Adjustment of Status for Derivative Asylees
Many of my nunc pro tunc asylum clients find their way to my blog post and ultimately retain my law firm after finding out that they are ineligible to adjust status. In most cases, the applicants are taken by surprise and learn of their ineligibility by a written decision from USCIS, denying their adjustment application,…
How to extend your Conditional Permanent Resident Status
Green card applicants who are applying based upon a marriage to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident that is less than 2 years old will receive conditional permanent residence for 2 years. While a conditional permanent resident has all of the same rights (and responsibilities) as a permanent resident that is not subject to any…
Are your Translations properly Certified?
As part of the “Invisible Wall” strategy, USCIS has started issuing RFE’s (Requests for Evidence) and denials of applications and petitions related to English translations that are not properly certified. RFE’s result in processing delays, and, as you know, denials will result in the loss of all filing fees, time, and possibly your valid immigration…
New Rule requiring Immigrants to show proof of Health Care coverage
On October 4, 2019, President Trump issued a proclamation requiring many future immigrants to show that they can afford health care as a condition to obtaining approval of their immigrant visa applications. In short, this new rule will require applicants for immigrant visas (green cards) to show that they have health insurance or have the…
Applications to Change or Extend Nonimmigrant Status will be closely examined under the new Public Charge Rule.
In a previous blog post, I wrote about the new Public Charge Rule which will go into effect on October 15, 2019. The most immediate effects of this Rule may be felt by applicants who file I-539 applications or I-129 petitions to extend or change their nonimmigrant status on or after this effective date. According…
How Your Social Media posts can ruin your Immigration Case.
On May 31, 2019, the U.S. Department of State updated it’s immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms (Forms DS-260 and DS-160) to request information about “social media identifiers” from most U.S. visa applicants worldwide. A social media identifier means any social media or mobile communications accounts, identifiers, user names, short-code designations, handles, or nick-names. In…
Should I hire an Immigration Lawyer to prepare and file my forms?
This question reminds me of the old saying: “If you walk into a Barber shop and ask the Barber whether or not you need a haircut, you will leave the Barbershop with a haircut.” Without a doubt, as Immigration Lawyers, we are in the business of selling our services, so we have an obvious interest…
What do Immigration Officers look for at I-130 Interviews?
This week I had the opportunity to attend several I-130 marriage based interviews with my South Florida clients. After having attended several hundred I-130 interviews over the past 20 plus years of being an Immigration Lawyer, I know that my clients will always benefit from being prepared. In addition to increasing the chances that the…
An Immigrant is Taking My Job!
Recently, someone sent me a picture that appeared to show First Lady Michelle Obama holding up a sign that said: “An Immigrant is Taking My Job.” It was probably photoshopped, but it really made me stop and think … “How True.” More than ever before, I am now finding myself involved in deep discussions about…
The Trump Administration and the Future of U.S. Immigration Law
Editor’s Note: This article was originally written following the 2016 presidential election and reflects the immigration-law concerns and political climate at that time. It is preserved and reorganized here because many of the broader points remain useful: campaign promises do not automatically become law, immigration policy changes often take time, and immigrants should make legal…
