BIA resists the normal way a court controls its docket.

Thursday, August 28th, 2014

A few months ago I attended a talk by a judge on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. She stated that about two thirds of immigration appeals before the court are resolved before the cases are briefed. Because of active efforts by the court to reduce the docket, by compelling mediation, by reviewing cases initially to see if they are properly filed, and by ruling on initial motions to dismiss, the court is working to control its docket. Recently, I…

Your mistake or your money back

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

Appealing a case denied by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can be quite expensive. If a visa is denied, reopening, reconsidering, or appealing costs $630 – often as much or more than the fee for the underlying benefit denied. The denial of a naturalization application is appealable with a fee of $650.  The total fee for an application to naturalize is $680. When I think of appealing, my first instinct is to think that there is an ambiguity in the…