proceedings is based on whether or not DHS placed the noncitizen into those proceedings as an “arriving alien.”

• Removes and reserves guidance discussing TPS when considering whether a naturalization applicant was lawfully admitted as a permanent resident as required under INA 318. Summary of Changes Affected Section: Volume 7 > Part A > Chapter 3 > Section D, Jurisdiction

• Makes revisions throughout to clarify basis for jurisdiction and to incorporate new policy on effect of TPS-authorized travel. Affected Section: Volume 7 > Part B > Chapter 2 > Section A, “Inspected and Admitted” or “Inspected and Paroled” • Revises Subsection 5 (Temporary Protected Status), in its entirety. Affected Section: Volume 12 > Part D > Chapter 2 > Section C, Effect of Change in Law 

• Removes text under Subsection 2 (Case Law), Temporary Protected Status and Admission or Parole into the United States for Adjustment of Status, and reserves section.

Citation

​Volume 7: Adjustment of Status, Part A, Adjustment of Status Policies and Procedures, Chapter 3, Filing Instructions [7 USCIS-PM A.3]; Part B, 245(a) Adjustment, Chapter 2, Eligibility Requirements [7 USCIS-PM B.2]. Volume 12: Citizenship and Naturalization, Part D, General Naturalization Requirements, Chapter 2, Lawful Permanent Resident Admission for Naturalization [12 USCIS-PM D.2]. 

USCIS Memo, dated July 1, 2022.

Read another post on this topic here - I-512T Travel Authorization for TPS Beneficiary v. Advance Parole for I-821 pending.