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Immigration news and analysis from Carlos Maury Law.

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  July 27, 2026 USCIS Can Now Send Asylum Cases to a Judge Without an Interview

  USCIS announced an interim final rule, effective immediately, that lets asylum officers refer affirmative asylum applications to an Immigration Judge without first conducting an asylum interview. What the rule changes, who it affects, and what to do now.
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  July 25, 2026 Court Pauses Some USCIS Policies on TPS Work Permits and the Asylum Fee

  A federal court stayed parts of USCIS's H.R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) rollout: extended TPS work permits keep their prior expiration, and asylum cases can't be rejected or ended solely for not paying the annual asylum fee — but the fee is still collected.
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  July 20, 2026 DHS Rescinds the 2022 Public Charge Rule — New Form I-485 Coming

  DHS rescinded the 2022 public charge regulation, letting officers weigh all factors case-by-case. Effective Sept. 18, 2026, with a revised Form I-485. What it means for green card applicants.
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  July 20, 2026 Green Card Interviews Now Happen in Your Country of Residence

  The State Department now schedules immigrant visa (green card) interviews in your country of residence — or nationality if requested. What the rule means, how post-to-post transfers work, and the exceptions.
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  July 20, 2026 New Rule: Apply for Your U.S. Visa in Your Home Country

  The State Department now directs nonimmigrant visa applicants to interview in their country of nationality or residence. What the July 2026 change means, the exceptions, and the fee/wait-time traps to avoid.
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  July 20, 2026 Who Must Register With DHS — and How to Use Form G-325R

  A DHS final rule confirms the alien registration requirement under INA 262. Who must register, who's already registered, Form G-325R, the carry-your-proof rule, and the penalties for not complying.
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  July 15, 2026 Court Strikes Down Trump Citizenship Order

  In Trump v. Barbara, the Supreme Court struck down the order ending birthright citizenship. What it means for families.
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  July 13, 2026 Cancellation of Removal: A Plain-English Guide

  Cancellation of removal can stop a deportation and grant a green card. Who qualifies under the law, the two types, and what the statute actually requires.
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  July 11, 2026 Immigration Bond Hearings: How Release From Detention Works

  If a loved one is detained by immigration, a bond can mean release while the case continues. What the law says about who qualifies, mandatory detention, and the $1,500 minimum.
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  July 9, 2026 Removal Proceedings: What Happens in Immigration Court

  Removal proceedings are how the government tries to deport someone — and how you defend against it. Your rights, who has the burden of proof, and what the law requires.
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  July 7, 2026 The Notice to Appear: The Document That Starts a Deportation Case

  A Notice to Appear (NTA) is how removal proceedings begin. What the law requires it to contain, the address rule that can make or break a case, and your right to time to find a lawyer.
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  July 5, 2026 Withholding of Removal: Protection When Asylum Isn't Available

  Withholding of removal can stop a deportation to a country where your life or freedom would be threatened — even when asylum is barred. What the law protects, and its limits.
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  July 3, 2026 Asylum in the U.S.: Who Qualifies and the One-Year Deadline

  Asylum protects people who fear persecution in their home country. Who can apply, the strict one-year filing deadline, what you must prove, and the exceptions the law allows.
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  July 2, 2026 Guam Marriage-Fraud Case: What It Means

  A Guam visa fraud case ended in criminal sentences. What marriage fraud means under U.S. law and what to do if you're worried about an I-751.
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  July 1, 2026 Temporary Protected Status (TPS): How It Works

  TPS lets nationals of certain countries live and work in the U.S. when it's unsafe to return. Why countries are designated, what protection it gives, and what it does not.
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  July 1, 2026 USCIS Opens New Atlanta Asylum Office

  USCIS's new Atlanta Asylum Office serves Georgia and Alabama starting July 8, 2026. What it means for affirmative asylum applicants and what to do next.
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  June 29, 2026 Becoming a U.S. Citizen: The Requirements for Naturalization

  Naturalization is how a green-card holder becomes a U.S. citizen. The residence and physical-presence rules, the good moral character requirement, and what the law demands.
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  June 28, 2026 Motions to Reopen and Reconsider at BIA

  A plain-language guide to motions to reopen and reconsider before the BIA: deadlines, numerical limits, exceptions, and e-filing rules.
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  June 28, 2026 TPS for Lebanon Extended Six Months

  DHS automatically extended TPS for Lebanon through November 27, 2026, and auto-extended certain work permits. What changed and what to do.
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  June 27, 2026 Marriage-Based Green Cards and the Two-Year Conditional Period

  A green card through marriage often comes with conditions for the first two years. What conditional residence means, how to remove the conditions, and the waivers the law allows.
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  June 27, 2026 Court Puts USCIS Hold Policies on Hold

  A federal court vacated three USCIS hold policies for travel-ban nationals. What the order does and what to do about your case.
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  June 25, 2026 Denaturalization: Losing U.S. Citizenship

  What denaturalization means for naturalized citizens, the legal grounds the government must prove, and what to do if your citizenship is challenged.
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  June 25, 2026 Employment Eligibility Verification: What the I-9 Law Requires

  Federal law makes it unlawful to knowingly employ someone not authorized to work. What the employment verification system requires of employers and workers, in plain English.
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  June 23, 2026 Grounds of Inadmissibility: What Can Keep You Out

  Inadmissibility is why a visa or green card can be denied. The main categories the law lists — health, criminal, public charge, unlawful presence — and why waivers matter.
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  June 21, 2026 Grounds of Deportability: Why a Person Already Here Can Be Removed

  Even lawful permanent residents can become deportable. The main grounds the law lists — criminal offenses, status violations, and more — and why the distinctions matter.
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  June 19, 2026 Family-Based Immigration: Immediate Relatives and Preference Categories

  U.S. citizens and green-card holders can petition for family. The difference between uncapped immediate relatives and the capped preference categories — and why the wait varies so much.
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  June 17, 2026 The H-1B Visa: What Counts as a Specialty Occupation

  The H-1B is the main work visa for professional jobs. What the law means by 'specialty occupation,' the degree requirement, and why the definition decides whether a job qualifies.
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  June 15, 2026 The H-2A Visa: Temporary Agricultural Workers

  The H-2A program lets U.S. farms hire foreign seasonal workers when domestic workers aren't available. The two conditions the law requires, and the protections built into it.
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  June 13, 2026 From Refugee or Asylee to Green Card: Adjusting Status

  People granted asylum or admitted as refugees can become permanent residents. The one-year rule, what the law requires, and how the path to a green card works.
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  June 12, 2026 BIA: Ask DHS for a Stay of Removal First

  The BIA held that a noncitizen with a final removal order should ask DHS for a stay first before asking the Board. What this means for your case.
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  June 11, 2026 Motions to Reopen and Reconsider a Removal Order

  A removal order isn't always the last word. How motions to reopen and reconsider work, the strict deadlines, and the key exception for changed country conditions.
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  June 9, 2026 Petition for Review: Challenging a Removal Order in Federal Court

  After the immigration appeals process, a removal order can sometimes be challenged in a federal court of appeals. The 30-day deadline, where to file, and what the law requires first.
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  June 7, 2026 Detention After a Removal Order: The 90-Day Period and Beyond

  After a final removal order, the law sets a 90-day 'removal period' for carrying it out. What the law says about detention, supervision, and what happens when removal isn't possible.
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  June 5, 2026 The U Visa: Protection for Victims of Crime Who Help Police

  The U visa offers status to certain crime victims who assist law enforcement. The four requirements the law sets, the qualifying crimes, and why it exists.
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  June 3, 2026 Employment-Based Green Cards: The EB Preference Categories

  A green card through work runs through five employment-based categories. What EB-1 through EB-5 cover, from extraordinary ability to investment, and how the law divides them.
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  June 1, 2026 VAWA Self-Petition: Immigration Protection for Abuse Survivors

  The Violence Against Women Act lets an abused spouse, child, or parent seek a green card without the abuser's help. Who qualifies, what the law requires, and how confidentiality works.
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  May 30, 2026 The T Visa: Immigration Protection for Trafficking Survivors

  The T visa offers status to survivors of human trafficking. The four requirements the law sets, the exceptions for trauma and minors, and how it differs from the U visa.
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  May 28, 2026 The Citizenship Test: English and Civics Requirements

  Becoming a U.S. citizen usually means passing an English and civics test. What the law requires, the age-based exemptions (50/20 and 55/15), and the disability exception.
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  May 26, 2026 Expedited Removal and the Credible Fear Interview

  Expedited removal lets officers deport certain people without a hearing before a judge. What it is, who it applies to, and the critical asylum exception: the credible fear interview.
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  May 24, 2026 Green Card Renewal and Replacement: Why Your Card Matters

  Your green card proves your status — and the law requires carrying it. When to renew or replace it, why an expired card is a problem, and what the statute actually says.
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  May 22, 2026 The 3- and 10-Year Bars: How Unlawful Presence Works

  Time spent in the U.S. without status can trigger a 3- or 10-year bar to returning — often set off by leaving. How the bars work, what counts, and why departure is the trap.
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  May 22, 2026 USCIS Calls Adjustment of Status Rare

  USCIS now directs most green-card seekers inside the U.S. toward consular processing abroad instead. What the new policy means for your case.
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  May 20, 2026 Consular Processing: Getting an Immigrant Visa Abroad

  When someone gets a green card from outside the U.S., it runs through a consulate. How consular processing works, the consular officer's role, and how it differs from adjustment of status.
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  May 18, 2026 Premium Processing: Paying for a Faster Decision

  Premium processing lets certain petitioners pay an extra fee for a faster USCIS decision. What the law authorizes, which cases can use it, and what it does — and doesn't — guarantee.
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  May 16, 2026 Parole and Advance Parole: Entry and Travel Without a Visa

  Parole lets certain people enter or travel without a visa in specific situations. What the law authorizes, why parole is not an 'admission,' and how advance parole protects a pending case.
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  May 14, 2026 Waivers of Inadmissibility: Forgiving What Blocks a Green Card

  A ground of inadmissibility can block a visa or green card — but a waiver may forgive it. How the main waivers work, the 'extreme hardship' standard, and why they're so fact-specific.
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  May 12, 2026 Good Moral Character: What It Means in Immigration Law

  Good moral character is required for naturalization and other relief. The bars the statute lists, the permanent aggravated-felony bar, and why the 'catch-all' makes it fact-specific.
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  May 10, 2026 Aggravated Felony: The Immigration Term That Isn't What It Sounds Like

  In immigration law, 'aggravated felony' is a defined list — and a conviction that seems minor can qualify. What the statute covers, the one-year threshold, and why it's so severe.
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  May 8, 2026 Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude: A Concept That Shapes Cases

  A 'crime involving moral turpitude' can make someone inadmissible or deportable — but the term isn't defined by a simple list. What it means, the exceptions, and why it's so slippery.
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  May 6, 2026 The Diversity Visa Lottery: A Green Card by Chance and Merit

  The green card lottery gives immigrants from certain countries a chance at permanent residence. How the diversity visa works, who's eligible, and the education or work requirement.
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  May 4, 2026 BIA Sets New Mental-Health Asylum Rules

  A BIA decision sets safeguards for mentally incompetent respondents and standards for mental-health-based asylum claims. What it means for your case.
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  May 4, 2026 Voluntary Departure: Leaving on Your Own Terms — and Its Risks

  Voluntary departure lets someone leave the U.S. instead of being formally removed. The benefits it can offer, the strict deadlines, and the serious penalties for not leaving on time.
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  May 2, 2026 When TPS Ends: How a Termination Works and What to Do

  Temporary Protected Status is reviewed periodically and can be terminated. How the law's review, notice, and 60-day rules work, and why planning ahead is essential when TPS may end.
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  April 30, 2026 Who Can't Adjust Status: The Bars and a Key Exception

  Not everyone can get a green card from inside the U.S. The bars to adjustment of status — unauthorized work, falling out of status — and the crucial immediate-relative exception.
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  April 28, 2026 The Affidavit of Support: A Sponsor's Binding Promise

  Most family green cards require a sponsor to sign an Affidavit of Support. What it commits the sponsor to, the 125%-of-poverty income rule, and why it's a legally enforceable contract.
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  April 26, 2026 The Public Charge Rule: What It Is and What It Considers

  The public charge ground can block a green card if someone is 'likely to become a public charge.' The factors the law requires, how the affidavit of support fits, and common misconceptions.
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  April 24, 2026 Birthright Citizenship: What the Law Says About Being Born a Citizen

  U.S. citizenship at birth rests on the 14th Amendment and federal statute. What 'born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof' means, and citizenship by descent.
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  April 22, 2026 Citizenship Through Military Service: An Honored Path

  Noncitizens who serve honorably in the U.S. armed forces have a special path to citizenship. What the law provides for those who serve during periods of hostilities, and why it's distinct.
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  April 20, 2026 Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: Protection for Vulnerable Children

  SIJS offers a green card path to children who've been abused, neglected, or abandoned. The three requirements the law sets, the role of a juvenile court, and why timing matters.
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  April 18, 2026 Registry: A Green Card for Very Long-Term Residents

  Registry is a little-known path to a green card for people who have lived in the U.S. since before 1972. What the law requires, why the date matters, and who it can still help.