Category: Immigration Columnists

ON Friday, August 3, 2012 the USCIS issued new guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to clarify the rules and requirements for “Childhood Arrivals” to the US who may benefit…

The details of the DHS Final Rule on Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility for Certain Immediate Relatives, which was published on January 3, 2013 and which take effect on…

QUESTION: I have heard that the regulations for the Stateside Waiver are final. Is that true? Answer: Well, first you musty realize that an applicant for an immigrant visa, adjustment…

A PROPOSED change in the process of obtaining an I-601 waiver was recently entered in the federal registry and people will be allowed to apply for this provisional waiver beginning…

EVERY year, I write hundreds of articles for the press dealing, in general terms, with new immigration laws, regulations and interpretations impacting hundreds of thousands of immigrants both inside and…

0 Comments and 0 Reactions In 2012, we saw a sharp contrast in the enforcement of immigration laws against different groups of aliens. The deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA)…

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…

Question: I am a priest. Can I get a visa to come to the US? Answer: Yes. You would have to fall under the definition of a minister and be…

(PART II) In a previous article, I discussed various situations where marriage would affect a person’s eligibility for a visa, and situations where it might be advantageous to marry before…

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program was introduced in June 2012 and was implemented August 15, 2012. Within just one month of the program’s start date, the USCIS…

A FILIPINA registered nurse licensed  in California, her husband, and minor son are in removal proceedings with the Los Angeles Immigration Court ( I.J. Philip J. Costa) because their applications…

QUESTION: I have been fighting for years to obtain residency and it seems like a never ending battle. I’m getting down and don’t really know if I want to continue….

An employer need not be a Fortune 500 company, have been in business for decades or employ dozens of workers in order to sponsor an alien to work for its…

THE debate over the United States economy and dearth of high-tech workers has spotlighted the H-1B professional working visa in the press. Congress raised the number of visas available in…

A lawful permanent resident (LPR) is authorized to live and work in the US on a permanent basis. An LPR is allowed automatic entry into the US after short trips…

MARIA came to the United States 10 years ago after divorcing her husband in the Philippines. She came to the United States as a tourist, but decided to stay because…

Question: My husband is in detention and deportation proceedings. Can he get out? Answer: For noncitizens and their families, nothing is more important than the noncitizen’s release from jail. These…

Recently, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the deportation/removal of a person who had filed a “frivolous” asylum claim, in which the person had stated that he was persecuted…

THE USCIS is processing adjustment of status applications filed by “aged-out” Beneficiaries of preference petitions relying on the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) as interpreted by the US Courts of…

Question: I have already worked in the United States for some time. Does my sponsor still need to submit the affidavit of support? Answer: Under INA §212(a)(4)(C), an alien who…

QUESTION: I heard that there is a type of visa whereby I don’t need to invest $1,000,000 to get the Green Card, but rather can use my business knowledge and…

THE Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program was introduced in June 2012 and was implemented August 15, 2012.  Within just one month of the program’s start date, the USCIS…

Question: My auntie petitioned my mother when I was 3 years old. However, the visa process is so slow that it took 22 years for the visa number to become…

Question: Is there any movement on new Immigration Bills since President Obama was re-elected? Answer: The House voted on a STEM bill – standing for science, technology, engineering and mathematics…

Rudolf Golez:  Acclaimed Filipino Virtuoso Pianist in concert THE heavy rain on November 17, 2012 did not stop a knowledgeable and discriminating audience at Gennario’s Ristorante in Glendale, California, from…

Sometimes, a person’s case is denied, whether it is a hardship/fraud waiver, employment or family based petition, or other type of filing. In most denials, the person is given the…

THE debate over the United States economy and dearth of qualified Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) graduates has reignited the debate over employment-based immigration reforms. Even though Congress raised…