PRESIDENT Donald Trump is fiercely opposed to family “chain migration” and wants to limit family petitions to spouses and minor children of green card holders or U.S. citizens.  He wants…

DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I was petitioned in November 2006 as a single adult child of my immigrant (green card) parent, in the F-2B category.  I waited many years, and in…

Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A…

SEVERAL years ago, Filipina nurses had a fast track to green cards, as their priority was “current”. They could be immediately petitioned by hospitals or medical facilities for green cards…

ON January 31, 2018, USCIS announced a change in policy for scheduling affirmative asylum interviews.  They will follow a “last in, first out” interview schedule, meaning the newest asylum applications…

DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I am a green card holder, and petitioned my adult single child in June 2015 in the F-2B category.  When I recently checked the USCIS website for…

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A…

CALIFORNIA has become the first state in the nation to be a “sanctuary state.”  This means California will not cooperate fully with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Immigration…

Pres. Trump wants to eliminate “chain migration,” which allows people to petition extended family members, such as brothers and sisters, married children, adult (over 21) children, and even parents.  The…

PRESIDENT Trump wants to eliminate “chain migration,” which allows people to petition extended family members, such as brothers and sisters, married children, adult (over 21) children, and even parents.  The…

AN important part of Christmas and New Year is buying gifts for loved ones and making resolutions for the coming year.  Filipinos are busy filling their balikbayan boxes with pasalubong,…

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A…

ELIGIBILITY for benefits under Section 3 of the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) is based on a mathematical formula, where you subtract from the child’s age the length of time…

FOR almost all immigration benefits, you should save and preserve documents to establish eligibility for that particular benefit. Many people state that, for one reason or another, they no longer…

MANY Filipinos consult with me saying they are sad, lonely, and depressed over their immigration situation, and just want to give up, and go back to the Philippines. Many of…

THANKSGIVING is when people step back and reflect on all of the wonderful things and events to be grateful for, and to give thanks to those people who played such…

F-1 and F-2B retrogress! THE December 2017 priority dates bring bad news for those Filipinos petitioned as adult single children of US citizens (F-1) or green card holders (F-2B). •…

DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I have been out of status in the U.S. since 2010. I’ve been separated from my husband since 2003, and he already has another family in the…

SINCE about 2004, USCIS had a policy that if an initial H-1B petition was approved, and the alien later applied for an extension, the officer adjudicating the extension was to…

ON October 12, 2017, several passengers aboard a domestic Delta flight from San Francisco to New York, filed a lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), alleging a violation…

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A…

ORDINARILY, there is no appeal process for visa refusals at the Embassy. Under the doctrine of “consular non-reviewability,” a person cannot even sue the embassy or appeal their visa refusals…

A POPULAR segment on my weekly immigration television show, “Citizen Pinoy”, is “Your Tanong, My Sagot”, where people ask immigration questions on a variety of subjects, and I offer my…

(Part 2) In a previous article, a reader, who was scheduled for his visa interview, asked about some of the things which could trigger suspicions or investigations by the Embassy,…

One of the most technical rules on visa fraud focuses on a person misrepresenting his or her intent when applying for certain nonimmigrant visas or when entering the United States….

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A…

On September 5, 2017, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is being rescinded or canceled. DHS also issued a memo and FAQ’s, further detailing the…

(Part 1) DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I have waited for over 12 years for an interview on my approved family petition.  I am very nervous about the upcoming interview and I…

THERE are many myths and misconceptions about immigration law, which are simply not true.  People may receive “advice” from consultants, or well-meaning friends or relatives, which is wrong.  Following these…

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A…