ON April 10, 2017, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) released a “Know Your Rights Handouts” available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese to inform the public about the…
DEAR Attorney Tan, I have an approved I-140 immigrant petition which was filed by Company A on my behalf. Company A would like to employ me as a bookkeeper. …
DIVORCING couples may have established revocable living trust for estate planning pusposes during their marriage which was funded primarily with assets acquired by one spouse prior to the marriage. The…
If a person is ever caught in a fixed marriage (married solely to obtain immigration benefits), the consequences (or punishment) could be severe. A fixed marriage finding by the USCIS…
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…
IF a person is ever caught in a fixed marriage (married solely to obtain immigration benefits), the consequences (or punishment) could be severe. A fixed marriage finding by the USCIS…
UNDER Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions (2011) 52 C.4th 541, the California Supreme Court ruled that persons who are injured and who are pursuing a personal injury claim cannot…
COUPLES get divorced for various reasons. California is a no fault state. The reasons why a couple is getting divorced are often irrelevant to the issues of the family law…
IN the Philippines, establishing family relationships can sometimes be extremely complex. A child may be born and then “given” to a relative, such as a childless aunt. A simulated birth…
SOMETIMES, divorce happens. The following seeks to address or clarify some common misconceptions about divorce. “What if my husband/wife does not want to sign the divorce?” or “My husband/wife does…
THE USCIS issued another Policy Memorandum on May 10, 2018, that imposes significant restrictions to F and M students, as well as J exchange visitors, who violate their status. The…
“ A typical scenarion involves a person who entered the US years ago on a B-2 tourist visa, overstayed and was ordered removed by the Immigration Court.” WE have all…
IT is very common for beneficiaries of family based petition to wait many years before their petition’s priority date becomes current. This is usually the case with US Citizen parent…
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently issued a press release that they had a student removed/deported, when they found out that he was not attending class, as is required…
WHAT makes a non-citizen deportable? An alien or non-citizen, including a lawful permanent resident (“green card” holder) is deportable for having a conviction relating to controlled substances. Title 8 U.S.C….
THE date of separation is one of the most important facts to determine in a divorce case because it defines when the community interest ends and when separate property interest…
“Upon arrival in the US, the fiancé(e) can immediately apply for authorization to work in the US. He/she does not have to wait until marriage to apply for work authorization.” …
THE date of separation is one of the most important facts to determine in a divorce case because it defines when the community interest ends and when separate property interest…
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…
CARLOS is a married child petitioned by his U.S. citizen father. His priority date is October 30, 1992 and it’s just a matter of months before his visa becomes available….
“In your case, it appears that you are eligible to obtain a green card. You are a principal beneficiary of an I-130 petition filed by your US Citizen mother.” DEAR…
THERE seems to be a misconception in the general public that you can only obtain a divorce in California if your spouse will sign the divorce papers. I get this…
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…
I JUST moved to California last month, and I’d like to file for divorce. Can I file now? To file for divorce in the State of California, the person filing…
THERE are opportunities in the immigration laws for an individual to automatically become a United States citizen. As U.S. citizenship bestows tremendous benefits, it is important for individuals to know…
DIVORCING couples with children sometimes worry about who is going to pay for their children’s college education after the divorce once their children graduates high school. They want a guarantee…
“The DS-260 Immigrant Visa Application are very important submissions and should be reviewed and answered carefully by the applicant.” UPDATES on DACA. Last week, the U.S. District Court…
U.S. immigration law allows citizen parents to “transmit” or pass on U.S. citizenship to their children born abroad, provided certain requirements are met. One requirement for U.S. citizen fathers to…
THE Department of Homeland Security (DHS) states that one of their greatest priorities is to arrest and deport individuals with criminal convictions. Since the start of the Trump administration, the…
A GREEN card holder can travel outside the U.S. and return with some limitations. If a green card holder is outside the U.S. for an extended period of time, he…
