September 2019 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…
Category: Immigration
Covering the week’s most noteworthy immigration news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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States, organizations file lawsuits against Trump admin’s ‘public charge’ rule that would affect immigrants
States and organizations around the country are reacting to the public charge rule released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security earlier this week, which would affect immigrants who have…
Silicon Valley elementary school named after Filipino Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, immigration activist
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.— After seeing two schools close down in the city over the past 19 years, an elementary school named after a Filipino Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and immigration activist was…
Petition denied based on petitioner’s prior fixed marriage
MANY people believe that once they obtain a green card through marriage, they are “home free” as far as their legal status is concerned. They are now green card holders….
News on Filipino WW2 Veterans Parole Program
SA ilalim ng Immigration and Nationality Act, ang Kalihim ng Homeland Security ay may discretion na magbigay ng parole. Ang parole ay nagpapahintulot sa ilang mga dayuhang inadmissible o may…
Maximizing recovery in peronal injury cases
UNDER Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions (2011) 52 C.4th 541, the California Supreme Court ruled that persons who are injured and who are pursuing a personal injury claim cannot…
How can INA section 245(i) benefit you?
CERTAIN aliens are barred from adjusting to legal permanent residents by virtue of having entered the United States under the following conditions: Entering the US as an alien crewman (C-1…
Petition denied based on petitioner’s prior fixed marriage
MANY people believe that once they obtain a green card through marriage, they are “home free” as far as their legal status is concerned. They are now green card holders….
Largest national AAPI workers’ organization elects diverse leadership, sets bold vision for organization
15th Biennial Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) concludes with commitment to AAPI community and worker rights LAS VEGAS — The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) concluded…
Immigration updates: F2A category current for July, DACA, USCIS Manila Field Office
F2A CATEGORY (FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES) CURRENT FOR JULY 2019. The Department of State posted the Visa Bulletin for July 2019, showing the Final Action Date chart for family-sponsored preference cases…
New rule change may affect millions of legal residents seeking citizenship or permanent residency
THE Trump administration has focused a lot on actions to curb illegal immigration in the last two years, but new regulation changes released on Monday, August 12 may have a…
E-2 Treaty investor visa allows for stay in US along with family
DEARAttorney Tan, I would like to know if there is any way for my family and I to stay in the US if I invest in a US business. While…
Disclosure and characterization of overseas assets in divorce
IN a divorce proceeding, people sometimes have a misconception that the only assets or properties that have to disclose assets and properties situated in California. Even worst, sometimes parties even…
Fiancé(e) petition
ANG isang US citizen (USC) ay maaaring mag-file ng petition upang madala ang kanyang fiancé(e) bilang K1 nonimmigrant upang magpakasal sila sa US. Kailangang maipakita ng USC ang mga sumusunod: …
Terminating a failed marriage could ‘expedite’ your petition
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I was petitioned by my U.S. citizen parent in 2008 as a married child (category F-3). However, I am now separated from my spouse, as he was…
California divorce, domestic violence, and US immigration laws
CALIFORNIA divorce – “No Fault.” California is a no-fault divorce state. A party filing for divorce does not need the consent of the other in order to file a Petition…
Advocates respond to USCIS plan to cut parole for family of Filipino WWII vets
Filipino American veteran organizations are decrying the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announcement to terminate the pathway that reunited Filipino World War II veterans with their families. USCIS on…
Consequences of failing to disclose material asset, income, facts and information in a divorce case
THERE is a natural tendency among divorcing parties to hide their assets from their spouse and understate income. This is a common problem that I have observed from practicing law…
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…
Removal of conditions on green card
NOONG isang linggo ay aking tinalakay ang Removal of Conditions on Green Card at sinaad ko na kapag ang green card ay nakuha sa pamamagitan ng kasal sa isang US…
Trump admin ends program that reunites Filipino World War II veterans with family
The Trump administration is terminating a program that expedited the process for family members of Filipino World War II veterans to come to the United States. US Citizenship and Immigration…
Rescinding a removal or deportation order to allow you to apply for a green card
WE have all heard the popular saying, “Timing is everything.” Unfortunately, this saying often adversely applies to those persons who have found an avenue from which to obtain a green…
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…
Removal of conditions on green card
KAPAG ang green card ay nakuha sa pamamagitan ng kasal sa isang US citizen (USC) at ang kasal ng mag-asawa ay wala pang 2 taon noong naaprubahan ng USCIS ang…
HR 1044 would hurt and help Filipinos
ON July 10, 2019 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 (HR 1044). To become a law, it would still have to pass…
Five years of social media required on visa application forms
“Disclosing a person’s social media is part of the Trump administration’s Muslim travel ban initiative and “extreme vetting,” to determine whether a person may be “inadmissible” based on terrorism related…
The debate on immigration and deportation continues across the board, which has resulted in changing policies within the DHS
WHAT is the process of getting deported? What can be done? What can one expect? These may be some of the questions that people think about. Normally, deportation cases proceed…
Latest “go back to your country” debate highlights the paradox of racism, xenophobia in America
PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Sunday, July 14 tweeted that four congresswomen of color should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came”…
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…
Permanent residency through marriage to US citizen spouse
ONE traditional way of obtaining permanent residency for most immigrants is through a petition by a US citizen spouse. As a spouse of a US Citizen, an alien is considered…