Program Details
2026-08-19 13:00:00
Over 1,000+ webinars
Course Overview
2026-08-19 13:00:00
2h CLE Credits
Intermediate
2
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ESTJoin us for a practical CLE on the May 2026 USCIS Discretion Memo (PM-602-0199), which reframes adjustment of status as a discretionary determination requiring a totality-of-the-circumstances analysis rather than a purely eligibility-based assessment. The session will highlight what has changed—and what has not—before walking through key risk factors now drawing heightened scrutiny, including status violations, intent issues, and broader immigration history. We will explore emerging legal tensions, including the interaction with INA §245(k), and introduce a tiered strategy for AOS case preparation based on nonimmigrant status and overall risk profile. Attendees will also learn how to proactively build a strong record of positive discretionary factors and prepare clients for evolving interview expectations. We will conclude with a snapshot of adjudication trends and practical takeaways based on field observations in the first 90 days following implementation.
Melissa Vasquez-Myers 2:10 pm - 3:10 pm ESTThis session addresses how employer-side immigration counsel responds to the heightened adjudicatory environment triggered by USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199 across the full petition lifecycle — PERM, I-140, H-1B/L-1 extensions, and consular processing decisions. Attorneys will learn how to assess risk exposure by visa classification, strengthen petitions proactively against escalating RFE and denial trends, and evaluate whether adjustment of status or consular processing better serves each employee’s situation. The session equips practitioners with a strategic framework for recalibrating employer immigration programs in light of shifting adjudication standards, pending litigation, and regulatory changes affecting the H-1B pipeline.
Nigel D. JamesMelissa Vasquez-Myers is a Partner in the Los Angeles office of Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, where she counsels clients across all areas of corporate immigration, with a primary focus on EB-1 employment-based immigrant visas and permanent residence applications. Before joining Fragomen, she practiced with a California-based law firm handling family-based immigration matters and removal defense, and she earlier served as a law clerk in Fragomen’s Los Angeles office, assisting with all major employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories. During law school, she worked with the Joseph A. Vail Center for Immigrant Rights. She speaks Spanish and English.
Nigel D. James is an Associate in the Philadelphia office of Klasko Immigration Law Partners, where he handles employment-based and family-based immigration matters for corporate and individual clients and serves on the firm’s EB-1 team. His path to immigration practice began in law school, where he assisted noncitizen farmworkers, and was shaped by the experiences of family members and friends who immigrated to the United States. His practice also draws on a background and interest in science, including microbiology and sustainability topics involving environmental systems and energy technologies.
Melissa Vasquez-Myers is a Partner in the Los Angeles office of Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, where she counsels clients across all areas of corporate immigration, with a primary focus on EB-1 employment-based immigrant visas and permanent residence applications. Before joining Fragomen, she practiced with a California-based law firm handling family-based immigration matters and removal defense, and she earlier served as a law clerk in Fragomen’s Los Angeles office, assisting with all major employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories. During law school, she worked with the Joseph A. Vail Center for Immigrant Rights. She speaks Spanish and English.
Nigel D. James is an Associate in the Philadelphia office of Klasko Immigration Law Partners, where he handles employment-based and family-based immigration matters for corporate and individual clients and serves on the firm’s EB-1 team. His path to immigration practice began in law school, where he assisted noncitizen farmworkers, and was shaped by the experiences of family members and friends who immigrated to the United States. His practice also draws on a background and interest in science, including microbiology and sustainability topics involving environmental systems and energy technologies.
Requirements
The Alabama State Bar MCLE Commission requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 1 ethics, by December 31 of each year. All credits must be reported by February 15 of the following year. A maximum of 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, may be carried over for 1 year only.
Formats
