Administrative Appeals Office - USCIS

As the Obama presidency nears its twilight, let me tell you about our leader’s eight-year, largely-disappointing record on immigration.

But first a bias alert:  I voted for the President twice; I like and respect him; and I marvel at how glib, cool, incisive, studious, and otherwise mostly big-hearted he’s been.  With favorability ratings nearing 60

Portrait Of Stressed Young Girl [Blogger’s note;  Probably the most gratifying element of practicing immigration law is watching clients flourish.  Obtaining immigration benefits, especially lawful permanent residency, often unleashes a wave of innovation and creativity.  Less often, it produces a humanitarian “pay it forward” moment.  This is the story of today’s guest blogger, Protima Pandey.  Many years ago, I

Since 2008 American employers have been burning mad about how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has gone from fairly reasonable to highly restrictive in its interpretation of the L-1B “specialized knowledge” visa category. This statutory visa category allows certain “intracompany transferees” to enter and work in the U.S. for a qualifying employer if  he

Stressed Man in a Suit.jpg[Bloggers Note:  The second of my two-part blog post below first appeared in Seyfarth Shaw LLP‘s September 10 and September 12 “Employment Law Lookout” Blog]

The L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa Facing Attack — from All Branches of the Federal Government (Part II) 

By Angelo A. Paparelli

As noted in our last post, American businesses

angry man tearing paper.jpg[Bloggers Note:  My two-part blog post below first appeared in Seyfarth Shaw LLP‘s September 10 and September 12 “Employment Law Lookout” Blog]

The L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa Facing Attack

— from All Branches of the Federal Government (Part I)  

By Angelo A. Paparelli

U.S. employers have likely grown accustomed to the longstanding controversy

Raj 2.JPGOver the 4th of July weekend, I devoured a fascinating book and, in the course of it, learned a new synonym for “bureaucracy”  — “cutcherry” — taken from Hindi and apparently originating with the British East-India Company’s bureau office in what is now Chennai.

The book, The Professor and the Madman ~

road closed sign.jpgAs Republicans join Democrats in contemplating reform of the nation’s dysfunctional immigration system, the final line of the Pledge of Allegiance (“with liberty and justice for all”) is the best place to start. 

Revitalizing our broken and outdated 20th Century immigration laws to respond to the needs of 21st Century America will turn in large

praying man with baloney.jpgThe historian said to the venture capitalist, “Let’s drop the pious baloney,” as each sought the highest office in the land. No, this post is not the set-up to a joke, except perhaps a nod to the risible circular firing squad that the GOP presidential candidates have formed

And it’s not about a sliced

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Tool Belt.jpgThe dog days of August are behind us, yet the economic doldrums persist.  Unemployment remains unchanged and unacceptably high at 9.1%. The White House forecasts that it will stay there through the New Year and then likely drop only a tenth of a percentage point for all of 2012. 

Congress returns this week to Washington. Vituperation

President Obama has put on a good show lately about the need for the populace to rise up and pressure the GOP to enact comprehensive immigration reform.  He urges citizens to begin “a national conversation on immigration reform that builds a bipartisan consensus to fix our broken immigration system so it works for America’s 21st century economy.”  With