Yearly Archives: 2018
Immigration Reference Letter
Writing a Strong Good Moral Character Immigration Reference Letter for a Friend. Use these sample immigration reference letters for a friend as templates for your Good Moral Character Letter: When applying for U.S. citizenship, one primary requirement that an immigrant needs to possess is good moral character and ethics. This is basically defined by… Read More »
Filing a Hardship Waiver for a Spouse Barred from the U.S.
If you are a U.S. citizen married to a foreign, and your foreign spouse is currently not permitted to remain in the U.S., you undoubtedly will be searching for a way to help him or her do so, most likely based on your marriage. “Barred” usually refers to the time bars that affect people… Read More »
WHY IMMIGRATION WAIVERS GET DENIED
Why Immigration Waivers Get Denied: No Extreme Hardship– this may sound obvious, but it appears to be the most prevalent basis for denial. Unfortunately, some officers are not being reasonable in reviewing these cases. As such, they are not finding extreme hardship to qualifying relatives, typically United States citizen spouses. The problem is that… Read More »
How to Get a Copy of Your Immigration File (FOIA Requests)
One of the most perplexing aspects of the U.S. immigration system is the murky nature of what information the government has (or does not have) about an applicant or petitioner. In some cases, a foreign national looking to apply for a work visa, green card, or other immigration benefit can run into problems and… Read More »
Who Can Get a Green Card Through Adjustment of Status?
Adjustment of Status (AOS) refers to the process by which a non-immigrant can change his/her status to that of a Legal Permanent Resident (Green card holder) if they meet certain requirements without having to leave the United States. This process is provided for by Section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. AOS can… Read More »
Is it legal to adopt from another country?
The international adoption process is governed by three different sets of laws: the U.S. federal adoption laws; the adoption laws of the country from which you are adopting; and the laws of where you live (U.S. state, territory, or country). What is the difference between Hague adoption and non-Hague adoption? The Hague Adoption Convention… Read More »
Public Charge Rule
On September 22, 2018, the Trump administration announced the upcoming publication of a proposed rule that if implemented as written, would prevent immigrants from securing lawful permanent residence and remaining with their families in the United States, simply because at any time in the past, they received some type of basic health care support,… Read More »
Marriage and Living in Marital Union Requirements for Naturalization Purpose
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the married and living in marital union requirements under section 319(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Background: In general, all naturalization applicants filing on the basis of marriage to a U.S. citizen must continue to… Read More »
Five Years Passed Since Crime: Can You Apply for Naturalization?
To qualify for naturalization, the law requires that you show that you have resided in the U.S. for a specific period of time, and that for all of that time period you have been and continue to be “a person of good moral character.” If you are a green card holder (a lawful permanent… Read More »
Can I Sponsor My Undocumented Spouse’s Green Card?
Marriage-Based Green Card Family reunification has traditionally been a cornerstone of U.S. immigration policy, with a major emphasis on allowing immediate relatives—defined in immigration law as spouses, minor children, and parents of U.S. citizens—to live together in the United States. In many cases, it’s possible to apply for a marriage green card for an… Read More »