The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has announced the designation of Temporary Protected Status for nationals of Nepal living in the United States of America on/prior to June 24th, 2015. Due to the devastating earthquake that struck in Nepal on April 25th, 2015, and the subsequent aftershocks, eligible nationals of Nepal residing in the United States of America may apply for Temporary Protected Status along with employment authorization.

The designation period for Temporary Protected Status for Nepal will be in effect from June 24th, 2015 until December 24th, 2016. Filing for Temporary Protected Status will allow individuals without any formal means of permanent status in the U.S. to be allowed temporary relief from removal. The 180-day registration period begins June 24th, 2015 and runs through December 21st, 2015. Please contact our office for further information and in order to determine eligibility - you must still meet the requirements for TPS. But you may apply even if you have an order of deportation, are in removal proceedings, or are out of status.

DO NOT FALL VICTIM TO SCAMMERS AND FRAUDSTERS! 

If you are a citizen or national of Nepal, and are in the United States as of today,  June 24, 2015, it is important to create evidence of your physical presence in the United States. Take today's newspaper and stand in front of an American landmark or a well-known restaurant or store that only is in the US, and have someone take your picture.

On July 1, 2015 HMA Law Firm attorney Hassan Ahmad will be conducting a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) for Virginia criminal defense lawyers on the immigration consequences of criminal convictions.

Register here. 2.0 live MCLE, 0.0 ethics. Replay on July 16, 2015 (also counts for live 2.0 MCLE).

Many of the concepts will be useful even for non-Virginia practitioners. Don't get Padilla'ed, avoid an ineffective assistance of counsel claim!

Learn the language of "crimmigration," how the deportation system works, what Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorneys look for in a record of conviction when assessing a non-citizen's removability, and how to achieve the best possible result for your non-citizen clients to avoid or minimize the risk of detention and deportation.

In Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. 356 (2010), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the defendant was entitled to post-conviction relief because he entered a plea based on his counsel’s erroneous advice regarding the immigration consequences of conviction. As a result of Padilla, a defense counsel has an affirmative duty to advise non-citizen clients of the immigration consequences of their criminal convictions, or risk IAC claims. Don't let this be you.

In this first-of-its-kind seminar, experienced immigration and criminal defense attorney Hassan Ahmad will explain the collateral immigration consequences of criminal convictions in Virginia so you are prepared to tackle the issues.

Topics to be covered include:

• The importance of understanding immigration consequences
• An overview of the deportation system
• Understanding Deportability vs. Inadmissibility
• Crimmigration categories
• Advice on handling the non-citizen client
• Practice aids to include a Crimmigration Checklist and templated Padilla-compliant warnings (in English and Spanish)