New USCIS Public Charge Guidance: What Green Card Applicants Need to Know
USCIS has issued new guidance changing the way it will evaluate whether certain applicants for permanent residence are likely to become a “public charge.” The new policy became effective on September 18, 2026, and applies to adjustment of status applications subject to the public charge ground of inadmissibility that are postmarked or electronically filed on…
New Immigration Decision Changes Advance Parole Travel Rules
On August 13, 2026, the Board of Immigration Appeals issued an important decision concerning travel outside the United States with advance parole. In Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, the Board held that leaving the United States with advance parole can count as a “departure” for purposes of the unlawful-presence bars. The decision changes a rule that had…
USCIS Moves Toward Mandatory Online Filing: What Immigration Applicants Need to Know
On August 11, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security published a new rule allowing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to require certain immigration forms to be filed electronically. Some news reports have described this as an immediate end to paper applications for green cards, citizenship, asylum, and other immigration benefits. That is not quite…
Supreme Court Immigration Decisions: What They Mean for Immigrant Families
Editor’s Note: This article is the second in a two-part series examining the major immigration decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court during its recently completed term. If you have not already done so, you may also want to read our companion article, The Supreme Court Preserves Birthright Citizenship: What Trump v. Barbara Means for…
When the Past Comes Back in a Green Card Case
When people come to my office to discuss obtaining a Green Card through a spouse or another qualifying family member, they are usually focused on the future. They’re thinking about building a life together, becoming a lawful permanent resident, and eventually applying for U.S. citizenship. Before we can confidently move forward, however, I also want…
Why Are Some I-751 Cases Interviewed While Others Are Not?
A common question I hear from I-751 petitioners is, “Why did my friend get approved without an interview, but I was scheduled for one?” Unfortunately, there is not always a simple answer. Some petitions are approved without an interview, others result in extensive in-person questioning, and sometimes two cases that look almost identical on paper…
The Little Things That Often Become Big Immigration Problems
One of the reasons I enjoy practicing immigration law is that no two cases are exactly alike. Even when two clients appear to have very similar situations, the details are almost always different. After working in this field for over 30 years, having had the benefit of working with thousands of immigrants, and after reading…
What Online Immigration Forums Can Teach Us – And What They Can’t
People are sometimes surprised when I tell them that I occasionally browse Reddit, Facebook groups, and other online immigration forums. As an attorney, I’m obviously not looking there for legal authority or official guidance. But I do think those communities have value. They give me a real-time look at what applicants are experiencing, what they’re…
What Does USCIS Mean by a “Good Faith Marriage” in an I-751 Case?
One of the most common misconceptions I encounter in I-751 cases is the belief that a failed marriage automatically means a failed immigration case. That is not really how the law works. In many I-751 consultations, I speak with people who are genuinely panicked because: Many assume USCIS is trying to determine whether the marriage…
What Does “Discretion” Mean in an Adjustment of Status Case?
In two recent posts, I wrote about the new USCIS policy memorandum describing Adjustment of Status as a form of “extraordinary relief,” and then about the possible legal challenges to that policy. This post focuses on the practical question underneath the entire issue: What does discretion actually mean in an Adjustment of Status case? That…
