Blog - Kazmi & Sakata

On July Fourth, we celebrate our independence with patriotic parades, barbecues, carnivals, concerts, fireworks and more. However, for thousands of individuals across the nation, this Fourth of July will be one unlike any other; it will be the first Fourth of July in which they are able to celebrate as an American citizen. This past …Read More

Today, the Senate took a huge step with a vote of 68-32 in favor of final passage of S. 744, the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.” This moves the United States toward real immigration reform which is vitally important for immigrant families, businesses, and the entire economy. The next step is the …Read More

The current legislative proposal for comprehensive immigration reform is finally getting close to becoming a reality that could potentially allow millions of undocumented immigrants an opportunity to legally work for a living as they wait for residency and eventually citizenship. The proposal, however, is far from perfect and needs further discussion of some amendments that …Read More

Comprehensive immigration reform has been the proverbial elephant in the room of American politics for many years, but in the last few weeks legislators have made considerable progress in this regard. This bipartisan effort, which aims to bring a sense of relief to millions of undocumented immigrants and perhaps increase their quality of life, is …Read More

The O-1 visa is one of the most widely misunderstood immigration programs offered by the United States State Department and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The first aspect to understand about the O-1 visa program is that it falls under the category of non-immigrant visas, which means that it is a visa for …Read More

The unfortunate events of September 11th, 2001 brought about major changes in immigration law and customs policies around the world. Air travel is a far cry from what it used to be in the days before 9/11, and the United States is one of the countries where the impact of the resulting security measures have …Read More

Generally speaking, individuals who arrive in the United States as exchange visitors under the J-1 and J-2 visas are required to return to their country of origin for a two-year period before they can apply for reentry under the same visa program. This applies to physicians, teachers, university students, professors engaged in research, au pairs, …Read More

  On May 21, 2013, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on a bipartisan vote of 13 to 5, to pass Senate Bill 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. It is now out of the committee and will be sent to the Senate floor for a full vote in the coming days …Read More

May 14th, 2013 was a busy day for the United States Senate Judiciary Committee Majority. The day started with a press release from the committee that stressed the need for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) as it relates to the labor needs of the country. The press release included this elucidating tidbit of information: The dot-com …Read More

In the United States, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has been affecting several aspects of life since it became effective in 1967. This federal law establishes a framework for releasing documents and information kept by the U.S. government. For immigrants, the FOIA is an important tool to inquire about every document and piece of …Read More