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LATEST UPDATE: The closure of all United States Citizenship and Immigration Services field offices to the public has been extended until May 4, 2020. For more information check USCIS WEBSITE or call our office.

All Requests for Evidence, Notices of Intent to Deny, Notices of Intent to Revoke, and Notices of Intent to Terminate issued and dated between March 1 and May 1, 2020, have been granted a 60 day extension of their stated deadline. If you have received any of these requests or notices from USCIS, please call our office as soon as possible.

All immigration courts are not conducting any hearings (except for detained individuals) until May 1, 2020. This date could change. For more information check EOIR WEBSITE or call our office.

California is under a stay at home order due to the Covid 19 pandemic. We are complying with all Federal and State orders and guidelines. Our office hours are Monday –Friday 8:30-5:00 by telephone currently. We are continuing to provide services to existing clients as well as initial consultations with attorneys, however we are primarily working remotely so almost all appts will be by telephone and email. Our building is locked. Please do not attempt to come to the office without an appointment, as you will not be seen. In-person appointments are currently for essential work only. If you have an in-person appointment, please call to reschedule if are ill and do not bring extra people. We appreciate your cooperation.

Anyone with questions regarding the current status of reporting to ICE or ISAP, or regarding procedures at detention facilities should call our office.

On April 29, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Niz-Chavez v. Garland that could impact a large number of people in immigration court proceedings. To qualify for Cancellation of Removal, an individual must, among other things, have been physically present in the United States for 10 years. The “stop-time” rule cuts off the amount of time that an individual has accrued for cancellation of removal purposes. Federal law states the “stop-time” rule is triggered when an immigrant is served with a Notice to Appear. In Niz-Chavez, the Supreme Court stated that a Form I-862 that does not list the date and time of the initial hearing is insufficient to trigger the “time-stop” rule for purposes of cancellation of removal. The decision states that the federal law requires that the time and date of the initial hearing, among other things, has to be included in the Notice to Appear. By failing to include this information in Notices to Appear, the documents that the government has issued are not Notices to Appear as defined by federal law. Thus, the document in Niz-Chavez, and thousands of similar forms issued by the government, failed to trigger the “stop-time” rule. The ruling further states that the federal government cannot cure a defective NTA by issuing a subsequent Notice of Hearing providing the date and time of the initial hearing. The decision in Niz-Chavez has the potential of having a much wider impact on individuals who have been issued defective NTA’s than just triggering the “stop-time” rule. If you believe the Niz-Chavez decision could impact your case, give our office a call at (559) 558-5118 to discuss your immigration options with one of our three immigration lawyers

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Niz-Chavez Supreme Court Decision