Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing: Which Path Is Safer for Your Family?
In most family immigration cases, there are two possible paths. One is Adjustment of Status, where the green card process happens inside the United States. The other is Consular Processing, where the immigrant attends an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Both paths should lead to lawful permanent residence, but each process is…
USCIS Reframes Adjustment of Status as “Extraordinary Relief”
For decades, adjustment of status has been one of the most important features of the U.S. immigration system. It allows many individuals who are already lawfully present, or otherwise eligible under the Immigration and Nationality Act, to become lawful permanent residents without leaving the United States for an immigrant visa interview abroad. That process has…
Form N-400 in 2026: What Every Applicant Should Know Before Applying for U.S. Citizenship
USCIS has changed how it reviews naturalization cases. Here is what to know before filing Form N-400 in 2026 and how to protect your application.
How USCIS Officers Evaluate Your Marriage Interview
Learn how USCIS officers evaluate marriage interviews — what behaviors they watch for and how to prove your marriage is real and bona fide.
What is the National Visa Center?
Immigrant visa petitions are generally processed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), but depending on where/when you apply for your immigrant visa, the National Visa Center (NVC) may play a vital role in processing your petition. This is especially the case for immigrants planning on using Consular Processing to receive an immigrant visa to…
What Happens After My Asylum Is Approved? A Guide to Life as an Asylee in the United States
When the U.S. government grants your asylum application, it’s a major victory – and the start of an entirely new chapter. Many newly approved asylees ask the same question: “What happens after my asylum is approved?” 1. You Are Immediately Authorized to Work in the United States. Once asylum is approved, you are automatically eligible…
Traffic Tickets and the N-400: What Naturalization Applicants Must Disclose
A common question that I receive from clients preparing to file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, is whether they need to disclose traffic tickets or other routine moving violations. Many people assume that a speeding ticket—or a citation that resulted only in a fine—is simply too minor to matter. In most cases, the ticket itself…
New Public Charge Guidance: How the State Department’s Expanded Health and Financial Review May Affect Visa Applicants
Recent reporting confirms that the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued new internal guidance—via a cable distributed to consular posts worldwide—significantly expanding how consular officers evaluate visa applicants under the public charge ground of inadmissibility (INA §212(a)(4)). Although the statute itself has not changed, this directive reshapes the analysis by placing far heavier weight…
Bringing an Interpreter to Your USCIS Interview: Rules You Should Know
If you have an upcoming interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) — such as for Adjustment of Status (green card) or Naturalization (citizenship) — it’s important to understand who can serve as your interpreter and what the current rules are. You Must Bring Your Own Interpreter USCIS generally requires applicants who need language…
USCIS Introduces New $1,000 Immigration Parole Fee — What You Need to Know
On October 16, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new Immigration Parole Fee following passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Under this law, any person paroled into the United States under INA §212(d)(5)(A) must pay a $1,000 fee, unless a specific statutory exception applies. This new requirement applies to all…
