The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a policy implemented by an Obama Executive Order in 2012 that protects young undocumented immigrants, is in the news again as both supporters and those in opposition to the program push the Trump Administration to make a decision about DACA’s future. Ten state Attorneys General, led Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, sent a letter on June 29, 2017 to U.S. Attorney General Jeff...

On July 24, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS)  announced that it would resume Premium Processing of H-1B petitions for employers who are exempt from the annual H-1B Cap. This comes as very welcome news to employers who are struggling to fill critical specialty occupation positions within their organizations in a timely fashion. The H-1B visa program allows U.S. workers to sponsor qualified professional foreign nationals for employment in...

On July 17, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) updated Federal Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form. Between July 17, 2017 and September 17, 2017, U.S. employers may use either the Form I-9 version date November 14, 2017 or version date July 17, 2017 for their newly hired employees. However, starting on September 18, 2017, all U.S. employers are required to complete Form I-9 version date July 17, 2017 for...

On Monday, June 26, 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States decided it will hear arguments in October on President Trump’s travel ban and that the current executive order can be enforced against individuals who lack “a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States” while they examine the case. The Travel Ban The travel ban, which is sometimes referred to as...

On May 3, 2017, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that it has completed the lottery for all cap-subject H-1B petitions submitted for the Fiscal Year 2018 Cap. The annual limit for H-1B visas is 65,000 for foreign nationals holding a Bachelor’s Degree and an additional 20,000 for those holding a U.S. Master’s Degree. Between April 3, 2017 and April 7, 2017, USCIS received more than 199,000 H-1B...

In November 2014, in recognition of the serious health threats posed by the Ebola virus outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson designated these three countries for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of 18 months. The DHS subsequently extended the TPS designation through May 21, 2017. In September 2016, former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson determined that the widespread transmission of...

On April 7, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that it received sufficient H-1B petitions to meet the regular and advanced degree caps for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. Yesterday, USCIS announced that it received more than 199,000 cap-subject H-1B petitions for FY 2018 and that on April 11, 2017, it conducted a computer-generated lottery of these 199,000 petitions to select 20,000 petitions under the Advanced Degree Cap (U.S....

Kolko and Associates, P.C. is very pleased to announce that Partner Jennifer Casey has been selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star  for 2017. This is the second consecutive year that Ms. Casey has been selected for this honor. For more information on Jennifer Casey, our firm or immigration legal matters, please contact Kolko & Associates, P.C.

On March 6, 2017, President Trump signed a new Executive Order: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist entry into the United States. The new Executive Order (EO) bars the admission of refugees from all countries for a period of 120 days and bars the admission of certain nationals from six countries for a period of 90 days. The new EO will take effect on March 16, 2017. In the new EO, the...

  El 4 de marzo, abogada Abbie Weibel apareció en el canal estudiantil de Metropolitan State University of Denver, Noticiero TVMET para contestar preguntas frecuentes de la comunidad de inmigrantes en el estado de Colorado. La abogada contestó preguntas acerca del proceso de la ciudadanía en los estados unidos y lo complicado que pueda ser obtener la residencia en los estados unidos si uno tiene múltiples entradas sin permiso en este...

 The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has announced that beginning April 3, 2017, it will temporarily suspend Premium Processing of I-129 Petitions filed by U.S. employers seeking H-1B work visas on behalf of professional foreign national employees in specialty occupation positions. This suspension will apply to all H-1B Petitions including: - H-1B Petitions filed under the so-called H-1B Cap for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, - H-1B Petitions filed by cap-exempt...

  On Sunday, February 26, 2017, Managing Partner David Kolko appeared on Denver’s Channel 7 Politics Unplugged to discuss current immigration policy under the Trump Administration. Mr. Kolko provided insights into the recent Executive Orders and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Memoranda regarding interior immigration enforcement and border security. Mr. Kolko discussed the expansive nature of the Executive Orders and DHS Memoranda, and highlighted the lack of clarity within those documents...

  On February 20, 2017, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly issued two memoranda, “Enforcement of the Immigration Laws to Serve the National Interest,” and “Implementing the President’s Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvement Policies.” These two “Kelly Memos” direct DHS employees, including employees of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on the implementation of President Trump’s...

  On February 11, 2017, Managing Partner David Kolko appeared on the Craig Silverman Show on Denver’s KNUS 710 Radio to discuss U.S. immigration law and policy. Mr. Kolko and Mr. Silverman discussed the recent increase in immigration enforcement under the Trump Administration and other issues facing immigrants and the country today. Listen to Mr. Kolko’s insights on immigration here: https://craigsilverman.podbean.com/e/the-craig-silverman-show-feb-11-2017-hr-3/ For more information about David Kolko, our law firm, or...

  El 25 de enero, 2017, Presidente Donald Trump hizo ordenes ejecutivas que aumentan el uso de expulsión rápida y detención de inmigrantes en EEUU. Gente en EEUU sin documentación o quienes podrían estar sospechados de no tener estatus legal en EEUU, deben saber del riesgo alto de estar parado y detenido por el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (“ICE” por sus siglas en ingles). Esa gente debe estar...

  On January 25, 2017, President Donald Trump issued Executive Orders that dramatically expand the use of Expedited Removal Procedures (removal without a hearing in front of an Immigration Judge) and detention of immigrants in the USA. People in the USA without documentation, or who could be suspected of lacking documentation, should be aware of increased immigration enforcement and risk of detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These people should...

  On January 30, 2017, the State of Washington filed suit in Federal District Court for the Western District of Washington, (State of Washington v. Trump) challenging the legality and constitutionality of President Trump’s Executive Order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” The Executive Order bars the entry of refugees from any country in the world for a period of 120 days, bars Syrian refugees from...

  On Wednesday, February 1, 2017, Senior Associate Attorney Abbie Weibel joined other Colorado volunteer attorneys in the Due Process in Action (DPIA) Pro Bono Legal Project at Denver International Airport (DIA). Since Saturday, January 28, 2017, DPIA volunteer attorneys have been available to assist arriving immigrants and family members at DIA impacted by President Trump’s Executive Order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” The primary...

  The Executive Orders issued by the Trump administration over the past week have caused chaos and confusion throughout the country. Foreign nationals from all over the world are concerned about the impact on their lives and the lives of family members. This includes individuals in the United States with lawful status and our undocumented population. Last night, Managing Partner David Kolko participated in Denver’s 9NEWS’ Law Line 9. Mr. Kolko...

  President Trump issued three Executive Orders (EOs) last week, “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,” and “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements," and “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” The EOs are already causing great confusion and alarm within the immigrant community. We have seen EOs implemented immediately, leaving many individuals traveling outside of the United States suddenly unable to return...