U.S. Immigration Updates– Week of December 12, 2022
Green Cards Automatically Extended for Certain Naturalization Applicants
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it is automatically extending the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (green cards) for lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who applied for naturalization on December 12, 2022, or later.
USCIS will update the language on Form N-400 receipt notices to extend green cards for up to 24 months for these applicants. The receipt notice can be presented with the expired green card as evidence of continued status as well as for identity and employment authorization under List A of Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) if presented before the expiration of the 24-month extension period, the agency said.
LPRs who filed for naturalization before December 12, 2022, will not receive a Form N-400 receipt notice with the extension. If their green card expires, they must still file Form I-90 or receive an ADIT stamp in their passport to maintain valid evidence of their LPR status. LPRs who lose their green card still must file Form I-90, even if they have applied for naturalization and received the automatic extension under the updated policy. USCIS said this is because noncitizens must carry within their personal possession proof of registration, such as the green card and any evidence of extensions, “or may be subject to criminal prosecution under INA 264(e).” Applicants who require an ADIT stamp may request an appointment at a USCIS Field Office from the USCIS Contact Center.
SOURCE: ABIL Immigration Insider, December 11, 2022, and https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-updates-policy-to-automatically-extend-green-cards-for-naturalization-applicants
Biden Administration Reinstates Immigration Task Force
The Biden administration is reinstating a task force that is aimed at helping immigrants and refugees integrate into the United States.
The Domestic Policy Council will run the Task Force on New Americans and the focus will be workforce training, education, and financial access as well as language learning and the health of immigrants who have green cards and other types of legal status, according to the White House.
A version of the task force had been in existence off and on since the mid-2000s, most recently under former President Obama before it lapsed under Donald Trump whose policies were aimed at allowing as few migrants into the U.S. as possible.
The Biden administration’s approach to immigration – or more specifically immigrants – is more welcoming; the president has said many times that he feels they enrich the United States and make the nation stronger.
According to the White House, the task force will look at existing integration policies and programs and work to sharpen them and identify new key areas of need.
Source: Colleen Long, Associated Press, December 12, 2022: https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-covid-barack-obama-united-states-government-7352574ad61c313bee0a46973581474d