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 priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date…
A STEPPARENT may file an immigrant petition for a stepchild even without the stepparent having to legally adopt the stepchild. However, before a stepparent may be able to file an immigrant petition for a stepchild, the stepparent – stepchild relationship should have been created before a stepchild turns 18 years old. This means that the…
(Part 2 of 2) Asylum applications are filed to avail of protection in the United States due to persecution or fear of persecution “due to race, religion, political opinion, nationality or membership in a particular group” in the country of origin. Asylum is sought by aliens already present in the United States. Aliens who…
Depression is a most significant risk factor in suicide. In today’s busy, impatient, materialistic, and fast-paced society, people are subjected to various stressors in life everyday. Encumbered by their personal circumstance, some are unable to adjust and cope, and develop depression. Suicide is a senseless option and a preventable alternative. What is depression? Depression is…
ONE of my very close friends is a single mother. After a failed marriage, she had an affair with a married man and unexpectedly got pregnant. I didn’t know about the affair — or her pregnancy, until I saw about seven months on the way, during a party. She told me about what happened,…
PART 1 THE focus of an audit is whether independent contractors should actually be treated as employees. The unpaid taxes for misclassified employees include income taxes, federal unemployment, and FICA withholding and you are on the hook. Here are some TIPS of what you can do now to help mitigate from worker classification audit: •…
Social media have been abuzz over a tweet attributed to Dr. Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who was recently in Manila as a keynote speaker at a forum organized by the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG). The controversial tweet reads: “@AgnesCallamard – Prof Carl…
AFTER managing to stay under the radar while being incarcerated for one of the biggest scandals in Philippine politics, pork barrel or Philippine Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles is back under intense media scrutiny. Napoles, who is currently detained at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City since 2015, was recently…
I TOLD a friend one day that I probably have one of the best jobs in the seminary. I get to teach and observe seminarians on parish internship engage in pastoral work. This week, for example, I did my final visit to two seminarians in the Diocese of Orange—one at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church…
“ The Chapter 13 trustee, unlike the Chapter 7 trustee, does not have the power to sell debtor’s house. So, in Chapter 13, there is no risk of losing debtor’s house. But in Chapter 13, client must pay at least $30K over 60 months, or $500 a month.” CLIENT no. 1 is 50 years old…
QUESTION: I have heard that the provisional waivers have expanded. I have a prior deportation order and have been so afraid to have my spouse petition me because I thought I could not file a provisional waiver inside the U.S. I thought I would have to leave the U.S. and ‘hope’ that the waiver was…
“ Under the Family Code, a spouse can “bifurcate” the issue of marital status and terminate the marriage without having to wait until the issues pertaining to property, support, and child custody are resolved.” THE decision to terminate one’s marriage typically brings to the forefront many issues all at once. Issues pertaining to property, support,…
A MAJOR thrust of the Trump Tax Plan is to bring back jobs to America. Large multi-nationals left and set up operations in foreign countries to avoid our corporate tax rates – the highest in the developed world. We need tax incentives to get them back. Corporate Tax Rates: Trump wants to cut corporate income…
WE’VE all been there. Those moments when almost anything that could go wrong DOES go wrong in our finances. As human beings, we all want to be safe and secure but life doesn’t provide any assurances. Perhaps you are going through financial and debt problems through no fault of your own. Whether self-caused or caused…
The Los Angeles riots of 1992 are among a few moments that are seared in my memory. It was mid afternoon on Wednesday April 29, when I got a call from my children’s after school program to come and pick them up, as they were closing early. As a parent, when your children’s day care…
Her positive energy radiates across the room. Her disarming beauty makes it hard to believe that beyond her imperial persona is a beautiful person who makes a living by making others feel and look their best. Today we talk about her ‘beautiful’ world as an aesthetics entrepreneur. Readers, it is my pleasure to introduce to…
Nursing is most certainly a world in itself. Even as the American health care debate rages, these remarkable men and women quietly continue to provide the day to day grit from the edge of life. Each practicing in a variety of specialties including cardiac care, the ER, intensive care, obstetric, orthopedic surgery that holds the…
Choosing a career path puts one in a thorny, unfathomable crossroad hard to decide… or deal with it pragmatically and face the consequences brought about by an erroneous pursuit. Like edification which is a lifelong progression, a wise career choice offers a rewarding and enduring effect, as well. For young Joven P. Dungo, the youngest…
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I came to the US under a different name on a visitor’s visa. The passport and visa had my picture, but somebody else’s name. I still have that passport. I recently married a US citizen for love, and hope to get a green card. Is there hope for me, since I entered…
I JUST moved to California last month, and I’d like to file for divorce. Can I file now? To file for divorce in the State of California, the person filing (called the “Petitioner”) must first meet the jurisdictional requirements: (i) residence in the state of California from the past 6 months; and (ii) residence in…
(Part 1 of 2) Back in the 70’s and early 80’s, when the New People’s Army (NPA)and other militant organizations were a potent disruptive force in Philippine society even if the country was also under martial rule, seeking asylum in the United States was an option to Filipino nationals who were at odds with either…
What is CPAP? CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, the best treatment, the accepted evidence-based standard of care, for persons with confirmed Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). What is OSA? OSA is a condition where the individual takes very shallow (ineffective breaths during sleep, or even holds his/her breaths for an abnormally prolonged period of…
The United States will observe National Nurses Week in the coming week with festivities beginning on Saturday, May 6 through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Back in the 1980s, the celebration for nurses was only limited to a day on May 6, known as National Nurses Day. But…
• THE word “nurse” means many things to many different people. However, AllNurses.com traces the origins of the word back to the 13th century from the Latin “nurtrire,” referring to one who nourishes, and the French “nourrice,” which refers to a wet nurse (or a breast-feeding woman). During the 16th Century the word “nurse” evolved…
EACH year brings hundreds of new laws to Californians and the year 2017 is no exception. Cell phones while driving AB No. 1785: Any electronic devices including smart phones will be illegal to hold and use while driving. Drivers who want to use their smart phones must have it mounted on the dashboard or vehicle…
“ Child custody comes in two parts, physical custody and legal custody.” ONE of the most emotional aspect of a marital dissolution case is dealing with Child custody issues. Sadly enough, this is an area where most parents play games with each other trying their best to deprive the other parents of their right to…
President Rodrigo Duterte has been invited by President Donald Trump to the United States. I seem to have seen this scene before. A case of déjà vu. In September 1982, President Ferdinand Marcos made a state visit to the US, during the incumbency President Ronald Reagan, amid circumstances uncomfortably similar in many ways to that…
OVER the weekend, leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened in Manila for the 30th ASEAN Summit with the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.” The 10-member countries also marked the regional bloc’s 50th anniversary, from starting as a loosely constructed regional association at the height of the Cold War to…
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 citizen, and would like to petition my biological mother. Is that possible? Very truly yours, B.N. Dear B.N.: When a child is adopted before their…
Everyone pretty much agrees that if you exercise and eat right and don’t smoke or drink or annoy a cop, you’ll never die. I have been told that by my internist, cardiologist, psychiatrist and all of their nurses, receptionists and building custodians. Over the weekend, I was invited for cocktails by a group of excruciatingly…
