Author Archives: Jay Butchko
What is the Green Card Lottery?
When most people think of winning the lottery, they think of riches, and never having to work again. But for many immigrants, winning the lottery means being able to work, being able to stay in America, and being able to remain with family. We’re talking about the so-called Green Card Lottery. Rules of the… Read More »
Dos and Don’ts If You Are Stopped by Ice
Whether you are in the country legally or illegally, your biggest fear is likely being raided or stopped by ICE agents. Stories of ICE agents stopping drivers on the road, or patients in hospitals are everywhere. Some of those stories are true and some are a bit exaggerated, but either way, you may get… Read More »
Should Immigrants Have Attorneys Appointed for Them by the Government?
With COVID-19 creating opportunities for the United States government to create more hardships for immigrants—both those seeking to enter the country, and those in the country seeking to remain here—the pandemic has brought to the forefront a new issue: Whether or not it’s time to give immigrants the constitutional right to an attorney. Criminal… Read More »
Do You Qualify for an Einstein Visa?
Are you a genius? A world renowned expert in your field? Most people are not—but in the event that you are, you may be a candidate for the so-called “Einstein Visa.” What is the Einstein Visa? The Einstein Visa was named after famed physicist Albert Einstein, who obtained the Visa, allowing him to come… Read More »
Qualifying for a National Interest Waiver Visa
We recently discussed the very high standards to meet the requirements of the so-called “Einstein Visa,” a Visa that requires that applicants have national recognition in their field, have won national awards in their home country, or who are simply recognized as the best and brightest in whatever they do—even if their profession is… Read More »
Supreme Court Saves DACA Program-For Now
The U.S. Supreme Court recently turned back the government’s attempt to end the DACA program, which protects immigrants who have become known as “dreamers.” What is DACA? The DACA program protects immigrants brought here at a young age by parents who were in the country illegally, or who were undocumented. Started by the Obama… Read More »
Immigration’s Transfer of Detainees Makes Spread of COVID-19 Even Worse
Among the many problems that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been causing, you might not expect that they would be causing a larger outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. But ICE’s practice of transferring detainees could be doing just that. Detention in Holding Centers As you can imagine, among the many other human rights… Read More »
Government Proposes New Rules Making it Harder to Seek Asylum
We have written in the past about the plight of asylum seekers, and about how they are among the most vulnerable and desperate of all the people who cross our borders. However, despite all of this, it seems the government is once again making it even harder for these very desperate people to find… Read More »
Coronavirus-Related Immigration Law Changes
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is seemingly everywhere, and the shutdowns and lockdowns that the disease is causing raise problems in the world of immigration. Immigration laws and policies are being announced that affect applicants, individuals and businesses that are under time constraints to provide immigration documentation. What To Do With Denied Visa Applicants? Normally, if… Read More »
It’s Easier Than You Think to Lose Your Green Card
So you’ve gone through the process, completed your application, and you are legally in the country under one of a number of Green Card opportunities. Congratulations. You are on the path to permanent citizenship. That is, unless you do something to lose your green card and face deportation. Before you think that could never… Read More »