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…
ONE of the most emotional aspect of a marital dissolution case is dealing with Child custody issues. Sadly enough, this is an area where most parents play games with each…
Dear Attorney Gurfinkel: I came to the U.S. many years ago, and am out of status. I have now been away from my spouse and children for many years, and…
DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I came to the U.S. many years ago, and am out of status. I have now been away from my spouse and children for many years, and…
THE Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 requires that US Citizens sponsoring an alien for legal permanent residency execute an immigration form I-864 Affidavit of Support. This…
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…
NEW Year, new resolutions, new life. For some of you, the New Year is a time for reflection, and to realize that changes are needed to be able to lead…
FOR most people, being served with divorce papers by your spouse is probably one of the biggest surprises in your life. The spouse in the receiving end of the divorce…
ON April 3, 2018, the USCIS announced that it will start destroying green cards and work authorizations that are returned to it as “undeliverable.” If the document is returned, the…
YOU own a successful business, as a sole proprietor, prior to marriage. You later meet the love of your life and decide to marry her. Years into the marriage, you…
DEAR Attorney Tan,I WOULD like to know if there is any way for my family and I to stay in the US if I invest in a US business. While…
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…
SINCE becoming president, Donald Trump has made several significant changes to make it easier for the government to deport more people. In fact, when he originally announced he was running…
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…
SEVERAL options exist for a US citizen to bring his/her foreign-national fiancé(e) to the United States. One popular option is to marry the fiancé(e) in the country in which he/she…
California law on the nature of spouses’ rights and obligations with respect to management and control of community property has evolved over the last thirty years from less stringent “good…
Dear Attorney Gurfinkel: My aunt owns a care home, and wants to petition me as a caregiver. However, I was told that employers cannot petition relatives for green cards through…
A GREEN card holder can travel outside the US and return with some limitations. If a green card holder is outside the US for an extended period of time, he…
”This becomes a problem if you are the spouse that has the substantially higher income or the one who accumulates the majority of the assets during the marriage.” IN the absence of a…
AS part of its “enforcement priorities,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the recent arrest of over two dozen people with DUI convictions in connection with “Operation Secure Streets.” According…
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…
FOR most people, being served with divorce papers by your spouse is probably one of the biggest surprises in your life. The spouse in the receiving end of the divorce…
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…
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…
IT’S Valentine’s Day and Malena woke up to a bouquet of bright red roses and a box of chocolates by her bedside. There was a handwritten note from her husband,…
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…
As part of its “enforcement priorities,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the recent arrest of over two dozen people with DUI convictions in connection with “Operation Secure Streets.” According…
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. …
