Dec
16

DHS Prioritizes Removal of Individuals with DUI Convictions

There are many reasons not to drink and drive, but now we’ll give you one more. As part of President Obama’s executive action on immigration reform, the Department of Homeland Security has a new set of civil immigration enforcement priorities. The new priorities are divided into Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 priorities from highest to lowest. Tier 1 includes suspected terrorists, gang members, aggravated felons, and other top priorities for removal. Tier 2 includes individuals convicted of three or more misdemeanors, excluding minor traffic-related crimes, as well as individuals convicted...

Nov
26

Special Announcement for Undocumented Fathers of U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident Children: Establish Your Parental Rights!

There are many benefits to being legally recognized as the parent of a child.   In Minnesota, an unmarried father can voluntary sign a Recognition of Parentage (ROP) with his child’s mother, or establish paternity through family court.  Upon recognition or adjudication of legal parentage, a father has the right to seek custody and parenting time through family court, and be legally obligated to pay child support to the child’s mother. 

Some parents who do not have lawful immigration status may hesitate to complete paperwork or navigate the court system out of fear of contact with...

Nov
25

Announcing Deferred Action for Parents of U.S. Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents!

On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced the new Deferred Action for Parents (DAP) program.  DAP allows foreign national parents of U.S. citizen and legal permanent resident children to obtain deferred action for a period of three (3) years. 

DAP is not technically “lawful status” in the United States, nor is it permanent residency.  There are, however, very important benefits to the program:

Benefits of DAP:

Permission to stay in the US for a three-year period; Employment authorization; Through the employment authorization, an individual may generally apply for a social security...
Nov
25

Changes to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (a/k/a you may now be eligible!)

On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced several important changes to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.  These changes mean more people will now be eligible for DACA.

No More Age Limit:

Those who entered the U.S. before their 16th birthday can now apply for DACA no matter how old they currently are.  Previously, applicants needed to be under the age of 31 on June 14, 2012 to be eligible, but this requirement has been eliminated.  This means that if you were born prior to June 15, 1981, you may now be eligible for DACA.

Note: This change will take effect no...

Nov
24

Immigration Policy Changes That Aim to Help Businesses and Workers

Last Thursday, President Obama announced a plan to help fix the immigration system through his executive authority that includes additional resources on the ground and elsewhere to secure the border, streamline the court process, and add more protections for crime victims. 

What do these announcements mean for U.S. business and foreign workers, however?  The announcement contained several measures designed to promote a more competitive destination for skilled workers, reduce major backlogs that force talent to leave, and modify outdated programs to better align with our modern...

Nov
17

Immigration Benefits for Military Personnel and Family Members

In recognition of Veterans Day last week, Wilson Law Group would like to send a reminder of important benefits available to certain members of the military and family of service members. 

MAVNI - Direct Path to U.S. Citizenship

MAVNI stands for “Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest.” MAVNI may be a quick path to U.S. citizenship for certain eligible foreign nations because it skips the permanent residency (“green card”) process altogether.

The MAVNI program started as a pilot program to allow certain branches of the U.S. military to recruit and enlist foreign nationals...

Nov
11

Welcome, Jaclyn E. Campoli, Associate Attorney

WLG is pleased to announce that Jaclyn E. Campoli is now an Associate Attorney at Wilson Law Group!  Jaclyn, who specializes in immigration law, recently passed the MN bar and was sworn in as a fully licensed attorney by the state of MN.  

Nov
6

A Few of the Many Reasons to Become a U.S. Citizen

Citizenship offers substantially more benefits than permanent residency.  Here are a few of the many reasons to naturalize:

Risk of abandonment

Permanent residents can travel internationally, but must be cautious about spending too much time outside of the U.S.  If you spend a year outside of the U.S., you will be presumed to have abandoned your permanent residency, and you risk being placed in removal proceedings and possibly deported.

Even those permanent residents who have spent less than a year outside the U.S. might be accused of abandoning residency.  Unfortunately, there is no...

Oct
28

WLG Newsletter: Arrests of Non-citizens and the Right to Consular Notification: Did Law Enforcement Comply?

WLG's latest installment of our newsletter, which focuses on the intersection of criminal and immigration law, has arrived!  You may read the full article below or view the full PDF here: 198-167-wilson-law-group-newsletter-arrests-non-citizens-and-right-consular-notification.did-law-enforcement-comply.pdf

Arrests of Non-citizens and the Right to Consular Notification: Did Law Enforcement Comply?     

Welcome to the latest Wilson Law Group Newsletter.  In this edition, we focus on the right foreign nationals have to speak with a representative from his or her consulate upon arrest or...

Oct
20

Breaking News: "TPS as Status" Adjustment Approval Received!

We are happy to report that Wilson Law Group received a “TPS as status” adjustment approval from the USCIS office in Bloomington, Minnesota. The person never traveled with parole, and relied exclusively on this TPS status to assert he could proceed under section 245 to adjustment his status to a lawfully admitted permanent resident with an approved immediate relative I-130 petition.  This is a complete change in the government's approach to temporary protected status and the ability to apply for residency.  

Now, one approval is not a pattern of acquiescence; however, it is a harbinger...

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