Every immigration situation presents its own special timelines. Is it ever too late to hire an attorney? Is it ever too soon? When should you hire a licensed attorney to assist with your immigration matter? To use my favorite lawyer’s answer: It depends. SCENARIO: MY GIRLFRIEND LIVES IN ITALY AND WE WANT TO GET MARRIED. […]
When Should You Hire an Immigration Attorney? Read More »
One of the most common questions I receive is “How long will it take USCIS to decide my case?” This is a great question, but it’s not always an easy one to answer. USCIS is a massive organization. They have local offices, service centers, and a national benefits center. They are scattered across the country
USCIS Processing Times Read More »
Unscrupulous: adjective. Not honest or fair; doing things that are illegal, wrong, or dishonest (Merriam-Webster definition). There are a lot of unscrupulous people out there, and you can find them in immigration as well. There are immigration attorneys who charge insanely high prices for cases that have no legal merit. There are notarios who file forms and
My fifth client finally won her case. I’ll call her Lili. She’s from Vietnam. Nearly two years ago, Lili hired me just after my office opened in October 2012. Lili speaks no English, and no one in my office speaks Vietnamese, so working with her was a challenge. She brought friends and family in to
Lili: A Long Battle Won Read More »
There’s a lot of talk in the media about the crisis of immigrant children and how cases are being moved through too quickly. Immigration advocates constantly talk about how the immigrants at the border are being deprived of due process. So what is due process? And why is it a problem when due process is denied?
What Is Due Process? Read More »
By now, most everyone knows about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). It received a lot of press in 2012 when President Obama announced that he would allow certain young people to remain in the United States without the threat of deportation hanging over their head. Lately, DACA has received a bit more press again
Deferred Action Not for Childhood Arrivals Only Read More »
Watching the news these days is depressing: Congress does little to nothing. Ugly hatred reveals itself as adults yell at YMCA camp kids, thinking they are undocumented minors. Our president admits that our country tortured detainees post 9/11. Corporations seem to be granted more rights and more tax breaks while families struggle to pay for
The American Dream Is Still Alive Read More »
Summer months are peak times for domestic violence. As temperatures rise, so do tempers. What happens when a family petition turns sour because of abuse in the relationship? Currently, it takes about five months from the time of filing a marriage-based I-130 and I-485 to the time of an interview. Unfortunately, a lot can change for a couple in
When Abuse Forces a Change in Plans Read More »
Earlier this week, Jon Stewart made fun of the crazy bureaucracy of our immigration laws. Sure, Jon didn’t get all the details right (Form N-400 is for naturalization, not asylum), but he did a fine job showing how convoluted our immigration laws are. When I first started learning the ins and outs of immigration law,
Immigration Law: If It Makes Sense, You Don’t Understand It Read More »
xtreme hardship is an idea that comes up in immigration law time and time again and is one of the underlying requirements for a successful Waiver case. But did you know that there is no clear definition of what it is? Extreme hardship is fluid, subject to interpretation, and it is different for everyone. These are the major
What Is Extreme Hardship? Read More »
