Birth of US citizens abroad
KUNG ang magulang na U.S. citizen (USC) ay magkaroon ng anak na isinilang sa ibang bansa o sa labas ng U.S., ang kapanganakan ay dapat iulat sa lalong madaling panahon…
Category: Immigration
Covering the week’s most noteworthy immigration news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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How to naturalize as a US citizen
TO most immigrants, obtaining their greencard has been a long and challenging journey. However, it should not be regarded as the final destination. The real American dream is to become…
Getting an abusive 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,…
Child support and naturalization
Ang green card holder ay maaaring mag-file ng N-400 Application for Naturalization kung ang kanyang green card ay may 5 taon na bago ang filing (3 taon kung ang green…
Reinstatement for surviving beneficiaries of an I-130 petition filed by a deceased relative
DEAR Attorney Tan, My US Citizen mother filed an I-130 immigrant petition on my behalf, which has a priority date in February 2000 and which has been approved. She filed…
Can I qualify for a green card despite the petitioner’s death?
Consider this common factual situation. You are over 21 years old and your US citizen parent petitions you while you are inside the United States. Since this is a preference…
Why did you wait so long?
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel, I was petitioned by my sister in 1990, and immigrated to the U.S. in 2013. Unfortunately, I had to leave behind my eldest child because she had…
Statutory period for good moral character
ANG aplikante para sa naturalization ay kailangang magpakita na sa loob ng statutory period na 5 taon bago ang filing (3 taon kung ang green card ay nakuha dahil sa…
Modifying down child and spousal support obligation after a divorce
DIVORCED parties are sometimes ordered to pay child support and spousal support in the divorce judgment. The support orders are generally based on the parties’ financial situation and custody arrangements…
The September 2020 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…
BI orders tighter screening of foreigners claiming marriage to Filipinos
IMMIGRATION officers at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other entry ports have been advised to tighten the screening of foreigners who claim they are married to Filipinos before…
Last Chance to be Counted in the 2020 Census!
Asians could lose out on community resources for the next 10 years The census deadline is looming, and the Filipino community is in danger of not getting their fair share…
Maximing 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…
How widows of US citizens can still get their green card
WIDOWS of U.S. citizens have many options of obtaining their greencard should their U.S. citizen spouse die. Under INA Section 201(b)(2)(A)(i), Widows are allowed to remain classified as immediate relatives…
Public charge injunction now limited to Connecticut, New York and Vermont
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s new, stricter public charge rules seem to go back and forth, like a tennis or ping-pong match. It becomes very confusing for applicants as to which public…
Filipino human trafficking survivors urge California Legislature to amend migrant workers’ protections bill
Two Filipino caregivers who were trafficked share their stories and urge all Filipinos to support anti-trafficking legislation Like thousands of Filipinos, Angela Guanzon was attracted to the promise of America….
Increase in filing fees for naturalization application
NOONG Hulyo 31, 2020, inihayag ng Department of Homeland Security na mayroong final rule na magbabago ng filing fees para sa ilang mga immigration at naturalization benefit requests para paniguraduhin…
Will incorporating a separate property business during marriage make it community property?
YOU own a successful business, as a sole proprietor, prior to marriage. You later meet the love of your life and decide to marry her. Years into the marriage, you…
Federal court also bans US State Department’s 2018 public charge rule
IN A previous article, I wrote that on July 29, 2020, a federal court judge issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting USCIS from enforcing, applying, implementing, or treating as effective, President…
Removal of conditions after divorce
NOONG isang linggo ay aking tinalakay ang Removal of Conditions on Green Card. Sinabi ko na kapag ang green card ay nakuha sa pamamagitan ng kasal sa isang U.S. citizen…
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 U.S. citizen spouse, and who is married for less than 2 years has conditional permanent resident status. A conditional…
4 ways filing for divorce can benefit your immigration case
COUPLES get divorced for various reasons. California is a no fault state. The reasons why a couple is getting divorced are often irrelevant to the issues of the family law…
Federal court bans USCIS’s new public charge rule
ON July 29, 2020, a federal court judge issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting USCIS from enforcing, applying, implementing, or treating as effective, President Trump’s new public charge rules as long…
USCIS to increase fee to apply for naturalization by $500
The cost to become a naturalized United States citizen will increase by over $500, effective October 2, according to a rule change recently published in the Federal Register. The United…
Removal of conditions on green card
KAPAG ang green card ay nakuha sa pamamagitan ng kasal sa isang U.S. citizen (USC) at ang kasal ay wala pang 2 taon noong naaprubahan ng USCIS ang green card…
Family law issues during the COVID-19 pandemic
THE COVID-19 Pandemic has changed our lives almost overnight. Not only has it changed our lives in terms of our daily routine, jobs, lifestyle, but also our relationship with our…
Immediate relatives: one person per petition
MOST petitions (family and employment based) allow the petitioner to include the beneficiary’s spouse and minor children, but not with immediate relative (IR) petitions (spouse, parents, minor children of U.S….
Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel answers your immigration questions via Zoom on a brand-new “social distancing” edition of Citizen Pinoy
Under the new “normal” in the time of the pandemic, Citizen Pinoy continues its public service by providing relevant information and updates on immigration. On the first episode of “Your…
New foreign students taking all online courses may not be allowed to enter the US
UNITED States immigrant officials recently announced that new foreign students will not be allowed to obtain visas to the United States if their courses are completely online this coming fall…
No new applications for DACA will be accepted as Trump admin reviews program
New applications will not be accepted for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that has prevented certain young undocumented immigrants from being deported, the Department of Homeland Security…