Maryland voters approve Question 4 “Dream Act”

Posted on November 8th, 2012 No Comments

Fifty-eight percent of Maryland voters voted in favor of passing Question 4 on Tuesday, a law many refer to as Maryland’s Dream Act. The law was originally passed last year by the state General Assembly but was put up for referendum after opponents received enough petition signatures, the Washington Post reports.

Question 4 allows illegal or undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition who qualify. Students must have attended a Maryland high school for at least three years, must first attend community college, and then must either graduate with an associate degree or transfer to a four-year college with at least 60 hours before being eligible.

While many states have now passed similar provisions, Maryland is the first state to do so through a popular vote. Critics claim Question 4 will cost taxpayers millions and would leave fewer spaces at public state universities for U.S. citizens.

If you are an immigrant trying to stay in the United States, an experienced immigration attorney of Garg & Associates, P.C. can help explain your options. Call today at 949-540-6704.

immigration attorneys, immigration lawyers ,

Survey finds immigrant entre­pre­neur­ship slipping

Posted on October 3rd, 2012 No Comments

A new survey conducted by the Kauffman Foundation reveals that immigrant entrepreneurship has begun to slip over the past six years. Companies founded by foreign-born individuals used to account for more than a quarter of new companies, but now that percentage has slipped to 24.3 percent.

According to the Washington Post, many economists are fearful of what this might mean for the future. Young businesses are the most consistent and reliable form of job creation–and most venture-backed companies are founded by at least one immigrant.

University presidents have written to Congress urging it to amend visa laws to allow foreign students to stay in America longer if they start new companies and hire employees in the U.S.

If you would like to learn about the different types of student visas available and which one is the best for you, contact the immigration attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.C., at 949-540-6704.

student visa attorneys, student visa lawyers ,

FL judge rules that US-born kids of illegal immigrants pay in-state tuition

Posted on September 5th, 2012 No Comments

A Florida judge ruled last week that children who were born in the United States to illegal immigrants are eligible for in-state tuition at universities if they fulfill residency requirements. Five high school graduates brought the case to the courts after they were denied lower in-state tuition despite being Florida residents, graduates of Florida high schools, and U.S. citizens.

Previously, officials considered the citizenship status of the student’s parents to determine residency and tuition. However, the judge ruled that the legal status of the students’ parents or other family members is irrelevant when deciding how much a legal U.S. citizen should pay for higher education.

According to Reuters, between 9,000 and 12,000 Florida students will benefit from this ruling. Out-of-state tuition is nearly three times more expensive than in-state tuition.

If you need help applying for U.S. citizenship, contact the immigration attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.C., today by calling 949-540-6704.

citizenship attorneys, citizenship lawyers ,

16% of illegal immigrants rearrested, says report

Posted on August 2nd, 2012 No Comments

Sixteen percent of illegal immigrants who are arrested for various crimes are rearrested within three years, the Congressional Research Service reports. The statistic is based off of nearly 47,000 arrests of illegal immigrants who were rearrested for murder, attempted murder, and sex crimes, among others.

The large number of rearrests could be contributed to the Secure Communities program, which allows authorities who have arrested undocumented immigrants to inform immigration officials of these individuals. In three years, the Secure Communities program has doubled the number of deportations from the U.S.

However, the percentage of illegal immigrant rearrests are lower than the national average. According to the Pew Center, 43 percent of all prisoners are rearrested in three years.  In California, 65 percent are rearrested.

If you have been accused of a crime and are now facing deportation, contact the crimes and deportation lawyers of Garg & Associates, P.C., at 949-540-6704.

deportation defense attorneys, deportation defense lawyers ,

Some IT job listings targeting OPT, student visa holders

Posted on July 10th, 2012 No Comments

A Chicago-based advocate group claims that major IT companies are posting job advertisements that specifically target individuals on student visas or college graduates in the Optional Practice Training (OPT) program, a practice it says is discrimination.

Members of the advocate group say that hundreds of job postings on Dice, a large tech job board, specify a preference for individuals with visas or in the OPT program. The program allows graduates to work in the U.S. for up to 29 months and does not have the same wage requirements H-1B employers have.

Dice has responded to the accusations and says it will actively search the site to remove all postings that suggest even the slightest hint of discrimination.

If you are interested in studying in the United States, the student visa attorneys of Garg & Associates can help. Contact us at 949-540-6704 today.

student visa attorneys, student visa lawyers ,

Deferred action for illegal immigrants brought to U.S. as children

Posted on July 3rd, 2012 No Comments

Last month, Homeland Security announced that, effective immediately, individuals under the age of 30 who were brought to the United States as children may be eligible to be exempt from removal proceedings.

Undocumented immigrants must have verifiable documents proving:

  1. They came to the U.S. before the age of 16;
  2. They have lived in the U.S. for five continuous years prior to June 15, 2012 and were in the U.S. on that date;
  3. They are in school, high school graduates, have a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans from the U.S. Armed Forces or Coast Guard;
  4. They are not convicted felons, do not have multiple misdemeanor offenses, do not have a significant offense, or are not considered a threat to public and national security;
  5. They are younger than 30 years-old.

If you need help proving your eligibility for deferred action, contact the deferred action attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.C. by calling 949-540-6704.

deferred action attorneys, deferred action lawyers ,

Supreme Court rules on Arizona immigration law

Posted on June 26th, 2012 No Comments

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down three components of Arizona’s 2010 immigration law yesterday but upheld the most controversial aspect, Reuters reports.

The debate as to whether or not states or the federal government have the authority to enforce immigration laws went in favor of the states after an unanimous verdict upheld part of the law that allows police officers to to check the immigration status of any individual they stop.

The three provisions that were struck down by the court were allowing officers to arrest immigrants without warrants, requiring immigrants to carry immigration papers at all times, and banning illegal immigrants from soliciting work in public places.

If you need help choosing an immigration lawyer to handle your immigration paperwork, contact the immigration attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.C. at 949-540-6704.

immigration attorneys, immigration lawyers ,

Asians now the fastest-growing racial group

Posted on June 19th, 2012 No Comments

New data from the Pew Research Center reveals that Asian Americans are now the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, surpassing Latinos as the largest population of immigrants coming to the country annually.

Asians have been the largest immigrating group since 2009. About 36 percent of all immigrants are Asian, compared to 31 percent of Latinos. People of Asian origin make up about six percent, or 18.2 million, of the U.S. population.

The rapid stream of individuals from east and south Asia is mostly attributed to the demand for highly-skilled workers in field such as engineering, mathematics, and sciences. According to the report, more than two thirds of the new Asian immigrants are pursuing a college degree or are already college graduates.

If you considering moving to the United States, a lawyer can help you avoid immigration trouble that could jeopardize your naturalization process. Contact the experienced immigration lawyers of Garg & Associates, P.C. at 949-540-6704 today.

immigration attorneys, immigration lawyers ,

ICE sweep leads to 40 arrests

Posted on June 12th, 2012 No Comments

A 12-day sweep by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations lead to the arrest of 40 men and women in Texas and Oklahoma. The sweep specifically targeted immigrants who had violated the conditions of their student visas.

According to the Times Record News, the sweep was conducted to prevent terrorists from exploiting the immigration system. Three of the 40 arrested also face charges of falsifying their U.S. citizenship, a felony that permanently bans them from re-entering the country.

Most of those arrested were from African nations. Others were from eastern Asia, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and western Europe.

If you are considering coming to the United States on a student visa and want to learn about the different types of student visas available, contact the visa lawyers of Garg & Associates, P.C. by calling 949-540-6704.

student visa attorneys, student visa lawyers ,

D.C. adopts controversial Secure Communities program

Posted on June 5th, 2012 No Comments

Starting this week, the District of Columbia will implement a controversial program, Secure Communities, that allows federal agents to check the immigration statuses of everyone arrested in the District, the Washington Examiner reports.

The Secure Communities program allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to view the same arrest information the FBI receives in order to locate illegal immigrants. The program is already established in every jurisdiction in Maryland and Virginia, and so far, over 49,000 felons have been deported.

D.C. has resisted the program and many lawmakers are trying to limit its participation. Mayor Vincent Gray has criticized the initiative, claiming it threatens the trust between residents and local law enforcement.

If you have been arrested and want to learn more about crimes and deportation, contact the experienced immigration attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.C.,  today at 949-540-6704.

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