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…
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…
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…
Consular Processing vs. Adjustment of Status: What is the Difference?
Editor’s Note (July 2026): This article discusses Adjustment of Status under current USCIS policies, including the agency’s May 2026 memorandum describing adjustment of status as an “extraordinary” form of relief requiring a favorable exercise of discretion. For a detailed discussion of that policy change, see our article “USCIS Reframes Adjustment of Status as Extraordinary Relief.“…
Instructions for Submitting Documents to the National Visa Center
Recently, the United States Department of State (DOS) issued specific instructions for submitting documents to the National Visa Center (NVC). As some of you may know, the NVC is the branch of the DOS which facilitates the processing of immigrant visas (including K-1/K-3 visas) after they are approved by USCIS. After reviewing the instructions, I…
