[COLUMN] Is there hope after a fraud denial?
DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I was petitioned by my U.S. citizen parent in 2011 as single. The priority date became current, and I submitted all the forms and paid all the…
Category: Immigration
Covering the week’s most noteworthy immigration news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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Love found on Friendster ends up fulfilling a dream this Sunday, Aug. 15 on Citizen Pinoy
K1 – THE ‘LOVE’ VISA: THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Wendel (left) met Allen (center) on Friendster, after he went through a period of loneliness and depression, looking for true…
[COLUMN] ‘Physical abuse’ not required for VAWA green card
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I married a U.S. citizen for love, hoping we would live “happily ever after.” Unfortunately, soon after marriage, he changed. He drank a lot, gambled, took drugs,…
Humanitarian revalidation or survivor law: This Sunday, Aug. 8 on Citizen Pinoy
HUMANITARIAN REVALIDATION OR SURVIVOR LAW: THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Allain (left) was petitioned by his mother in 1997. He came to the U.S. as a tourist with his wife,…
August 2021 priority dates explained by Citizen Pinoy host Atty. Gurfinkel
LEADING U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (and host of Citizen Pinoy) explains the August 2021 priority dates on his YouTube channel: US Immigration TV. This video is a “must…
Humanitarian Revalidation or Survivor Law: This Sunday on Citizen Pinoy
Allain (left) was petitioned by his mother in 1997. He came to the U.S. as a tourist with his wife, Lorraine (center), in 2002 and overstayed. His mother passed away…
[COLUMN] K-1 fiancé(e) visa: Getting your significant other to the United States
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…
[COLUMN] Do I have a community property interest in a house which my spouse acquired before our marriage?
Generally, in California, property acquired by a spouse prior to marriage is considered separate property under family code section 770 while those acquired after marriage are considered community assets under…
[COLUMN] The immigration journey that took 24 years, on an all-new Citizen Pinoy this Sunday
LEADING U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel presents another brand-new success story, after he provides the latest immigration developments, as featured on his YouTube channel: US Immigration TV. After the…
[COLUMN] August 2021 priority dates
THE August 2021 priority dates, continue to provide great news for workers in the EB-3 (skilled/professional) and “other worker” (unskilled workers like caregivers). The priority dates for all countries (except…
[COLUMN] Can I enforce a form I-864 Affidavit of Support in divorce proceedings?
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…
[COLUMN] Great news for F-1 students: No need to file nonimmigrant visa extension to ‘bridge the gap’
ON July 20, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new policy that individuals applying for change of status (COS) from Visitor (B), or other non-immigrant status,…
[COLUMN] DACA update: USCIS posts guidance on processing applications
AS I reported in a previous article, on July 16, 2021, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, was illegal. He…
Fraud waiver and the latest developments in U.S. immigration this Sunday, July 25 on Citizen Pinoy
Jun (right) was a crewman who jumped ship in 2002. He overstayed in the U.S. for several months, before returning to the Philippines in 2003. In 2007, his mother petitioned…
[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] Bifurcation and status only divorce
THE decision to terminate one’s marriage typically brings to the forefront many issues all at once. Issues pertaining to property, support, and child custody need to be addressed in a…
[COLUMN] Administrative closure is back at immigration courts!
ON July 15, 2021, Atty. Gen. Garland brought back “administrative closure” to immigration courts by overruling a previous decision made during the Trump era, which “concluded that the immigration courts’…
[COLUMN] New hope for people in deportation
THERE is more great news for people who are in deportation/removal proceedings, or who may have already been ordered deported. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued Standard Operating…
[COLUMN] Petition denied at embassy due to fraud for jumping ship, on an all-new Citizen Pinoy this Sunday
LEADING U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (2nd from right) provides the latest immigration developments, as featured on his YouTube channel: US Immigration TV. This Sunday, he also features another…
[COLUMN] What is the difference between an annulment and a divorce?
What is the difference between a divorce and an annulment? Many people think these concepts are the same and interchangeable. There are many differences between the two concepts. A divorce…
BI allows foreigners stranded in the Philippines to renew visas
THE Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) has allowed foreign nationals stranded in the country to renew their visas that expired during the pandemic until November 30 this year. According to…
[COLUMN] What is the difference between an annulment and a divorce?
WHAT is the difference between a divorce and an annulment? Many people think these concepts are the same and interchangeable. There are many differences between the two concepts. A divorce…
Same-sex green card this week on Citizen Pinoy
For Jonathan (left), love conquers all. He was visiting friends in the U.S. to take a break from a recent upheaval in his life when he met his future husband….
[COLUMN] Deportation case dismissed!
IN a previous column, I discussed a new memo from the Biden administration, that they are limiting deportations by exercising what is called “prosecutorial discretion,” in terms of whether or…
[COLUMN] California court’s power to make divorce orders when one spouse does not live in state
THIS is a common question among people contemplating divorce in California when the other spouse does not live in the state. The California Courts has the power to grant a…
A person’s journey culminates in giving up comfortable life in the Philippines for true love in the US on an all-new Citizen Pinoy this Sunday, July 4
WHEN Jonathan (left) met his husband, he made the decision to give up his career and life in the Philippines, in exchange for love. The whole month of June, Pride…
[COLUMN] No visa if the petitioner moved back to the Philippines
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: My U.S. citizen father petitioned me in 2011 as a single adult child (Category F-1). About 3 years ago, he moved back to the Philippines. I am…
Citizen Pinoy Presents ‘Quick Consults’ on Part 3 of AXG: Abunda and Gurfinkel this Sunday, June 27
AXG: Abunda and Gurfinkel, moderated by Asia’s King of Talk, Boy Abunda, and leading U.S. immigration attorney, Michael J. Gurfinkel, provides answers to commonly asked questions in the “Quick Consults”…
[COLUMN] The July 2021 Priority Dates
The July 2021 priority dates, continue to provide great news for workers in the EB-3 (skilled/professional) and “other worker” (unskilled workers like caregivers). The priority dates for all countries (except…
[COLUMN] ‘Separated’ is not ‘single’
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I entered the U.S. on a tourist visa and then overstayed and am out of status. My U.S. citizen boyfriend recently proposed to me, and we plan…