[COLUMN] Did you marry a non-Filipino?
WHEN a person is petitioned by a family member or employer, they are ordinarily processed for their immigrant visa or green card based on the priority dates of their country…
Category: Immigration
Covering the week’s most noteworthy immigration news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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[COLUMN] K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa: Getting your significant other to the united states
SEVERAL options exist for a U.S. 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…
[COLUMN] Catch the first installment of Citizen Pinoy’s very first virtual Q&A on U.S. immigration — AXG: Abunda and Gurfinkel
Asia’s King of Talk, Boy Abunda, and leading U.S. immigration attorney, Michael J. Gurfinkel, lead the discussion in the first virtual forum where Atty. Gurfinkel provides answers and relevant information…
[COLUMN] The January 2022 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 priority…
[COLUMN] Family petitioning family for employment-based green card
Many people believe the only way to bring a family member to the U.S. is through a family petition. Auntie Eva started as a caregiver when she first set foot…
[COLUMN] No interview required
ON December 13, 2021 the Department of State (DOS) published a temporary final rule (TFR) allowing consular officers the flexibility or discretion to waive the personal appearance (or interview) of…
[COLUMN] New developments on embassy interviews
THE Department of State (DOS) recently announced a change in policy concerning scheduling of immigrant visa interviews. Previously, immigrant visa interviews were scheduled using a tiered approach to triage immigrant…
[COLUMN] 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…
[COLUMN] Update on embassy interviews
MOST people, with family members or employees stranded overseas waiting for their immigrant visa interviews, will find some ray of hope with the news and updates coming from the Department…
[COLUMN] 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 US citizen spouse, and who is married for less than 2 years has conditional permanent resident status. A conditional…
Attorney General Bonta co-leads multistate coalition in support of DACA
CALIFORNIA Attorney General Rob Bonta is co-leading a coalition of 24 attorneys general in a comment letter in support of the federal government’s efforts to preserve and fortify the Deferred…
[COLUMN] Daddy’s girls finally get their visas this Sunday, Nov. 28 on ‘Citizen Pinoy’
Cathlene (left) and Corinne (2nd from left) were petitioned by their U.S. citizen father while he was living in the Philippines in 2017. By law, a petitioner must be “domiciled”…
[COLUMN] Thanksgiving message
THANKSGIVING is again being celebrated differently this year. Thankfully, although we are still in the midst of a pandemic, we may finally be able to have a gathering of loved…
[COLUMN] How to obtain custody and visitation rights for unmarried dads
Establishing parentage rights for Moms is a lot easier than establishing one for unmarried Dads. Moms can establish this by simply showing proof of her having given birth to the…
Report: 1 in 5 AAPIs experienced a hate incident in the past year
AFTER the most disturbing rise in crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) of the 21st century, a national hate crime tracker reported this week that anti-AAPI hate continues…
[COLUMN] The December 2021 priority dates: No change from September
THE November priority dates are typically the start of the new “fiscal year” for visas, where a new annual supply of visas is made available. Usually, with a new supply…
[COLUMN] A Father’s dying wish is fulfilled this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy
Mother Cece (center) petitioned her son Vince in 2001. Because he was out-of-status, and had no section 245(i), he was not eligible to adjust status (apply for his green card)…
[COLUMN] Naturalizing with an undocumented spouse
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I have been a green card holder for over 5 years, paid my taxes, committed no crimes, and am eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. However, my…
[COLUMN] 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…
[COLUMN] Lifetime ban for admitting drug use lifted this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy
RONALD was petitioned as Joyce’s fiancé in 2006. While the K-1 petition was approved, his visa was denied after Ronald admitted to the doctors at St. Luke’s that he tried…
McDonald’s USA addresses financial hurdles facing underserved Asian Pacific Islander American Students with APIA Scholarship
55 APIA students set to receive $500,000 total in scholarships to help advance their academic journeys CHICAGO – A student inventor, a formerly homeless nursing major, and an aspiring teacher,…
[COLUMN] Why is my case taking so long at USCIS?
IT can be extremely frustrating about how long USCIS takes to process petitions, extensions, work authorizations, adjustment of status, and applications. For example, at the California Service Center: It can…
[COLUMN] Niece petitions her aunt as housekeeper this Sunday, Nov. 7 on Citizen Pinoy
Many people believe the only way to bring relatives to the U.S. is through a family petition. This is not true. Family can petition other family members through an employment-based…
[COLUMN] Preventing abandonment of your green card due to travel abroad
DEAR Attorney, I am a permanent resident, and am planning to visit my loved ones in the Philippines during the holidays. I am planning to leave this week and stay…
[COLUMN] How to expedite your case at USCIS
FOR anyone with a pending petition or application, the delays in processing their case at USCIS can be frustrating and can cause tremendous disruption, and unnecessary separation of family members….
[COLUMN] How a son who jumped ship was able to petition his out-of-status mother this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy
After consulting with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right), she was advised to wait for her son to first legalize his status and become a U.S. citizen. Only…
Attorney Roland Tong celebrates 20th anniversary as a lawyer
Asian Journal Publications wishes to congratulate Attorney Roland Tong for reaching a very important milestone in his career. This year marks the 20th anniversary of his law practice. Mr. Tong…
[COLUMN] Family petitions family for employment this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy
MOST people think they can only file family petitions for relatives. Actually, they can also petition their family member for a green card through employment. In this brand-new episode, viewers…
[COLUMN] The November 2021 Priority Dates: No change from September
The November priority dates are typically the start of the new “fiscal year” for visas, where a new annual supply of visas is made available. Usually, with a new supply…
2020 Census: Asian Americans in focus
THE U.S. Census Bureau continues to release information from the 2020 Census in order to provide rich information about the changing population of the United States. From the apportionment counts…