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Top 10 Most Viewed Posts Published on the Insightful Immigration Blog in 2019
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</h3><h4><i>by <a href=”http://discuss.ilw.com/articles/articles/392532-article-top-10-most-viewed-posts-published-on-the-insightful-immigration-blog-in-2019-by-cyrus-mehta#bio”>
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Cyrus Mehta
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<p>
Thank you for reading and supporting The Insightful Immigration Blog.
Listed below are the top 10 most viewed blogs that were published in 2019.
While these are the 10 most viewed blogs, each blog is a carefully crafted
gem, and we invite you to read all of them. In 2019, the Trump
Administration continued its assault on immigration to the United States.
The
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/09/migrant-protection-protocol-a-report-from-the-front-lines.html”
>
Remain in Mexico
</a>
policy has severely impacted the ability of asylum seekers to apply for
asylum in the US and has also shred any due process protections that are
accorded to asylum seekers. On the business immigration front, although the
Trump Administration continues to deny routine H-1B and L visa petitions,
many have
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/11/court-shoots-down-embarrassing-leaps-by-uscis-to-justify-an-h-1b-denial.html”
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successfully challenged these denials
</a>
in federal court although some courts have
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/10/denial-of-h-1b-cases-the-occupational-outlook-handbook-is-not-the-holy-grail.html”
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upheld such denials
</a>
. A sudden change in policy that would have rendered foreign students
subject to the 3- and 10-year bars for technical violations has also been
subject to a
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/05/judge-issues-nationwide-preliminary-injunction-in-unlawful-presence-case-what-does-the-injunction-means-for-current-f-j-and-m-nonimmigrants.html”
>
preliminary injunction
</a>
. The State Department Visa Bulletin continues to reflect intolerable
backlogs in the employment-based categories for Indians, and there have
been
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/09/musings-on-the-october-2019-state-department-visa-bulletin-in-light-of-the-fairness-for-high-skilled-immigrants-act.html”
>
bills seeking to eliminate the per country caps
</a>
. The Trump Administration’s effort to restrict immigration through the
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/08/private-an-act-of-cruel-injustice-if-the-trump-administration-is-relying-on-grudging-court-acceptance-of-cruel-results-as-support-for-the-new-public-charge-rule-what-does-that-say.html”
>
public charge rule
</a>
and
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/11/trump-is-not-king-cannot-rewrite-public-charge-law-through-executive-fiat.html”
>
health insurance proclamation
</a>
have also been temporarily blocked by the courts.
</p>
<p>
We covered many of these developments
<a href=”https://www.lexblog.com/site/the-insightful-immigration-blog/”>
through our widely disseminated blogs
</a>
, a labor of love, which endeavor to inform readers so that they
effectively advocate and litigate against restrictive immigration laws and
policies to ensure that the noble idea of America as a nation of immigrants
never ever gets undermined. In this vein, we have commented on
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/06/can-the-arbitrary-and-capricious-standard-under-the-administrative-procedure-act-save-daca.html”
>
Supreme Court
</a>
and
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/09/poursina-v-uscis-federal-courts-may-not-have-last-word-in-reviewing-a-denial-of-a-national-interest-waiver.html”
>
federal court
</a>
decisions, which will have a big impact on the immigration landscape. We
have explained complex rules and policy changes, and advocated how they
ought to be interpreted consistent with the statute in the
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/12/what-kisor-v-wilkie-means-to-auer-deference-and-usciss-interpretation-of-its-regulations-relating-to-h-1b-visa-petitions.html”
>
H-1B
</a>
,
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/05/questions-arising-from-foreign-entity-changes-after-an-l-1-petition-is-approved.html”
>
L-1
</a>
,
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/08/recent-balca-cases-highlight-the-importance-of-choosing-the-right-sunday-newspaper.html”
>
labor certification
</a>
,
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/12/isnt-being-extraordinary-more-than-enough-theres-no-need-for-uscis-to-ask-for-a-prospective-benefit-to-the-us.html”
>
EB-1
</a>
,
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/06/making-the-case-for-expanding-a-foreign-nationals-interest-in-an-i-140-petition.html”
>
I-140
</a>
and
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/10/residence-in-the-twilight-zone-are-uscis-and-the-state-department-trying-to-encourage-some-u-s-citizen-parents-to-get-divorced.html”
>
citizenship
</a>
contexts. We have also occasionally done a comparative analysis with
respect to legal developments in
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/11/safe-third-country-agreements-and-judicial-review-in-the-united-states-and-canada.html”
>
Canada
</a>
and India. With regards to the controversial Indian Citizenship Amendment
Act, we have also shown how immigration changes inspired by Hindu
nationalism in India, as with white nationalism in the United States, can
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/12/how-the-founding-values-of-two-great-nations-united-states-and-india-can-get-hollowed-out-through-tweaks-in-their-immigration-laws.html”
>
drastically alter the founding values of great nations
</a>
. Our blogs also provide commentary on ethical issues for lawyers, and we
have commented on how the
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/10/supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-constitutionality-of-smuggling-statute-that-could-impact-immigration-lawyers.html”
>
Supreme Court agreeing to hear the constitutionality of a smuggling
statute
</a>
can adversely impact immigration lawyers when they advise unauthorized
immigrants.
</p>
<p>
In some respects, this has been a lost decade as far as immigration reform
is concerned. Efforts to comprehensively reform immigration have failed in
Congress. A modern immigration system would surely benefit the United
States by attracting global talent, especially allowing foreign students to
remain and contribute to the United States upon graduation. It would also
attract entrepreneurs who can startup companies in the United States that
could eventually create many jobs for Americans. Skilled Indian nationals
have needlessly languished in the ossified employment-based immigration
backlogs for an entire decade. Comprehensive immigration reform would
provide a pathway to both DACA recipients and those who have been in the
United States for many years to legalize their status and be on a path to
citizenship. It should also prevent children from cruelly aging out and not
being able to immigrate with their parents. Reform should also provide more
humane and sensible waivers for those who are inadmissible based on family
ties, hardship to oneself or relatives and rehabilitation, and also accord
due process to asylum seekers and those in removal proceedings. Indeed,
creating an independent immigration court outside the DOJ’s interference
would assure the independence of immigration judges who decide whether one
can remain in the United States or be sent back, which can often be
tantamount to either exile or a death sentence. Finally, a reformed
immigration system should allow US employers greater access to temporary
visas to higher both highly skilled and essential works while allowing
these workers to enjoy job mobility and seek permanent residence. The
United States clearly deserves a rational and compassionate immigration
system than the dysfunctional system we have today.
</p>
<p>
2020 is different from prior years as it signifies the start of a new
decade. We sincerely hope that 2020 bodes more favorably for immigration,
and our blogs continue to inform, educate and inspire. We also wish all of
our supporters and well-wishers a very happy New Year notwithstanding the
challenges that lie ahead!
</p>
<p>
Below are the 10 most viewed posts:
</p>
<ol>
<li>
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/01/to-leave-or-not-to-leave-the-devastating-impact-of-usciss-unlawful-presence-policy-on-foreign-students.html”
>
To Leave Or Not To Leave: The Devastating Impact of USCIS’s
Unlawful Presence Policy on Foreign Students
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/09/musings-on-the-october-2019-state-department-visa-bulletin-in-light-of-the-fairness-for-high-skilled-immigrants-act.html”
>
Musings on the October 2019 State Department Visa Bulletin in Light
of the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/01/trump-can-provide-a-potential-path-to-citizenship-for-h-1b-visa-holders.html”
>
Trump Can Provide a Potential Path to Citizenship for H-1B Visa
Holders
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/03/trump-administration-imposes-another-unnecessary-obstacle-uscis-to-issue-new-version-of-form-i-539-and-new-i-539a-on-march-8.html”
>
Trump Administration Imposes Another Unnecessary Obstacle: USCIS to
Issue New Version of Form I-539 and New I-539A on March 8
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/07/save-optional-practical-training-for-foreign-students.html”
>
Save Optional Practical Training for Foreign Students
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/03/the-nuts-and-bolts-of-complying-with-the-h-1b-notice-requirements.html”
>
The Nuts and Bolts of Complying with the H-1B Notice Requirements
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/07/need-to-plan-ahead-before-sponsoring-a-senior-parent-for-a-green-card.html”
>
Need to Plan Ahead Before Sponsoring a Senior Parent for a Green
Card
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/04/positive-changes-to-90-day-misrepresentation-guidance-in-the-foreign-affairs-manual-especially-for-foreign-students.html”
>
Positive Changes to 90-Day Misrepresentation Guidance in the
Foreign Affairs Manual – Especially for Foreign Students
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/09/the-ethics-of-law-reform-activities-affecting-client-interests-in-light-of-the-fairness-for-high-skilled-immigrants-act.html”
>
The Ethics of Law Reform Activities Affecting Client Interests in
Light of the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a
href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/05/judge-issues-nationwide-preliminary-injunction-in-unlawful-presence-case-what-does-the-injunction-means-for-current-f-j-and-m-nonimmigrants.html”
>
Judge Issues Nationwide Preliminary Injunction in Unlawful Presence
Case: What Does the Injunction Mean for Current F, J, and M
Nonimmigrants?
</a>
</li>
</ol>
<p>This post originally appeared on <a href=”http://blog.cyrusmehta.com/2019/12/top-10-most-viewed-posts-published-on-the-insightful-immigration-blog-in-2019.html” target=”_blank”>The Insightful Immigration Blog</a>. Reprinted with permission.</p>
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About The Author<br/>
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<p>
<b>Cyrus Mehta</b> is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners, PLLC (CDMP). He represents corporations and individuals from around the world in business and employment immigration, family immigration, consular matters, naturalization, federal court litigation and asylum. He also advises lawyers on ethical issues. Based on over 25 years of experience in immigration law, he is able to comprehend all kinds of problems and provide effective, ethical and strategic solutions to his clients. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School where he teaches a course, Immigration and Work.
</p>
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