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…

IN most cases, in order for a person to adjust status (obtain a green card) in the U.S., the person must prove he or she was “inspected and admitted” by…

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

DESPITE having only limited knowledge or understanding of immigration laws, some people attempt to strategize and handle their immigration case on their own. They follow the advice of friends or…

FAMILY based petitions and some employment-based petitions (where a relative owns a 5% interest in the petitioning company) require the petitioner to submit an affidavit of support (Form I –…

FAMILY based petitions and some employment-based petitions (where a relative owns a 5% interest in the petitioning company) require the petitioner to submit an affidavit of support (Form I –…

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…

DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: When I filed for adjustment of status, USCIS said I committed fraud when I entered the US under an assumed name. They required me to file a…

ALMOST every Filipino has seen the movie Titanic, the story of Jack and Rose who sailed that doomed ship, which hit an iceberg and sank. During consultations, I sometimes compare…

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…

BEGINNING on June 8, 2016, certain family members of Filipino World War II veterans may apply to come to the US (through “humanitarian parole”) and wait in the US until…

MANY people were ordered removed/deported “in absentia” (in their absence) because they did not appear at their removal hearing. However, if they were not properly notified of the hearing date,…

Dear Atty Gurfinkel: I HAVE been a green card holder for many years.  Several years ago, I was convicted of a crime.  I served the sentence and even had the…

Decision expected by June 2016  ON April 18, 2016, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments from Texas and other states, as well as the Obama administration, concerning President Obama’s…

ON April 18, 2016, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments from Texas and other states, as well as the Obama administration, concerning President Obama’s November 2014 Executive Action 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…

MANY people may be guilty of attempted “alien smuggling” and not even realize it. They may also be totally unaware of the harsh or drastic consequences to themselves and the…

EVERYONE is familiar with Starbucks coffee houses, which are located on virtually every street in every city. In some cases, there may be four Starbucks coffee shops on each of…

SOME people, with only limited knowledge or understanding of immigration laws, try to strategize and handle their immigration case on their own. They follow the advice of friends or relatives,…

WHEN the US Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), their ruling enabled same-sex couples to marry and, for immigration purposes, to petition one another for green…

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…

MANY people, desiring to save money, try to handle their immigration matters on their own, rather than hiring an attorney. They may have a relative in the Philippines being processed…

MARRIAGES are usually governed by the laws of the place of celebration. In the Philippines, the Family Code deals with the validity, invalidity, and termination of local marriages.  Despite these…

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…

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…

DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I received my green card through my employer’s petition, but the priority date on my petition retrogressed (went backwards) before I was able to bring my family…

IF, years ago, you were petitioned by an employer, and that employer’s petition (Form I -140) was approved, but you never received a green card from that case, a new…

ON January 19, 2016, the US Supreme Court agreed to review the legality of President Obama’s executive action, which he announced in November 2014, of Deferred Action for Parents of…

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 January 4, 2016, the USCIS announced that people should NOT submit original documents (such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, photographs, naturalization certificates, etc.) to USCIS with any…