How to Help Afghan Refugees

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The Taliban have recently seized power in Afghanistan, following the departure of U.S. military personnel from the region. Thousands of Afghan citizens now fear for their safety and wish to leave Afghanistan.

Over the years, many Afghans have resettled in the United States via the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. Individuals who have received these visas, whose applications are currently being processed, and others, may all need assistance in the days and weeks to come.

What can you do to help?

1) Donate or Volunteer

Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Service (LIRS) is a national non-profit organization with a local presence here in the Seattle area. They are currently accepting donations and volunteer services for those wishing to help Afghan refugees coming to the United States:

https://www.lirs.org/help-our-afghan-allies/

2) Learn More

LIRS is also hosting a webinar on Tuesday, August 24th 2021 at 1:00 PM Pacific Standard Time to discuss the current situation in Kabul and the tangible support that can be offered to Afghan refugees.

The webinar will be held on Zoom, and the registration page can be found here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pKlxenydTLeEyVhGmkLg6w

3) Advocate

The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) is a non-profit organization that provides legal support and advocacy for immigrant populations in the U.S.

They are currently encouraging the Biden Administration to expedite and expand the visa application process for Afghan refugees. You can learn more and join their campaign here:

https://www.raicestexas.org/2021/08/18/afghanistan/

You can also read about LIRS’s Special Immigrant Visa advocacy efforts and contact your elected leaders here:

https://www.lirs.org/emergency-evacuation-afghan-allies-action-alert

If you or someone you know would like to schedule an immigration consultation with attorneys Brittan or Mary Beth, please call our office at (425) 374-1681.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are conducting consultations via telephone or video conferencing at this time.

Refugee Cap Increased to 62,500

President Biden has increased the annual refugee cap for the United States to 62,500 individuals per year.

This change comes after several immigrant and refugee advocacy groups put pressure on the president to follow through on his campaign promise to increase the maximum number of refugees who may be admitted to the United States each year.

The cap had previously been set at 15,000 by the Trump Administration – a historically low number. President Biden has now increased that number to 62,500.

In an encouraging statement, President Biden also expressed that he would like to increase the refugee cap next year to 125,000 people. This would represent a slight increase over the maximum number of refugees allowed to be admitted to the United States during the final year of the Obama Administration, when the cap was 100,000.

Increasing the refugee cap is one of many necessary steps towards creating a just, compassionate, and functional immigration system in the United States. We celebrate this change and proudly support the refugee community here in Washington State.

If you or a loved one would like to begin an immigration case, or discuss your current immigration status, please call our office at (425) 374-1681 to schedule a consultation with Brittan or Mary Beth.

We are currently conducting consultations via telephone and video conferencing in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

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Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela

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The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, has designated Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status until September 2022.

Temporary Protected Status can be extended to countries suffering from problems such as ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or extraordinary temporary conditions. The designation for Venezuela has been made due to difficulties for Venezuelans in returning home because of current humanitarian issues including hunger and malnutrition, armed non-state groups, and failing infrastructure.

This new TPS designation allows citizens of Venezuela, and individuals without nationality who last resided in Venezuela, to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States. Applicants must meet certain requirements, including continuous residence in the United States since March 8th, 2021. Individuals who are granted TPS are able to remain in the United States and to apply for work permits, as long as they continue to meet the requirements of the program.

The registration period for eligible individuals to submit TPS applications begins on March 9th 2021 and will last for 180 days, ending on September 5, 2021. USCIS estimates that as many as 323,000 individuals may qualify to apply for TPS under the program.

If you believe that you may qualify for TPS under this new designation, we strongly encourage you to speak with a reputable immigration attorney about your situation. It is important that you receive accurate information about the risks and benefits associated with submitting an application for an immigration benefit before you file your paperwork.

If you would like to schedule a consultation with attorneys Brittan or Mary Beth to discuss your immigration case, please call our office at (425) 374-1681.

In accordance with local health recommendations, we are conducting consultations via telephone and video conferencing at this time.

Tax Day is April 15th!

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The annual deadline for submitting tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is April 15th, 2021.

Most people who worked in the U.S. during the 2020 calendar year should submit a tax return on or before April 15th.

You do not need to have legal status in the United States, or a valid social security number, in order to file a tax return. Certain individuals who do not have a valid social security number, but need to file a U.S. tax return, may apply for an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).

If you are undocumented and worked in the U.S. during 2020, it is extremely important that you a) find out whether you are required to file a tax return and b) complete the paperwork correctly, and on time, if you are required to file.

Many immigration applications request proof of accurately submitted tax returns for the years that the applicant was living and working in the United States. If tax returns are incomplete or were filled out incorrectly, the applicant may be required to correct those errors as part of their immigration application, which can even include paying the IRS for taxes which were not paid during prior years.

It is therefore important for everyone who works in the United States: undocumented individuals, work-permit or temporary status holders, permanent residents, citizens, and others, to correctly file their tax returns each year.

However, please also remember to: Watch out for scams!

Many scam artists try to take advantage of vulnerable people during tax season. This is an unfortunate reality every year. Common signs of a tax scam include:

- If someone is promising to get you a much bigger tax refund than you normally receive.

- If someone is promising to help you get legal status in the U.S. as part of, or in addition to, preparing your tax paperwork.

- If the person offering to help prepare your tax return does not work for an accredited tax preparation company or a legitimate business or non-profit organization.

- If you are being asked to pay large fees for tax preparation services and are not being told exactly what those fees are for.

- If the person preparing your taxes threatens to call law enforcement if you do not pay them the fees they are demanding.

- If the tax-preparer is making promises that seem too good to be true.

Where can I get help preparing my tax return?

If you live in the Seattle area and need help preparing your tax return, it may be possible for you to receive free tax-preparation services from a professional.

United Way of King County offers a list of free tax preparation resources here.

The Seattle Public Library System is another trusted source for information, and they have tax preparation resources here.

What should I do if I have a question about my immigration status?

If you would like to find out whether you qualify to apply for legal immigration status, or if you have already begun an application and are in need of an immigration attorney to represent you, please call our office at (425) 374-1681 to schedule a consultation with Brittan or Mary Beth.

Our attorneys would be happy to answer your immigration questions and discuss your options with you. Please note that for the protection of both our staff and clients, we are currently conducting consultations via telephone or video conferencing.