Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: I was petitioned by my mother as a married child (F-3) in April 2001. However, I discovered that my wife had cheated on me, so I had…

SOME people hope or believe that if consuls or immigration officers hear their grave predicament, they would be filled with mercy and compassion and approve their case. If their situation…

ON October 1, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will propose new rules making “it easier to hold immigrant sponsors accountable for failing to meet the obligations…

The October 2020 priority dates provide great news for workers in the EB-3 (skilled/professional) and “other worker” (unskilled workers like caregivers). The priority dates for all countries (except India and…

DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I am a U.S. citizen, and filed a K-1 (fiancé) petition for my girlfriend in the Philippines. Unfortunately, the case was denied. I was told by friends…

DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I just received a denial from USCIS, giving me 33 days to file an appeal. I truly think I was eligible, but am so heartbroken. Would you…

DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I married a U.S. citizen for love, hoping we would live “happily ever after.” Unfortunately, soon after marriage, he changed. He drank a lot, gambled, took drugs,…

DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel, I was petitioned by my sister in 1990, and immigrated to the U.S. in 2013. Unfortunately, I had to leave behind my eldest child because she had…

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…

PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s new, stricter public charge rules seem to go back and forth, like a tennis or ping-pong match. It becomes very confusing for applicants as to which public…

IN A previous article, I wrote that on July 29, 2020, a federal court judge issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting USCIS from enforcing, applying, implementing, or treating as effective, President…

ON July 29, 2020, a federal court judge issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting USCIS from enforcing, applying, implementing, or treating as effective, President Trump’s new public charge rules as long…

MOST petitions (family and employment based) allow the petitioner to include the beneficiary’s spouse and minor children, but not with immediate relative (IR) petitions (spouse, parents, minor children of U.S….

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 priority…

THE Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) recently held that a person caught applying for a K-1 fiancée visa in a “fixed relationship” (meaning having no intention to have a life…

OVER the 4th of July holiday, Pres. Trump praised the Declaration of Independence as a “beacon of liberty, prosperity, and opportunity for all: “The principles grounded in the Declaration of…

DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: My sister petitioned me in 2001 in the F-4 category, (brother/sister of a U.S. citizen) when my child was still a baby. Recently, the priority date became current….

ON June 22, 2020, President Trump issued another Executive Order (EO) or Proclamation, extending his April 22, 2020 proclamation to December 31, 2020, and expanding its scope to also include…

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 priority…

IN November 2014, Pres. Obama announced a program, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), which would have allowed parents of U.S. citizens (or lawful permanent…

USCIS recently announced that it is preparing to reopen some of its offices and resume naturalization ceremonies and adjustment interviews on or after June 4, 2020. Notices will be sent…

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 priority…

“By law, if a person is ever caught in a fixed marriage, no future petition can be approved.” ON April 14, 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (which is…

THE U.S. Embassy in Manila announced that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is canceling all immigrant and nonimmigrant visa interviews scheduled through May 31, 2020. They hope to resume…

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 April 22, 2020, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) or Proclamation, effective at 11:59 PM on April 23, 2020, suspending for 60 days the entry of immigrants into…

ON April 13, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will exercise more flexibility for non-immigrants who must depart the U.S. by a certain date, but are now…