Posts by Maria Lazzarino
ASISTA’ s Virtual Training: “From RFE to Federal Court: Latest Strategies in Defending Survivors During the Time of COVID”
Recordings Now Available! For those of you who missed our online training, “From RFE to Federal Court: Latest Strategies in Defending Survivors During the Time of COVID,” the recordings are now available for purchase. Because we ran the online training twice, you will receive two versions of the training, whether you buy all sessions, or…
Read MoreASISTA Practice Pointer: Filing Form I-290B When Multiple Interrelated Forms are Denied (July 2020)
When a petitioner files multiple interrelated forms for one case, such as a U visa, the denial of one form generally leads to the denial of all ancillary forms as well. In this practice pointer, we will address how many Form I-290Bs to file in this scenario, whether derivatives need to file their own Form…
Read MoreASISTA Amicus 9th Circ. U Spouses (May 28, 2020)
ASISTA argues that DHS regulations prohibiting U visas for after-acquired spouses of crime victims violates the Congressional goals of the U visa law. See Amicus here.
Read MoreUpdated COVID-19 Practice Pointer: Filing Deadlines for RFEs, NOIDs, NOIRs and I-290Bs (Current as of May 18, 2020)
While we continue to advocate and await further guidance, we have prepared this Practice Pointer, Filing Deadlines for RFEs, NOIDs, NOIRs, and I-290Bs, to assist you in the meeting deadlines during this national emergency. We encourage you to also visit our partners pages on COVID-19, CLINIC and CAST. To download the advisory in Word version,…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Practice Pointer: Initial Filings of U/T visa petitions and VAWA self-petitions with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (Current as of May 12, 2020)
In this practice advisory, ASISTA provides practice tips on how to comply with deadlines and submit initial filings during the COVID-19 national emergency. Click here to download the practice pointer in Word version.
Read MoreACTION ALERT: Organizing Local Allies
COVID-19 is exacerbating the already tremendous barriers survivors face in accessing safety and secure status. Although we are pushing Congress to change its policies to recognize COVID’s impact on survivors and their ability to file paper, get work authorization extensions, etc., we need your help educating your Members of Congress. What can you do?
Read MoreNew ASISTA COVID-19 Practice Pointer (Current as of April 10, 2020)
While we continue to advocate and await further guidance, we have prepared this Practice Pointer, Filing Deadlines for RFEs, NOIDs, NOIRs and I-290Bs, to assist you in meeting deadlines during this national emergency. We encourage you to also visit ASISTA’s COVID-19 Resource Page and that of our partners, CLINIC and CAST.
Read MoreASISTA calls on USCIS to Ensure Survivors have Continued Access to Immigration Benefits.
On behalf of ASISTA organizational and individual members nationwide, ASISTA expressed our concerns regarding the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on USCIS’ survivor-based benefits operations. ASISTA called on USCIS to adopt measures that address the additional limitations faced by immigrant survivors’ of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and other serious crimes. Read…
Read MoreCurrent Job Opportunity: Executive Director
ASISTA (https://asistahelp.org) is looking for a new Executive Director following the retirement of its co-founder and Executive Director, Gail Pendleton, in the fall of 2020. ASISTA’s mission is to advance the dignity, rights, and liberty of immigrant survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The Executive Director will report to ASISTA’s 7-member Board of Directors. ASISTA…
Read MoreASISTA Practice Pointer: What If You Do Not Received an RFE or Denial Notice? (March 2020)
In this practice pointer, ASISTA addresses what to do if your case was denied as abandoned because you did not respond to an RFE that was never received. In the Appendix, we include a sample keystroke FOIA request and redacted keystroke FOIA response. Click here to download the document in Word version.
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