The holidays are often a time of magic, love, family, and travel. It’s no wonder that many couples get engaged this time of the year. I met with a couple last week that reminded me of this, and how immigration, romance and the realities of life don’t always work together seamlessly. They didn’t know what […]
Marriage, Travel & Last-Minute Decisions Read More »
Last week marked the unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season with Black Friday. I am not one to get carried away with braving the early morning chaos at the mall to score a good deal, but if you are or if you got all of your holiday shopping done already – bravo! I haven’t
The Best Gift – Family Reunification After U Visa Approval Read More »
There has been a lot of attention given to the refugee process over the past several days. Most of it has been heartbreaking – wanting to close our borders to those most in need. But, out of this has also come a great wealth of information about our refugee process. Any opportunity to educate is
Our Refugee System Is Not Broken Read More »
Attorneys are called many things. Yes – I know, you’re thinking of the jokes and the horrible things that we can get called, and some attorneys rightfully deserve to be called crooks, rats, and far worse. What I’m thinking of, though, is that we’re also called counselors. I’m not a licensed counselor and I have no
VAWA, Abusers & The Struggle to Leave Read More »
On Monday, November 9th, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals finally issued a ruling on President Obama’s Deferred Action plans – the Expanded DACA and DAPA that he announced back on November 20, 2014. Expanded DACA and DAPA remain blocked. The court said that the President lacked the authority to issue these two programs. The decision is not a surprise. In
Decision – Breaking News on DACA/DAPA Read More »
Over the past few years, we’ve talked about how only 10,000 U visas are available each year, and how on October 1 each year – the start of the government’s fiscal year and when new visas become available – U visas are gone faster and faster. We are now at a point where so many U applications have been
On The U Visa Waitlist? Read More »
VAWA and I-751 Waiver cases inherently involve one side saying unflattering things against another. An abused client in a VAWA case has to prove to USCIS that they suffered extreme cruelty from their U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member. The stories they share and the documents they have to obtain are never kind towards the abuser
Conflicts of Interest & Relationship Uncertainties in VAWA and I-751 Waiver Cases Read More »
It’s been several months since we’ve heard anything about immigration reform. Deferred Action for Parents (DAPA) and Expanded DACA remain stuck in Federal Court, and we may not have a decision on those programs until President Obama is out of office. Comprehensive Immigration Reform that would require Congress to act together seems laughable right now. But, just because these big
No Reform Means No Change to Immigration, Right? Wrong! Read More »
Over the summer, I met a woman who had gone through something no parent should ever have to endure. Her son, who was only 30 years old, had just died unexpectedly. In the midst of dealing with his funeral, his estate, and the unimaginable grief of losing her only son, she also had to think
Bad Decision by USCIS on Survivor Petition Read More »
VAWA stands for Violence Against Women Act. But don’t let the name fool you. VAWA can be an option for men. I had a consultation recently for a man from West Africa. He and his wife had filed for him to get his green card several times and had always been denied. It looked like they
Why a Man Would Apply for VAWA Read More »
