Covering the week’s most noteworthy immigration news impacting the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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…
Overview A key element under consideration by Congress as it debates a comprehensive immigration reform bill is whether a “pathway to citizenship” for the estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants in…
STARTING April 1, 2014, the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will begin accepting cap-subject filings in the H-1B classification. The April 1, 2014 filings are for employment beginning in…
GENERALLY, property acquired during the marriage are considered community property. However, property acquired by “gift, bequest, devise, or descent” are the acquiring spouse’s separate property. The issue becomes more complicated…
On January 30, 2014, the House GOP released its “Standard for Immigration Reform,” which proposes to allow undocumented immigrants to legally live and work in the US, if they “come…
(Part 2) In a previous article, I discussed various forms of immigration relief and benefits that are available now, which you (or your children) could be eligible. Here are some…
Aliens who engage in certain criminal conduct are inadmissible or ineligible for a visa or admission into the US. INA 212(h) authorizes the waiver of inadmissibility arising from the following:…
EMPLOYMENT-based immigration to the United States generally entails a three-step process: 1) Labor Certification (under the “PERM” program); 2) Immigrant Visa Petition approval; 3) Green Card issuance (or Consular Processing,…
(Part 1) All of us are hopeful that, in the upcoming year, Congress will pass some form of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) that could eventually lead to legalization and citizenship…
THE US House of Representatives has ignored a call to pass immigration reform over the past two years, opting instead to politicize the issue. As a result, the Boehner-led House…
DUE to the extended damage caused by Typhoon Haiyan (“Yolanda”), USCIS has extended certain immigration relief available to Filipino nationals. On January 14, 2014, USCIS reminds that it will continue…
ON December 17, 2013, the Hon. Mark C. Kim, Presiding Judge of Department 20 of the Long Beach Superior Court, ordered that the felony conviction of a Filipino client of…
THE most important advice I can give to a person seeking legal advice is that the first opinion they obtain is not necessarily the best opinion. Often, as an attorney…
DID you know that “failing to maintain status” is not the same thing as being “out of status” and that the government can still try to Deport (Remove) you, even…
The purpose of spousal support is not defined by the legislature in that its purpose varies according to the facts and circumstances of each case. The facts and circumstances of…
If you are being petitioned by an American spouse, and are in the US but desperately want to go home to visit your family, or if you are a US…
QUESTION: I have some money to invest in a new business to come to the United States, but I don’t know which visa to use. I have heard there is…
WITH the US House of Representatives showing zero initiative towards overhauling the Nation’s immigrations laws, it appears that H-1B visas for FY 2015 will run out on April 1, 2014,…
INDIVIDUALS seeking entry into the United States despite being subject to grounds of inadmissibility can consider a pardon, or “waiver” under Section 212(d)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Section…
THE February 2014 priority dates indicate that the F-2A priority date still remains at September 8, 2013, which is almost the same as being “current.” It is phenomenal news for spouses…
IN the coming New Year, we can expect some improvement in overall economic conditions in the US and throughout the World, however, there will continue to be turbulence and volatility…
“ Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a designation granted by DHS permitting individuals from a country, or portion of a country, the ability to remain in the US temporarily while…
We have seen in a previous article the consequence of illegally re-entering the U.S. after having been removed. Illegal re-entry must never be an option. Such drastic action is driven…
QUESTION: I have been deported several years ago and different immigration lawyers tell me that there is nothing that can be done. My kids are growing up without me and…
ALTHOUGH nearly two weeks has passed since the Philippines formally requested that that US extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Filipinos residing in the US due to devastation of Typhoon…
Whenever a person applies for an immigration benefit, it is up to that person to prove his or her eligibility. What many people don’t know or realize is that the…
In a previous article, I wrote about the possibility of Filipinos obtaining Temporary Protected Status (TPS) as a result of the devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda. TPS is available for…
(Part 2 of 2) APPLICANTS that have been denied an Immigrant Visa at an embassy or consulate abroad face either a soft refusal or a hard bar to future immigration. …
LOS ANGELES – Immigrant groups urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday to take swift action and grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to the Philippines before Christmas. The…
