Additional U.S. Immigration Relief for Those Stranded Due to Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan

Tragedies are escalating in Japan as a result of its recent earthquake and tsunami.  With many U.S. citizens or residents having loved ones in Japan, and Japanese nationals already in the United States, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a news release on March 17, 2011 outlining additional temporary immigration benefits that are available upon request.

For eligible Japanese nationals or U.S. residents stranded in Japan:

• Expedited processing of advance parole requests;
• Re-parole of individuals granted parole by USCIS;
• Expedited processing of immigrant petitions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs); and
• Assistance to lawful permanent residents (LPRs) stranded overseas without immigration documents such as green cards.  If there are no overseas USCIS offices accessible by LPRs, the USCIS and the Department of State (DOS) will coordinate their immigration matters.

For eligible Japanese nationals already in the United States:

• The grant of an application for change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even when the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;
• Re-parole of individuals granted parole by USCIS;
• Extension of certain grants of advance parole;
• Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship; and
• Expedited employment authorization where appropriate.

For representation to bring eligible Japanese nationals to or extend status of these individuals in, the United States, please contact us at 703-772-8224 and koka@tiyalaw.com . 

By Aik Wan Kok Fillali, Attorney at Law, at Tiya PLC; Tel: 703-772-8224 www.tiyaimmigration.com ; http://tiyalaw.blogspot.com ; www.immigrationresource.net

We represent employers, and individuals and their families in green card and work visa matters in U.S. immigration law.  We also have a focus on self-petition green card cases such as extraordinary ability and exceptional ability.

All Rights Reserved. This article is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be relied on as a legal advice or an attorney-client relationship.

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