While it’s true that not every immigration case requires an attorney, I’ve seen few great examples of why it’s not a good idea to take the ‘cheap’ route and try to always do it yourself. Let me share some stories (names changed, of course) with you. Example One: Amy goes in for her naturalization interview, […]
Do It Yourself Isn’t Always Best: Why You Want an Attorney Read More »
I understand that part of my job is following-up on cases. In fact, I’ve written about liaison work before and how sometimes that’s the best way to get a case “unstuck.” But there’s liaison work and there’s following-up. And then there’s following-up on your follow-ups and then following up on those. You know it’s bad when you
Constantly Following-Up Read More »
I’ve received several emails lately from folks wondering why their cases are stuck. A stuck case is a case where you know something should be happening, but it’s not. The case could be outside of normal processing times or the promised-for next step hasn’t happened. Sometimes, the problem is that a file gets sent to the wrong
Pending Background Checks Read More »
Earlier this month, I had the honor of presenting in Vienna, Austria on “Unusual Visas.” I was asked to speak about consular processing T and U visas since these are rarely seen at U.S. Embassies and Consulates. Foreign nationals who have T or U status tend to stay in the United States and don’t travel
U Visas: Consular Processing Issues for Principal Applicants Read More »
When people think of attorneys and what we do to fight for our clients, they typically think of courtrooms, judges, “I object!” and other Hollywood movie images. Even for those immigration attorneys who often appear in Immigration Court, the reality is far different than what you may see on your favorite TV show or in
Liaison Work: Another Tool for Attorneys Read More »
Lately, I’ve received a lot of questions about the I-751. Actually, it’s been the same question over and over again. Why does it take so long to get a decision? Good question. When someone needs to remove the conditions on their residency, they must file an I-751. Once it’s filed, the applicant receives an automatic one-year
The Long and Tortured Road of I-751s Read More »
I’ve talked about Parole in Place (PIP) before and what an amazing program it is. In short, it allows certain family members of current and former military service members to be granted “admission” to the United States so they can apply for a green card here instead of having to leave the country and apply for a waiver in
Trying to Expand Parole in Place: Step-Parents Read More »
Winning the lottery, being struck by lightning, seeing an albino giraffe – the chances of all of these things happening seem higher to me than getting an S visa. S visas were created for criminal informants – people involved in criminal activity, but who could turn into witnesses for the prosecution. I sometimes call it
The Elusive and Misunderstood S Visa Read More »
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 »
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 »
