Introduction To Immigration Law - Complete Overview Course

Fast & practical U.S. Immigration Law class useful for paralegals, legal assistants, law students, & human resources

What you'll learn

Understand the foundations of US immigration law

Identify and describe roles of agencies in US immigration processes

Understand the concept of immigrant intent

Differentiate temporary and permanent immigration categories

Gain familiarity with some common paths

Understand the preference systems and learn how priority dates are analyzed against the visa bulletin

International Students: Improve understanding of principles of US immigration law as a foreign legal professional or as non-immigrant in the US

Recognize documents important for immigration purposes (with focus on F-1 students and exchange visitors)

Requirements

No prior knowledge required

For best audio quality, please view this course through the Chrome web browser.

Please note that this course focuses on fundamentals and introduces the family and employment based categories. The course does not cover special humanitarian programs (e.g., asylum) or immigration relief (e.g., removal).

Description

This is an introductory course that can serve as a supplement (study-aid) to a formal class, a good overview of the topic, or a refresher to sharpen existing skills. Topics covered include introduction to important concepts and issues in U.S. immigration law, familiarity with terminology and acronyms, agencies and their unique roles, and basic overview of the family and employment-based preference systems. Please note that this course does not provide coverage of special humanitarian programs or immigration removal relief. The course focuses on the basics of immigration, non-immigrant visas, and the basics of family-based and employment-based immigration. The course starts by introducing unique aspects of immigration law in the United States. It then introduces the sources of law, including statutes and regulations (e.g., Immigration and Nationality Act - INA) as well as the various immigration agencies that apply the laws and make decisions (e.g., DHS, DOS, DOL, DOJ). There's a consistent effort to introduce you to key terms and concepts, including both the formal names as well as common terms of art often used by immigration lawyers and paralegals. The course includes illustrations, infographics, and examples that walk the student through some of the most common documents encountered in the immigration context. The course includes extensive lecture and visual materials; however, it is not intended to substitute for post-secondary instruction in immigration law for paralegals. This course is also not intended to be continuing education and is not qualified for such credit in any jurisdiction. The course also is not intended to provide any legal advice and should only be referenced for general education. The course focuses on topics of interest to paralegals, global talent acquisition teams, and human resources (HR) professionals in the U.S. who want a fast and effective introduction to the most common and essential concepts. It can serve also as a good orientation for paralegals in training who want to supplement their formal training or studies or current paralegals, legal assistants, law clerks, or lawyers who are completely new to the immigration law practice area. The lessons focus on United States (US) immigration law and are is taught primarily in English. The course may also be applicable to other common law legal systems (e.g., India, United Kingdom - UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia) by analogy, but please keep in mind each country has its own rules and requirements for temporary and permanent residence and immigration.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction & Course Overview

Lecture 1 Introduction and Course Topics

Lecture 2 Unique Aspects of Immigration Law

Section 2: Overview of U.S. Immigration Law

Lecture 3 Sources of Law & Agencies

Lecture 4 Key Terms and Concepts

Section 3: Non-Immigrant Visas (NIVs)

Lecture 5 Basic Components & Common NIV Types

Section 4: Immigrant Visas (IVs)

Lecture 6 Family & Employment Based IVs

Section 5: Document Examples

Lecture 7 Visa, Status, and Work Permit Docs

Lecture 8 Student & Exchange Visitor Docs

Section 6: Applying for Visas and Benefits

Lecture 9 Overview of Visa Applications (Consulate)

Lecture 10 Overview of Benefit Applications with USCIS

Section 7: Review and Bonus Lecture

Lecture 11 Course Review

Lecture 12 Bonus Lecture

Current or prospective paralegals and legal assistants,Law students or lawyers with no background in US immigration law,Human resources and global talent and mobility professionals who are new to US immigration law,Individuals interested in gaining more knowledge about US Immigration laws,Non-immigrants and immigrants who want a deeper understanding of priority dates, preference systems, and common documents in the student (F-1) and exchange visitor (J-1) program,This course is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for legal advice from a qualified immigration lawyer.