CA court’s power to make divorce orders
THIS is a common question among people contemplating divorce in California when the other spouse does not live in the state. The California Courts has the power to grant a…
Read More
Overusing your visitor’s visa could spell trouble
Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: I have a 10-year multiple B-1/B-2 visa. Recently, I went to the US for a vacation, and was given 6 months to stay in the US by…
Keeping the faith: On Catholic school education
IT’S NOT a secret – US Catholic schools are struggling with low enrollment. Years ago, some children would even be on “waiting list” of acceptance, hoping to get in a…
Over-using your visitor’s visa could spell trouble
Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: I have a 10-year multiple B-1/B-2 visa. Recently, I went to the US for a vacation, and was given 6 months to stay in the US by…
Scary electronic fraud
The mind-boggling advances in wireless technology have ushered in great wonders to the world. Like any good discoveries that are benefiting humanity as a whole, some of these inventions, in…
ICE releases key statistics on prosecutorial discretion
ON April 16, 2012, the US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (USICE) released key statistics regarding its prosecutorial discretion initiative that began last year. Since November 2011, USICE has been reviewing…
The river will be running soon
The Pasig River is a flowing bed of memories. Rivers are known to be carvers of culture and prosperity and the Pasig has been a benevolent entity to countless generations…
Strategic defaulting: A moral issue ?
Dear Ken, WE ARE thinking about walking away from our home. We purchased our home in 2005 for $457,000. In December of 2006 we got a 2nd mortgage HELOC of…
Can I get an H-1B finally?
QUESTION: I have an employer willing to sponsor me. What is a ‘specialty occupation’ and can I get an H-1B? Answer: The job must meet one of the following criteria…
Mary Rose Peralta, 2012 Administrator of the Year (ACSA Region 18) Awardee – Middle Grades Principal Category
THE largest umbrella organization for school leaders in America, the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) is made up of more than 16,000 school leaders. One of ACSA’s priorities is…
It’s still Easter Sunday at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church!
MY parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary, has a lot to celebrate nowadays! Besides celebrating a successful and well-attended celebration of its centennial year, St. Anthony Messenger, a national Catholic magazine,…
Taking on Goliath
THE current standoff with the Chinese over the Spratleys at Panatag Shoal will get worse before it gets better. What are we to do as a country and as a…
Gokongweis’ commandment no. 3: No conflict of interest
“TO set aside one’s prejudices, one’s present needs, and one’s own self interest in making a decision as a director for a company is an intellectual exercise that takes constant…
Overcoming the ‘Public Charge’ Ground of Inadmissibility
As far back as he could remember, Doogie wanted to grow up to be a doctor. Upon his graduation from college his family immigrated to the United States. However, instead…
Making waves
PICTURESQUE beaches. Teeming diverse marine life in and around the Philippine waters. Marvelous dive sites. A perfect getaway, more reasons to consider why “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” While…
Leaving the US with Advance Parole is not a ‘departure’
REVERSING years of its own jurisprudence and in opposition to various Federal Court interpretations, the Board of Immigration Appeals issued a case holding that a departure from the US pursuant…
Baguio beckons
It’s summertime and the heat is on. One can feel it building, the waft of warm air into the nostrils heading straight to the lungs. Clothes becoming heavy and skin…
Estate planning: It’s never too early or too late
T WAS a typical appointment on a busy tax season last April. A representative for a Hispanic male in his mid-60s visited my office for a living trust preparation. So…
Fr. Edwin Gariguez, Recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize
FOR Father Edwin “Edu” Gariguez, the environment of Mindoro (his hometown province) is worth dying for. Gariguez (better known as Fr. Edu) has long been recognized as the man leading…
Revisiting the 245(i) law
ALTHOUGH over ten years have passed since the most recent amendment pertaining to the law commonly referred to as “245i” was enacted, the law remains to be the subject of…
Intimacy with God
“LOOK at my hands, and my feet, that it is I, myself. Touch me and see me… he showed them his hands and his feet.” This was how the Disciples…
True independence
In the essence of camaraderie and reaffirmation of alliances, military exercises between the Philippines and the United States have begun once again through the annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises. The 12-day…
I’m 17 and abandoned. What can I do?
QUESTION: I’m 17 and my mother died and my father abandoned me. What can I do? Is there any help for me? Answer: Yes, There is what is known as…
The truth about eggs
In this more health-conscious era, eggs, a very popular item in most any breakfast menus around the world, have been a controversial food item because of its high cholesterol content….
The hip bone’s connected to the…jaw bone?
The lyrics to the old song, Dem Bones don’t connect the hipbone directly to your mouth, but a surgeon might, by canceling hip surgery if the patient is suffering from…
Peaceful resolution
INTERNATIONAL law signifies the essence of the progress of civilization towards a world ruled by principle and not by force. It took millions of lives, thousands of years and hundreds…
What constitutes ‘lawful admission’ to the US?
THE Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has restored its prior ruling that “admission” for the purposes of a later adjustment of status means a procedurally regular admission, and not an…
What constitutes ‘lawful admission’ to the US?
THE Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has restored its prior ruling that “admission” for the purposes of a later adjustment of status means a procedurally regular admission, and not an…
Meet the USCIS Entrepreneurs in Residence Tactical Team
USCIS has partnered with business experts to improve the way we approach the employment-based and high-skilled visa categories used by immigrant entrepreneurs. Director Alejandro Mayorkas kicked-off this innovative program, called…