Trump’s executive order ‘suspending’ immigration
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…
Category: Immigration Columnists
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Should I create a will and living trust in preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic?
THE COVID-19 Pandemic is a scary reality which affects everyone globally and has shut down the global economy. Individuals over 60 years old and individual that are immune compromised are…
Family unification through family-based petitions
ANG family unification ay napakahalaga sa U.S. Immigration Law. Ang family-based immigrant category ay nagpapahintulot sa mga U.S. citizen (USC) at mga green card holder/lawful permanent resident (LPR) na mag-petition…
Can I get a green card if I had a previous marriage petition denied based on fraud?
DEAR Attorney Tan, I recently married a US Citizen, who is my second husband. He has filed an immigrant visa petition and green card application for me. My husband recently…
Should I create a will and living trust in preparation for the pandemic?
THE Covid-19 pandemic is a scary reality which affects everyone globally and has shut down the global economy. Individuals over 60 years old and individual that are immune compromised are…
USCIS announces ‘flexibility’ for non-immigrants during COVID-19
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…
Should you modify your child and spousal support obligation if you lose your job?
THE fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic has wreaked havoc on our economy. As a consequence of shutting down the global economy, businesses are forced to lay off a lot of…
Maximizing recovery in personal injury cases
DEAR Attorney Tan, I was driving home and was at a complete stop when another driver rear ended my car. I was not feeling well after the accident, as my…
H-1B cap petitions may be filed as of April 1
IPINAHAYAG ng USCIS noong Abril 1, 2020 na ang mga H-1B cap-subject petition para sa fiscal year (FY) 2021 na napili sa mga nag-electronic registration ay maaari nang i-file. Kasama…
New hope for maintaining status when attorney messed up
ON April 2, 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that if an alien failed to maintain lawful status (or went out of status) as a result of his…
Family law issues during the COVID-19 pandemic
THE COVID-19 Pandemic has changed our lives almost overnight. Not only has it changed our lives in terms of our daily routine, jobs, lifestyle, but also our relationship with our…
USCIS offices’ temporary closure extended
US Embassy Manila visa interviews temporarily ceased SIMULA Marso 18, 2020, ang USCIS ay nagsuspende ng mga routine in-person service sa mga USCIS field office, asylum office at Application Support…
Family law issues during the COVID-19 pandemic
THE COVID-19 Pandemic has changed our lives almost overnight. Not only has it changed our lives in terms of our daily routine, jobs, lifestyle, but also our relationship with our…
Permanent residence based on same-sex marriage
IN United States vs. Windsor, 570 U.S. (2013) (Docket No. 12-307), the Supreme Court held that Federal restrictions of the terms “marriage” and “spouse” to marriages between a man and…
COVID-19 immigration update as of March 30, 2020
WITH the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with “stay-at-home,” “shelter in place,” quarantines, travel bans, etc., there has been a profound effect on immigration. Here are some of the…
Petitioning children of your spouse from a previous marriage
A STEPPARENT may file an immigrant petition for a stepchild even without the stepparent having to legally adopt the stepchild. However, before a stepparent may be able to file an…
Should I create a will and living trust in preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic?
THE COVID-19 Pandemic is a scary reality which affects everyone globally and has shut down the global economy. Individuals over 60 years old and individual that are immune compromised are…
Removing the conditions of your permanent residence without your petitioning spouse’s participation
A PERSON who obtains his/her green card via marriage to a U.S. citizen spouse, and who is married for less than 2 years has conditional permanent resident status. A conditional…
USCIS offices temporary closure and California lockdown
SIMULA Marso 18, 2020, ang USCIS ay nagsuspende ng mga routine in-person service sa mga field office, asylum office at Application Support Center para pabagalin ang pagkalat ng COVID-19. Ito…
Should I create a will and living trust in preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic?
THE Covid-19 Pandemic is a scary reality which affects everyone globally and has shut down the global economy. Individuals over 60 years old and individual that are immune compromised are…
California Divorce with a twist: The military spouse
SAN Diego is “military town” and Navy and Marine Corps families abound, as well as retirees from different branches of our military. The military life is a test of resilience…
COVID-19 and its effects on immigration
WITH the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, along with “stay-at-home,” “shelter in place,” quarantines, travel bans, etc., there has been a profound effect on immigration. Here are some of the…
H1B cap registration update
ANG H1B application process ay inumpisahan na noong Marso 1, 2020 sa pamamagitan ng H1B cap electronic registration. Ayon sa USCIS, ang electronic registration ay mananatiling bukas hanggang Marso 20,…
Child custody for working parents
MANY parents believe that if you are a working parent, then the other non-working parent will get physical custody of the minor children automatically. This is a misperception of the…
Preparing your estate for the COVID-19 pandemic
THE Covid-19 Pandemic is a scary reality which affects everyone globally and has shut down the global economy. Individuals over 65 are more at risk of having serious complications with…
Maximizing recovery in personal injury cases
“Loss of earnings is often a significant part of an injured person’s claim for economic damages.” DEAR Attorney Tan, I was driving home and was at a complete stop when…
WATCH: Atty. Michael Gurfinkel discusses COVID-19’s impact on US immigration
Watch Atty. Gurfinkel’s latest immigration update on COVID 19, where USCIS is cancelling all in-person services until at least April 1, 2020, and Immigration Courts (EOIR) have cancelled all non-detained…
April 2020 priority dates
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…
The Attorney-Client Relationship
AS attorneys, we get frantic or panicked phone calls from our clients worried about their cases. It’s a natural response – nobody wants to be in a place of unknowing…
Declaration of self-sufficiency
SIMULA noong Pebrero 24, 2020, may bagong form, ang Form I-944 Declaration of Self-Sufficiency na kailangang i-file kasabay ng I-485 Adjustment of Status Application. Ang Form I-944 ay maaari ring…