Policy on ‘Sanctuary Cities’
LAST September 11, 2015, the incumbent mayors of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Long Beach, and Oakland issued a joint letter addressed to California Senators and Representatives entitled “Opposition…
Category: Immigration
Covering the week’s most noteworthy immigration news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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October 2015 visa bulletin allows early filing of adjustment applications and work authorizations
STARTING in October 2015, the Department of State (DOS) and the USCIS will utilize a new format for priority dates. (I posted those priority dates already on my website).There will…
USCIS now allows early filing of green card applications
ON September 9, 2015, the government announced that it will now allow individuals who have been waiting for their priority dates to be current both in the family based and…
Do you need to be living in separate residences to be considered ‘separated’ from your spouse under the California family law?
Family Code 760 provides that all property acquired by the spouse during the marriage is community property. That means each spouse has a half interest on any assets that are…
Change to Visa Bulletin advances adjustment filing eligibility
A TREMENDOUSLY beneficial change to the Visa Bulletin was announced by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and Department of State (DOS) on Sept. 9, 2015. The change…
New rules for I-485 application-submission dates affect families and employees
THE news from USCIS: In an important departure from the current rules regarding when someone can apply for a Green Card, USCIS has announced that starting October 1, 2015, I-485,…
October 2015 ‘filing’ dates (New format and charts for 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…
US citizenship by birth abroad to unwed citizen father and alien mother
A person may acquire US citizenship either at birth or through naturalization. A person born in the US and subject to its jurisdiction acquires US citizenship at birth but, under…
Consular processing at the NVC
The growing threat of international terrorism, which apparently is without territorial boundaries, has prompted the Department of State (DOS) to tighten its rules of entry into the US. DOS is…
Will a domestic violence finding affect my claim for sole or joint custody of our children?
AN action under the DVPA (Domestic Violence Protection Act) seeking a restraining order often is necessary to protect parties from abuse or domestic violence perpetrated by the other spouse or…
E-2 treaty investor visa
AS you may be aware, a foreign national who desires to enter the US must obtain either an immigrant or non-immigrant visa. An immigrant visa allows one to stay in…
Does the creation of a revocable living trust, during the marriage, transmute separate property to community property?
DIVORCING couples may have established revocable living trust for estate planning pusposes during their marriage which was funded primarily with assets acquired by one spouse prior to the marriage. The…
Dissolution vs. nullity of marriage
MANY of my clients inquire about the differences between a dissolution of marriage and a judgment of nullity. A dissolution of marriage is when the Court grants a divorce—due to…
No fraud waiver required if you were a victim of fraud
There have been many tragic situations where people were duped into applying for immigration benefits to which they were not entitled. Unscrupulous immigration consultants promise work permits, green cards, and…
Treaty nationals
Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadian and Mexican citizens (known as “Treaty Nationals” or “TNs”) can come to the United States temporarily, not to exceed one (1)…
Understanding Form I-864
Why does the National Visa Center (NVC) require you to submit an accurate Form I-864? We hear stories of the frustration experienced by those who have to re- submit the…
Immigration: A smart investment
Investor visas are a great option for immigrant investors and their families. These visas are available both for those that are outside of the United States, and for those that…
Waiver of joint petition to remove conditional permanent residency on a marriage entered less than two years
The Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986 (IMFA) requires an alien obtaining a green card through a marriage less than two years old to come back at the end of…
Can adopted children petition biological family members?
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: Before I was 16 years old, I was adopted and petitioned by my aunt, and got my green card through her petition. I am now a US…
What makes you deportable
The power to give, take away, and deport. The United States does not welcome you with open arms. It allows non-citizens entry into the United States, under certain conditions. When…
Reinstatement of a revoked I-130 petition
Under 8 CFR 205.1(a)(3)(i)(C), an approved Form I-130 petition for an alien relative is automatically revoked upon the death of the petitioner if the beneficiary has not obtained lawful permanent…
After the love has gone: Terminating your loveless marriage may have immigration advantages
” As you can see, by terminating the loveless marriage legally, it could result in your priority date already being current in the F-1 category, instead of waiting for years…
Seven things you should not do when served with divorce papers by your spouse
FOR most people, being served with divorce papers by your spouse is probably one of the biggest surprises in your life. The spouse in the receiving end of the divorce…
What restraining orders can do for you
In the past couple of weeks, I have discussed two types of restraining orders i.e. a stay-away order and a restraint on personal conduct. Both of these restraining orders are…
Reaffirmation agreements in bankruptcy
The bankruptcy court issues a pamphlet containing explanation of bankruptcy basics like the reaffirmation agreements. All debtors are required to read the pamphlet and the trust during the 341 hearing…
The point of no return
So often, we meet with clients who come to our law firm just before a scheduled consulate interview abroad. The clients have either done their application on their own, or…
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…
The September 2015 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…
Proposed expansion of eligibility for provisional unlawful presence waivers
AS you may be aware, the USCIS is seeking comments from the public regarding the proposed rule on the “Expansion of Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility” which was published…
Restraining orders
IN the years that I have practiced family law here in Los Angeles, I found that my Pilipino clients have to be briefed about the law and what the law…