(Part 3) FOR many people, attaining US citizenship is the final step in achieving their “American Dream.” After getting a green card, they eagerly count off the years until they are finally eligible to apply for naturalization. However, for some people, applying for citizenship could cause problems, issues, and even being stripped of their green…
ON December 23, 2016, the filing fees for most petitions and applications filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will increase. The current filing fee for an application for naturalization is $680. Effective December 23, 2016, the filing for this application will now be $725. Other commonly filed applications and petitions and their…
(Part 2 of 2) Every nation’s immigration rules and regulations seek to weed out ‘undesirables’ or ‘deplorables’ maybe – those with the propensity for malicious mischief or simply, to do harm. The United States is no exception. When a foreigner commits a crime and gets convicted, the steps toward the path to citizenship will be …
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte recently announced severing military and economic ties with the U.S. He has also recently assailed the U.S.’s strict visa policy. As President Duterte aligns himself with China, Russia, Vietnam, and other foreign powers, he is consistently evading any viable relationship with the U.S. Thus, it’s now more important than ever to ensure…
THERE is a natural tendency among divorcing parties to hide their assets from their spouse and understate income. This is a common problem that I have observed from practicing law for many years. A common question I hear from clients is “my spouse doesn’t know I have an account in this bank, do I have…
(Part 2) FOR many people, attaining US citizenship is the final step in achieving their “American Dream.” After getting a green card, they eagerly count off the years until they are finally eligible to apply for naturalization. However, for some people, applying for citizenship could cause problems, issues, and even being stripped of their green…
EFFECTIVE December 23, 2016, USCIS will increase its filing fees for applications and petitions for immigration and naturalization benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Thus, applications and petitions filed and/or mailed on or after December 23, 2016 must have the corresponding adjusted fees, or they will be rejected. USCIS says it was necessary…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte recently announced severing military and economic ties with the U.S. He has also recently assailed the U.S.’s strict visa policy. As President Duterte aligns himself with China, Russia, Vietnam, and other foreign powers, he is consistently evading any viable relationship with the U.S. Thus, it’s now more important than ever to ensure…
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 faith” standards to heightened “confidential duty” and “fiduciary duty’ standards. Under current law, the duties owed between spouses in transactions between themselves are the same…
(Part 1) FOR many people, attaining US citizenship is the final step in achieving their “American Dream.” After getting a green card, they eagerly count off the years until they are finally eligible to apply for naturalization. However, for some people, applying for citizenship could cause problems, issues, and even being stripped of their green…
(Part 1 of 2) Criminal convictions in immigration are definitely ‘dealbreakers’. Even just one can cause regrets about the incident which led to it. Not a lot of aliens definitively know the immigration consequences of their illegal acts and when they do, it might be too late for regrets or remedies. The United States does…
Prior to April 30, 2013, all aliens admitted to the US in a non-immigrant visa status were required to fill-up a form, Form I-94, Arrival and Departure Record, and present the same to a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Officer who then stamps the form and gives the final approval for admission of the alien….
“ California Family Code Section 3044 (a) provides “Upon a finding by the court that a party seeking custody of a child has perpetrated domestic violence against the other party seeking custody of the child or against the child or the child’s siblings within the previous five years, there is a rebuttable presumption that an…
Mario, was admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) when he was 18 years old. Now he wants to apply for citizenship, but the application is asking about something called “selective service.” He doesn’t know what this is. Will this bar him from his application to become a 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 date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date…
If you are a United States legal permanent resident (“LPR” or “green card holder”), you may be eligible to become a United States citizen. United States (“U.S.”) citizenship opens the door to substantial benefits, including having the right to vote, eligibility for federal benefits or jobs, and unlimited length of international travel. In order to…
THERE have been many people who claim non-citizens are registering to vote in the upcoming elections, and their votes could affect the ultimate outcome of the Presidential election. These claims and accusations are unfounded, and there is no vast conspiracy to have non-citizens vote in the upcoming federal election. I realize there could be situations…
A LEGAL permanent resident may be eligible to file for U.S. citizenship if he or she has lived in the United States for at least five (5) years or three (3) if married to and living with a U.S. citizen. In addition to the residency requirements, the applicant must also show that he or she:…
Indeed our world feels smaller. The norm is ‘global’; be it in business or love. Travel abroad has become a ‘must’ for businessmen in order to keep up and promote international trade growth. With the advent of the Internet, prevalence of social media, long distance love affairs are a breeze. One client talks with…
ON January 2, 2013, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced the posting of a final rule in the Federal Register that reduces the time U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives (spouse, children and parents), who are in the process of obtaining visas to become lawful permanent residents of the United States commonly…
FOR almost all immigration benefits, you should save and preserve documents to establish eligibility for that particular benefit. Many people state that, for one reason or another, they no longer have documents relating to their immigration history. They have moved several times and lost track of the documents; they got angry because their case was…
WHEN a legal permanent resident files for citizenship, one of the questions being asked of the applicant is whether the applicant has ever been convicted or charged with a crime. Depending on the nature of the crime committed, a criminal conviction may result in a permanent bar to an applicant for citizenship. If an applicant…
Exceptional team of immigration specialists to help you in the legal process The United States immigration process is complicated and difficult. There are a multitude of immigration programs, each with its own set of requirements and procedures. Families struggle to determine the appropriate visa, the length of the process, and a flurry of other questions that…
ON August 31, 2016, Super Lawyers announced the selection of Roman P. Mosqueda to the 2017 Southern California Super Lawyers list. Because Mr. Mosqueda has demonstrated excellence in the practice of law, he is receiving an honor that is limited to no more than five percent of the attorneys within California. Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys…
An F-1 student visa allows a student to study full-time in the United States (“U.S.”) at an accredited school. The F-1 student visa is a non-immigrant visa, which means that the student cannot have the intent to reside permanently in the U.S. The basic criteria for obtaining an F-1 student visa are as follows: •…
I HAVE previously written articles about the logistics and legality of Donald Trump’s plan to deport the approximate 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US. I would now like to offer him a humane, money – generating alternative: bring back Section 245(i)! Section 245(i) was a law that expired on April 30, 2001. It allowed…
PEOPLE are justifiably concerned, anxious, and even terrified over Donald Trump’s proposed plan to deport the approximate 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US. However, let’s remember that the executive branch does NOT pass laws, nor is the president in charge of funding or the budget. Those powers, duties, and functions belong to Congress, as…
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 not want to sign the divorce papers, what can I do?” California is a no-fault divorce state. A party filing for divorce does not need the consent of…
IN our prior article, it was pointed out that an application for an immigrant visa and certain non-immigrant visas may be denied due to certain criminal grounds of inadmissibility. In some cases, the applicant can request for a waiver so a visa can be issued despite that ground. A waiver is a request by the…
MANY people try to file and open their own divorce case without an attorney in an effort to save on legal fees. Often, the self-represented divorce litigant would seek the assistance of the court facilitator’s office in preparing the papers to open their own divorce case. However once the divorce case is opened, many…
