VisaProAdviserVisas, migration and life abroad
Immigration law in the US and Europe: asylum precedents, TPS rulings, ICE detention, national foreigners laws, residence permits and citizenship by descent.
10 articles tagged immigration law
Key mistakes when filing for adjustment of status: relying on assets, going to court without a lawyer, and choosing the wrong category. How to avoid denial and deportation.
How to act if immigration authorities arrive: don't open without a warrant, stay silent, demand a lawyer, memorize phone numbers, don't resist.
On September 11, 2026, Portugal changed rules on study permits, processing times, renewals and work. A full breakdown of changes for those relocating.
The Besovich-Gonzalez precedent shows that even minor beating during detention on a protected ground can be recognized as persecution for US asylum purposes.
How to prepare for a possible ICE detention: gathering information, assigning an attorney, and a family action plan. What to do in the first hours after detention occurs.
What requirements apply after obtaining a residence permit in Slovakia: medical examination, insurance, police notification, and risks of losing status.
In the United States, immigration law rests mainly on the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, amended many times since, together with federal regulations and court decisions. Applications for benefits go to USCIS, while ICE and CBP handle enforcement; removal and asylum cases in court are heard by immigration judges within the Justice Department's EOIR. Precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals bind those judges, and federal circuit courts can review them.
Respondents in removal proceedings may be represented by a lawyer, but at no expense to the government, so there is no public defender as in criminal cases. Only attorneys licensed by a state bar and DOJ-accredited representatives of recognized organizations may give legal advice on immigration matters; notarios and visa consultants may not.
In Europe, immigration law combines EU directives with each country's own foreigners act, such as Portugal's Lei n.º 23/2007, which sets the rules for residence permits and renewals. Citizenship stays a national matter, so whether descent from former citizens is enough to restore it depends on each state's nationality law.