I’m writing to you from Washington, D.C. today. Every year, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) coordinates a National Day of Action – inviting immigration attorneys from around the country to come to Washington, D.C. to meet with their elected officials to discuss immigration. So, here I am with hundreds of other immigration attorneys in […]
Lobbying for Immigration Reform Read More »
When we talk about adjustment of status, we typically think about a newlywed couple where one spouse is a U.S. citizen and the other is not. Much of the information out there about the adjustment of status focuses on the types of documents and questions that the couple should expect USCIS to want and ask. But
USCIS Interview Waivers Read More »
The past few weeks, I’ve written about the unwaivable types of fraud – marriage fraud, asylum fraud, and false claims to U.S. citizenship. But not every lie or misrepresentation is a permanent bar from immigration benefits. So today I am going to write about types of fraud that can be waived. Under section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Immigration
General Fraud and Willful Misrepresentation Read More »
Not all marriage fraud is obvious. The classic example is when the foreign national offers U.S. citizen money in exchange for getting married and filing immigration paperwork. But if the foreign national and U.S. citizen are best friends and they just want to help each other out? Or what if the couple is elderly, never
Marriage Fraud Not Welcomed Here Read More »
There are three types of fraud that the Immigration and Nationality Act takes very seriously – so seriously that if you’re found to have committed one of these, your chances for any type of immigration benefit in the future are reduced to just about zero. In a future post, I’ll talk about the types of fraud that
When Fraud Cannot be Waived Read More »
Thirteen months ago, I met Christina. Christina is a lively, colorful 70-year old woman from Mexico. She’s lived in the United States since the early 1950s and swore she was a lawful permanent resident. She had lost her green card sometime in the 1970s, and since she lived in California, the need for her to
When You Know You’re Right Read More »
For those of you in Georgia, you’ve probably heard about Senate Bill 404. What this bill proposed to do was to deny immigrants who had been granted “deferred action” from being able to obtain a Georgia driver’s license. There are similar bills and even laws across the United States, but I’d like to talk about SB
The Power of Advocacy Read More »
Picture yourself in this situation: You’re a man from Mexico who has lived in the United States for 12 years. Your wife is mentally disabled, but you’ve never had her professionally evaluated because you just didn’t have the money. She has temper tantrums, she refuses to shower, she forgets to eat and it’s clear to
There’s an ice storm in Atlanta today and I thought it was appropriate to write about ICE, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I hope everyone here in the Southeast has stayed warm and safe as we’re dealt another cruel hand by Mother Nature. As part of my non-profit work with the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN),
ICE Isn’t Always the Enemy Read More »
On Tuesday this week, USCIS announced major revisions to the Application for Naturalization (N-400). From now until May 2, 2014, lawful permanent residents eligible for U.S. citizenship can decide whether to use the old form or the new form. If you are eligible for U.S. citizenship, I strongly recommend that you file your N-400 before May 2nd to
The New Naturalization Application Form N-400 Read More »
