QUESTION: I have been waiting for many years to come to the United States from a petition from my sister. It has been 14 years. Must I still wait? Answer: Actually, it takes even more years to do this. The visa number must be current and there is no way to speed this process up….
IN August 2004, Jade, a legal permanent resident, petitioned for her child, John. John was classified under the F2A category as an unmarried child of a legal permanent resident. When the petition was filed, John was only 17 years-old. In March 2007, USCIS approved Jade’s petition for her son. In July 2009, Jade naturalized and…
MANY times in the middle of the night I wonder how I’m able to fulfill my responsibilities as pastor of an inner-city and multicultural church that has a great deal of pastoral and financial challenges. I’m amazed at my ability to overcome the hardship of serving people, of paying bills, of keeping ministries open, and,…
IN 2009, Mariels Almeda Winhoffer hit the headlines when she was awarded by the Asian American Business Development Center as one of the 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business — recognizing her contribution to the Asian business community in the United States. A few days ago, Mariels Winhoffer’s name was in even bigger headlines in…
QUESTION: I heard that there is some new law about the Waiver of the 3/10 year bar. What is it? Answer: It is not actually law yet, but it is great news. Instead of waiting outside the United States for years waiting for the 3/10 year bar to be adjudicated, once the regulations are final,…
MANNY and Mary worked together at the same healthcare facility. Despite a 20-year age difference, they became close friends and started dating. Within 5 months, Manny proposed. Due to financial constraints, Manny and Mary had a small civil wedding and moved into a rented room in the house of a mutual friend. Upon marriage, Mary…
MUCH has been said about Bishop Gabino Zavala’s fall from grace, his resignation as auxiliary bishop of the San Gabriel Region after admitting that he fathered two children, now in their teenage years. Many feelings and thoughts have also been quietly kept in the hearts and minds of many priests and faithful. “It’s not like…
What is myalgia? Myalgia means muscle aches and pains. There is a condition called Fibromyalgia, which is a disorder that causes achy pain, tenderness, spasm, and stiffness of the muscle, areas of the tendons and ligaments. These tender points are common around the neck and shoulders, in the front of the knees, elbow, hip joints,…
FOR most Filipinos, telenovelas have proven more affective to regular households than the evening news. The recognition and relevance that the audience accords to the narratives from the characters they follow reveal a meaningful social, cultural and even political function that can be attributed to telenovelas. Analogous to a telenovela, the historic impeachment of Supreme…
THE guys at my favorite watering hole in Daly City are, as usual, confused about the state of affairs in the Philippines. And, as usual, they turn to me for enlightenment. I oblige, of course, knowing that in the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king. Take the Sin Tax, hailed by President Noynoy…
INCOME taxes. For the lower income earner, it is a welcome relief as the government bestows tax credits and benefits. But for the medium to higher income earner, it’s usually dreadful experience as the idea of paying taxes creeps through their pockets and senses. Whether we like it or not, we have to file our…
QUESTION: I have heard that there is a new way that I can submit my Waiver of the 3/10 year bar. Is that true? Answer: Normally, you would have to leave the U.S to submit the Waiver and await adjudication outside the US However, it seems that will change. On Jan. 6, 2012, US Citizenship…
AS WE begin this New Year, we hope that 2012 will be good for all of you, especially in the area of immigration law. Traditionally, immigration law has seen positive changes during the years of the presidential elections. We remain optimistic that 2012 will not be different. One encouraging indicator that good immigration developments are…
TAKE small steps at a time. This has been a recurrent advice that we hear from people and read from magazines as we make our New Year’s resolutions. We can’t hurry success or achievement in any endeavor whether it is exercise, diet, studies, work. We’ll have to take everything in stride. If you’re like me,…
ON January 6, the much-awaited and much-anticipated new tourism campaign was launched by the Department of Tourism (spearheaded by DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.) to dispel the nation’s disappointment over the previous (and now debunked) “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” campaign. “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” is the final product, born out of convoluted pitches and…
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has shown vicious contempt and grave disrespect for the Filipino physicians and the healthcare in the Philippines when she and her husband decided the quality of medical care in the Philippines was not good enough for her, the implied reason why they were attempting to go abroad for treatment. Apparently, they feel…
When we notice someone with discolored teeth, we usually assume it’s due to smoking, a high consumption of staining foods and drinks, or some other common reason. There’s another cause of stained teeth that doesn’t usually come to mind, though: swimmer’s calculus. Swimmer’s calculus is defined as being hard, brown, tartar deposits that appear predominantly…
TO commemorate the Feast of the Black Nazarene Monday, Jan. 9, some brave volunteers tried to secure the image of the Black Nazarene throughout the procession, while seven million maroon-clad devotees braved the streets of Manila hoping to touch, kiss or simply see the centuries-old image of Christ. Housed at Quiapo Church in Manila, the…
MORE and more taxpayers have been receiving it from the IRS….. the audit letter asking to substantiate tax deductible expenses claimed in a prior tax year. In fact, some taxpayers have been or will be receiving it for two to five consecutive years once their credibility with the IRS has been tarnished. There have been…
WITH the New Year comes the opportunity to reflect on our lives and to set goals for ourselves during 2012. Many of these goals will revolve around health, work, and family. It is also the perfect time to set a goal to seek answers and resolutions to immigration problems. One problem that is common and…
THE holidays are over and now we’re back to our normal routines. Like many of you, I think of the activities and the events that will unfold before me as I take the journey of 2013, some of them are set while the rest are still unknown. What is set is that I continue to…
The New Year is a usual time for Filipinos abroad to visit their loved ones in the Philippines. But for most Pinoys in the Middle East, it was an involuntary homecoming due to political turmoil that has been going on in the oil-rich countries. Giving utmost priority to the safety of our kababayans abroad, local…
Veggies protect the stomach Those taking NSAID drugs like ibuprofen, and other anti-arthritis pain medications regularly can be victims of stomach irritation which could result in ulcers and bleeding complication. To prevent stomach ulceration, ingesting 8 to 10 ounces of vegetables a day can work wonders by protecting the stomach wall lining, according to a…
“LEARN from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”- Albert Einstein Forget the past and start anew. This is perhaps a trend now as the world economy begins a new year. In his speech before year 2011 ended last week, Obama expressed his confidence for an economic comeback for the United States. Reflecting on a…
GOING to college is a good thing as it can open greater opportunities for employment and has the potential to transform someone to higher level of success. There are various ways to finance a college education, one of which, and maybe the most popular means, is by obtaining student loans. It might seem overwhelming as…
AT LEAST once a week, someone comes into my office panicking because their spouse or other relative has been picked up and detained by immigration authorities. The relative was arrested and placed in one of the county jails where Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains those with immigration violations. This can happen in many different ways….
MY best Christmas gift this year was not another gadget or a nice polo shirt or a sweater. It was not a gift card or a ticket to a concert. It was something different. It was a surprise visit from someone I knew a long time ago, when I was a young associate pastor. The…
Poorly cooked pork/seafood Unlike beef which could be eaten rare or medium, pork is safe only when fully cooked, especially in barbeque. Improperly cooked pork could lead to a micro worm infestation called trichinosis, where the tiny roundworms enter the muscles, even in the eyelids, the heart, etc. and pose a danger not only to…
NO MATTER how good our intentions are in helping others, we will often find ourselves misunderstood, mistreated or misjudged by some people. I have found this true in my twenty years of ministry as priest and as someone who has been involved in works of charity. For example, some people would throw hurtful and harmful…
THE Bush-Era Tax Cuts was set to expire on December 31, 2011 and one of those that would have been greatly impacted is the Child Tax Credit (CTC), one of the most popular tax credits for families and children. Had the Obama administration not extended the Bush-Era Tax cuts for another year, the CTC would…
