About three years ago, Adele came into my office asking if we could bring her husband, Domingo, into to the United States through a family-based immigrant visa process. Domingo had been in the U.S. before but had left to take a job overseas. The only problem was that Domingo had overstayed his tourist visa by about […]
When most of us think of human trafficking, we think of forced sex workers and unpaid laborers slaving away in horrific conditions. We don’t think about the university student who is forced by the head of the school to manipulate computer systems, falsify information, and create programs to hide tuition payments. But when that international student
Human Trafficking – Looking Beyond the Stereotypes Led to Success Read More »
Over the past few months, USCIS has introduced a slew of new forms. It seems as though every area of immigration has been impacted – from employment to family to humanitarian. Sometimes change is good. This doesn’t appear to be one of those times. Today, we’ll focus on the new I-130 and I-130A. The I-130 is the foundation for family-based petitions.
New I-130 and I-130A Forms from USCIS Read More »
Sometimes, we only focus on the finish line, failing to pay attention to the milestones that cross our path along the way. Every case has a series of steps – be it work card production, processing through the National Visa Center, or simply getting through the mailroom – that we often take for granted. Yet,
It’s the Small Victories Read More »
Since the election of Donald J. Trump, we’ve noticed an increase in calls from people who want to become naturalized U.S. citizens. There are great personal reasons why someone would want to become a citizen: being able to vote in federal elections, hold public office, and being able to leave the U.S. for an extended amount
Why Become a Naturalized U.S. Citizen? Read More »
There are many different ways that non-U.S. citizens can protect themselves right now. It all starts with education, though. Be smart if you have any interaction with ICE or law enforcement. If you have a way to gain status or obtain U.S. citizenship, don’t delay in moving forward with those applications. If you have questions
How to Protect Yourself in These Uncertain Times Read More »
Although the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memos were leaked over the weekend, I didn’t want to add to the confusion by posting about something not verified.  But the news is out there and as far as we can tell, these memos are already in effect. How do we know? Because people arrested for
New DHS Memos Take the Heart Out of Immigration Law Read More »
There’s been a lot of fear and panic in the immigrant community lately – and understandably so. For a few short paragraphs,  though, let’s talk about a positive development that happened earlier this week.  Then we have to return to reality with some shocking news out of Texas. First the good news… On February 14,
People ask me what I’m telling my clients right now. Below is EXACTLY what I’m telling them – it’s going out in an email tomorrow, as soon as the Spanish version is prepared. There have been a lot of changes to immigration policy over the past week and we anticipate that this is only the
What I’m Telling My Clients Read More »
There are a lot of questions and not a lot of answers to the Executive Order issued on Friday, January 27th. What follows is not meant to be legal advice. I strongly encourage you to consult with a qualified immigration attorney if you have a specific issue you’d like to address. All processing of so-called “I
