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…
Category: Immigration
Covering the week’s most noteworthy immigration news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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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…
Abandonment of green card
ANG green card na tinatawag din na permanent resident card ang patunay na ang isang indibidwal ay may lawful permanent resident (LPR) status sa US. Subalit ang LPR status ay…
August 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…
All the small things: Issues that come up in divorce when there are minor children
RECENTLY, I was asked if we here at Chua Tinsay & Vega, APLC handle divorce cases. Yes, we do! We handle divorce cases here in California, including Division of Community…
ICE raids targeting 2,000 quietly go underway
No signs of massive raids in Los Angeles, other major cities Over the weekend, the Trump administration said that federal immigration officials have begun a nationwide operation targeting undocumented immigrants…
What is the difference between an annulment and 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…
Renewal or replacement of green card
ANG green card na tinatawag din na permanent resident card ang patunay na ang isang indibidwal ay may lawful permanent resident status sa US. Ito rin ay patunay na ang…
Deported because extension denied
MANY people visit the U.S., and upon arrival are allowed to remain for six months. Near the end of that six months, some people decide they want to stay longer,…
Keeping still and carrying on amid the current immigration climate
DAILY news reports flooding our already fatigued psyches have been fixated on Immigration, and the way to cut through the noise and confusion is to keep still and stay focused….
Trump administration gets new legal team as fight over citizenship question on 2020 Census continues
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s efforts to include a contentious citizenship question in the upcoming 2020 Census continues as the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Monday, July 8 that a new…
New website seeks to combat visa abuse and protect Filipino migrant workers
A NEW website was launched this week as a part of an initiative to combat and prevent exploitation, abuse and trafficking of Filipino migrant workers who hold temporary work visas…
Enslaved in the US for decades: 83-year-old Filipina celebrates life and freedom for the first time this 4th of July
LOS ANGELES – As the country celebrated its independence this week on 4th of July, freedom takes on a new meaning for Fedelina Lugasan, a victim of modern-day slavery and…
Trump administration continues to push for census citizenship question
Judge orders discovery on issue of racial bias to move forward AN order was made on Friday, July 5 to continue a court case looking into whether the pursuit by…
USCIS policy allows waiting beneficiaries of approved I-130 filed by Filipino World War II veteran father or surviving spouse to come to US ahead of their priority date
UNDER the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole (FWVP) policy, USCIS allows certain beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions to request a grant of parole so that they may…
False claim to US citizenship
ANG isang dayuhan na may false claim ng US citizenship ay maaaring maging inadmissible sa US. Ang mga sumusunod ang mga elemento ng false claim ng US citizenship: (1) ang…
Permanent residency through marriage to US citizen spouse
“The alien spouse will have to file a petition to remove the condition 3 months prior to the expiration of the conditional greencard which is good for 2 years.” ONE…
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…
How come the consul said my child ‘aged out?’
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: My sister petitioned me back in 1997, when my child was still a baby. Recently, the priority date became current. We paid all the fees and submitted…
Supreme Court rejects citizenship question on 2020 Census
The Supreme Court on Thursday, June 27 rejected the Trump administration’s citizenship question from being included in the 2020 Census questionnaire. In his majority opinion released after the 5-4 ruling,…
Grounds for annulling a marriage
MOST couples that want out of a marriage in California usually file for Divorce. There are circumstances though that allow a couple to have their marriage “voided” rather than “dissolved.” …
Naturalization process
ANG naturalization ang proseso ng pagbigay ng US citizenship sa isang dayuhan pagkatapos niyang ipakita na kanyang nasunod lahat ng kailangan sa ilalim ng Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Ang…
Maximizing recovery in personal 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…
Filipina arrested in the US for recruiting OFWs illegally
Filipina Maria Luisa Estrella Jaidi is facing a maximum of 10 years in prison after she arrested in the United States for visa fraud and illegally recruiting workers. Jaidi, who…