Recent news
DHS Extends Eligibility for Employment Authorization to Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses of H-1B Visa Holders With Pending Green Card Petitions
February 24, 2014
United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) Important Announcement: Effective May 26, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is extending eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident (LPR) status.
DHS has amended the regulations to allow these H-4 dependent spouses to accept employment in the United States.
This a a long anticipated change! There may be delays in processing times so please plan ahead. Contact us for more information.
Aghnami Law - Holiday Hours!
Aghnami Law Corporation, December 2013
Dear Clients,
Our office will be closed from Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1st to celebrate the holidays with our families!
If you require immediate or urgent assistance, please call or email Kirsten at kirsten@aghnamilaw.com.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Aghnami Law Corporation
Four out of Nine of this Year's U.S. Nobel Prize Winners are Immigrants
Aghnami Law Corporation, October 2013
The high proportion of immigrant Nobel Prize winners emphasizes the significant contributions of immigrants to the sciences within the United States.
More than awards, immigrants are making huge leaps in our understanding of the world and our bodies. The work of these immigrant honorees has tangible importance to every American who suffers from Alzheimer’s or autism, or whose life has been saved because of a new drug developed with the help of the computer program written by immigrants.
If our immigration system cannot meet the demands of science in the 21st century, then it jeopardizes the future scientific achievements of the United States.
Attorney Ayda Aghnami Featured in September Women's Issue of Los Angeles Magazine
Aghnami Law Corporation, September 2013
Los Angeles, CA, USA -- Attorney Ayda Aghnami has the distinguished honor of being featured in Los Angeles Magazine Women's Issue as a Los Angeles Super Lawyer.
This distinction is awarded to the top-rated lawyers in the Los Angeles area, as nominated by their peers, colleagues, and clients.
The issue will hit newstands September 2013.
Mark your calendars, it's almost Green Card Lottery time!
Aghnami Law Corporation, September 2013
Online registration for the DV 2015 Program will begin on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and conclude on Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4).
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is an annual program administered by the Department of State. This program is for immigrants known as "diversity immigrants" and are from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. For fiscal year 2015, 50,000 diversity visas (DVs) will be available. There is no cost to register for the DV program.
Applicants who are selected in the lottery must meet simple, but strict, eligibility requirements in order to qualify for a diversity visa. Selectees are chosen through a randomized computer drawing. Diversity visas are distributed among six geographic regions and no single country may receive more than seven percent of the available DVs in any one year.
For DV-2015, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply (because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years):
Nigeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.
For full program instructions, please visit: http://1.usa.gov/16oy4wu
Attorney Ayda Aghnami Selected as a 2013 Top Attorney by Pasadena Magazine
Aghnami Law Corporation, September 2013
Pasadena, CA, USA -- Attorney Ayda Aghnami of Aghnami Law Corporation was recognized as a 2013 Top Attorney by Pasadena Magazine and will be featured in the fifth annual Top Attorney issue that hits newstands this month.
The magazine staff carefully observed a collection of highly praised attorneys to see whether or not they were all that they claimed to be. They talked to clients, asked for other attorneys’ opinions, and watched the lawyers in action. The magazine did not want to mislead their subscribers, so they were vigilant to watch their lawyers and determine that they were worth recommending to the public.
This annual award is the result of an online balloting process of attorneys, and the results are used by readers seeking the top legal experts throughout the Los Angeles area.
Supreme Court Ruling: DOMA is UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Aghnami Law Corporation, June 2013
The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines "marriage," for purposes of over a thousand federal laws and programs, as a union between a man and a woman only. Today the Court ruled, by a vote of 5 to 4, in an opinion by Justice Kennedy, that the law is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
The Court explained that the states have long had the responsibility of regulating and defining marriage, and some states have opted to allow same-sex couples to marry to give them the protection and dignity associated with marriage. By denying recognition to same-sex couples who are legally married, federal law discriminates against them to express disapproval of state-sanctioned same-sex marriage.
This decision means that same-sex couples who are legally married must now be treated the same under federal law as married opposite-sex couples. This includes eligibility for immigration benefits! Contact us for more information.
To read the Supreme Court's full opinion, click here: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-307_g2bh.pdf
Attorney Ayda Aghnami Selected to SuperLawyers 2013 Rising Stars List
Aghnami Law Corporation, June 2013
Southern California SuperLawyers Magazine names business immigration attorney Ayda Aghnami to its 2013 Rising Stars List.
Los Angeles, CA, USA -- We are proud to annouce that Ayda Aghnami has been named to the SuperLawyers Rising Stars list for 2013. This award ranks Ms. Aghnami as one of the top up-and-coming attorneys in California. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in each state are selected by SuperLawyers to receive such an honor.
SuperLawyers, a Thompson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a state-wide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in leading city and regional magazines across the country.
Ms. Aghnami was selected to be on the Rising Stars list for her recognition as an immigration, business, and international law attorney. Her focus is on advising foreign nationals, entertainers, investors and U.S. companies on inbound immigration matters, including temporary work visas, green cards, investor visas and naturalization.
To view a digital copy of SuperLawyers Magazine and the Annual list, click here: http://digital.superlawyers.com/superlawyers/lxrs13#pg24
What is SuperLawyers? http://www.superlawyers.com/about/rising_stars.html
H-1B Visa Cap Has Been Reached
Aghnami Law Corporation, April 2013
For the first time since 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the statutory H-1B cap of 65,000 for fiscal year (FY) 2014 within the first week of the filing period. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption.