President Trump has issued an Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization, which has several immigration consequences for foreign nationals born in Hong Kong. The most significant impact is on green card wait times. Since the enactment of the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, the United States government has treated Hong Kong as a separate country from China for immigration purposes. This was especially beneficial in the green card context since wait times for individuals born in mainland China to receive a green card can often be 4-10 years, if not longer. Because Hong Kong was not considered part of mainland China, it got to benefit from much shorter, if any, wait times applicable to individuals generally classified under “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed”.
Read MoreUSCIS To Resume In-Person Interviews For Employment-Based AOS Applicants Starting October 1, 2017
On August 28, 2017, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced on its website that, starting October 1, 2017, the agency will require applicants for employment-based adjustment of status (“green cards”) to appear for an in-person interview at a local USCIS office as part of the green card adjudication process.
Read MoreD&S Immigration Update: DHS Issues Implementing Memoranda In Response to Immigration Executive Orders
In late January 2017, President Donald J. Trump issued a series of Executive Orders (EOs) dealing with immigration and border security. In response to these EOs, this week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued several Implementation Memoranda and Fact Sheets to provide additional clarity on how they will implement the President’s directives.
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