U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel saves the day by finding a mother’s missing petition for her daughter and reinstating it in time. Even when she was working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong, Nanay Nelfa has always felt sorry for leaving her youngest daughter Elyssa behind in the Philippines. For many years, mother and daughter missed out on celebrating special events like Christmas and birthdays together. So, when Nelfa immigrated to the U.S. in 2016 courtesy of her eldest daughter’s petition, she filed her petition for Elyssa immediately so they could all be together in the soonest time possible.
Three years passed. Nelfa and her family in the U.S. were wondering why she never received any notices from the USCIS. They called the agency to inquire about Elyssa’s petition and were told it was already with the National Visa Center (NVC). They called the NVC and were informed the file was nowhere to be found. Nelfa would call every month, but every time she inquired, she got different answers. Adding to the frustration, Elyssa was close to aging out of the petition.
Atty. Gurfinkel took on the case in January 2020 and, to Nelfa and her family’s amazement, he was able to track down the petition and have it reinstated in less than a month. However, the celebration was short-lived because after a few months, COVID hit and all the immigration offices shut down. Despite this setback, the law office continued to work on Elyssa’s case. One major accomplishment was to ensure that Elyssa, who was about to turn 21, would not age out of the petition. The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) was able to preserve Elyssa’s eligibility for immigration.
In August 2024, a mother’s long-time dream was finally fulfilled when Nelfa’s daughter Elyssa obtained her visa from the U.S. Embassy. Elyssa was welcomed at the San Francisco International Airport in October 2024. The whole family is excited about the coming holidays because it will be the first time in more than 10 years that they will celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve together.
Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday, November 24 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app.
CITIZEN PINOY LOCATES AND REINSTATES MISSING PETITION IN A BRAND-NEW EPISODE.
In this week’s episode of “Citizen Pinoy,” leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) works like an immigration sleuth to locate a mother’s missing petition for her daughter and then successfully reinstates it. Nanay Nelfa petitioned her daughter Elyssa (right) as soon as she immigrated to the U.S. in 2016. Three years passed and the whole family was wondering why they never received any notices from USCIS. When Nelfa called USCIS, she was told the file was sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). When Nelfa called that agency, she was informed that Elyssa’s petition had been misdirected elsewhere. Nelfa would call every month for an update but was given a different excuse each time. Adding to her frustration, Elyssa was close to aging out of the petition. As soon as Nelfa hired Atty. Gurfinkel, the tenacious lawyer used his expertise to locate and reinstate Elyssa’s petition within a month. But then COVID hit and all the immigration offices shut down. The law office continued to work on Elyssa’s case in the meantime. Eventually, Atty Gurfinkel was able to apply the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) to prevent Elyssa from aging out. Thanks to Atty. Gurfinkel’s perseverance, Elyssa was granted her green card in October 2024, fulfilling her mother’s dream of not only giving her a brighter future in the U.S. but also finally celebrating the upcoming holidays together after missing out for more than a decade. Be sure to watch this incredible success story on a brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday, November 24 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.
