[COLUMN] Biden’s new US Citizenship Act of 2021 – key highlights
ON February 18, 2021, Pres. Biden and the Democrats formally introduced the “U.S. Citizenship Act” of 2021. It is a massive bill, over 350 pages long, covering a variety of…
Category: Immigration
Covering the week’s most noteworthy immigration news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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[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…
USCIS reverts to 2008 version of citizenship test
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be reverting to the 2008 version of the naturalization civics test beginning March 1, 2021. The agency on…
[COLUMN] Family unification through family-based petitions
ANG family unification ay napakahalaga sa U.S. Immigration Law. Ang family-based immigrant category ay nagpapahintulot sa mga U.S. citizen (USC) at mga green card holder/lawful permanent resident (LPR) na mag-petition…
[COLUMN] Do I have a community property interest in a house which my spouse acquired before our marriage?
“The process of apportioning between the separate and community property component is laid out in the Marriage of Marsden. In that case, the court determined the ratio or percentage in…
House Dems formally introduce sweeping immigration legislation
The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 includes an 8-year pathway to citizenship for millions of eligible undocumented individuals Nearly a month after President Joe Biden introduced a sprawling immigration proposal,…
[COLUMN] Information on the Embassy reopening
AS almost everyone is aware, the U.S. Embassy in Manila has not been issuing most immigrant visas since approximately March 2020 because of Covid-19 restrictions and the presidential proclamation, suspending…
Biden, Democrats’ immigration reform bill: A slow start toward pro-immigrant policy, experts say
IMMIGRATION reform, a term that has become synonymous with political gridlock and ideological barriers to entry, may finally be on the horizon after decades of unsuccessful attempts from both Democrats…
[COLUMN] Love wins
SA kasong United States v. Windsor, na lumabas noong Hunyo 2013, sinabi ng U.S. Supreme Court na ang Section 3 ng Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), na nagsasaad na ang…
[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] 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…
Citizen Pinoy celebrates Valentine’s Day this Sunday with another brand-new episode
LEADING U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel presents the latest in immigration news and analysis, and provides the latest information and highlights from his YouTube immigration channel, US Immigration TV….
[COLUMN] NVC sending notices, but I’m in the US
DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I entered the U.S. in 2000 on a visitor’s visa and overstayed. My sister filed a petition for me (F-4) in early 2001 under Clinton’s LIFE ACT….
[COLUMN] Provisional unlawful presence waiver
ANG isang dayuhan na ineligible sa pagkuha ng green card sa loob ng U.S. dahil sa unlawful presence ay maaaring mag-apply ng I-601A Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver. Ang I-601A Waiver…
[COLUMN] Why using your married child as a co-borrower to refinance your house is a bad idea
MANY parents who may have problems refinancing their house due to low income in retirement or due to low credit score sometimes resort to the idea of having their married…
[COLUMN] Biden’s newest executive orders on immigration
ON February 2, 2021, Pres. Biden issued several additional Executive Orders (EO) on immigration. They include: (a) establishing a task force to reunify families separated at the border; (b) developing…
Biden signs executive order eliminating Trump-era barriers to legal immigration
UNITED States President Joe Biden signed a trio of executive orders on Tuesday, Feb. 2 that aim to undo former President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration policies, including addressing family separation…
Petitions for adult children of LPR/USC
SA ilalim ng U.S. Immigration Law, mayroon dalawang uri ng family-based immigrant visas: (1) Immediate Relative: asawa, dalaga o binatang anak [na wala pang 21 taon gulang], o magulang ng…
[COLUMN] Can I get a green card if I had a previous marriage petition denied based on fraud?
DEAR Attorney Tan, I recently married a U.S. Citizen, who is my second husband. He has filed an immigrant visa petition and green card application for me. My husband recently…
What you should know about President Biden’s immigration reform bill
President Biden announced the highlights of a plan to reform the U.S. immigration system. The anticipated bill is expected to feature a path to permanent residence and citizenship for qualifying…
Court blocks Biden’s deportation freeze
AS I reported in a previous article, on January 20, 2021, just after taking office, Pres. Biden issued an executive order calling for a 100-day pause on most deportations or…
The February 2021 priority dates
The February 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 India and China) are CURRENT! This includes…
Court blocks Biden’s 100-day deportation freeze
Immediately after President Biden issued an executive order for a 100-day pause on most deportations, Texas sued, and obtained a temporary restraining order blocking that order from going into effect,…
Starting the new year fresh with a divorce
TO many people, the New Year signifies a chance to have a fresh beginning. This is also the time of the year many people realize when a marriage is not…
Immigration reform among Pres. Biden’s first directives
The word ‘alien’ to be removed from immigration laws, Congress directed to provide pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients AFTER the historic inauguration on Jan. 20, President Joe Biden followed…
Marriage during removal proceedings
ANG I-130 Petition for Alien Relative ng isang U.S. citizen (USC) o lawful permanent resident (LPR) para sa kanyang dayuhang asawa batay sa kasal nila na naganap noong ang dayuhan…
President Biden’s immigration bill/amnesty: Who benefits?
President Biden submitted to Congress his “U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021,” which includes an eight-year pathway to citizenship for the approximate 11 million undocumented immigrants (non-citizens) in the U.S.,…
Starting the new year fresh with a divorce
“If you and your spouse are communicating and have some type of respect left with one another, it may be more economical to continue residing in the same household until…
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…