Cases of domestic violence in which one of the participants owes their residency to the abusive party are very hard to identify and rectify, for obvious reasons. Without recourse, victims usually do not address the issue and are forced to continue living in an abusive household until things escalate even further, or until they decide Read more about How to File a Self-Petition as a Victim of Domestic Violence[…]
You have followed all the rules. You have fulfilled your permanent residency requirements, filed form N-400, Application for Naturalization, and your paperwork has been received and is being processed by USCIS. Now, the only thing standing between you and your United States citizenship is your naturalization interview. The first thing to note is that the Read more about How to Prepare for Your Naturalization Interview[…]
Parole in place is somewhat recent government policy that not many people know about. It was passed in 2013 by the Obama administration. In short, it is a special kind of status that allows the immediate undocumented family members of those serving in the United States armed forces the right to reside in the United Read more about Veterans and Members of the Armed Forces: Take Advantage of Parole in Place Rules[…]
In the year 2000, Congress put into action the U nonimmigrant visa with the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act. The legislation was designed to help law enforcement prosecute crimes, the victims of which would otherwise have been unwilling to speak up due to their illegal status and risk of Read more about U Visas for Victims of Specific Crimes: What You Need to Know[…]
In our daily business of helping people with their immigration issues, we answer a lot of questions. Some questions we get more than others—here are three of the questions that we hear most often, and our answers to them. Can my United States citizen child petition me if I am illegal in this country? Read more about The Top 3 Immigration Questions We Get, Answered[…]
The United States government has many individuals working abroad to further the country’s interests. Because of the international environment these individuals are operating in, there is a higher likelihood that they will meet a foreign person who eventually becomes their husband or wife. To make things easier on these professionals, the government has an expedited Read more about Are You Eligible for Expedited Naturalization?[…]
One of the Trump administration’s main lines of attack against immigration has been against what they are referring to as “chain migration” — when citizens or legal permanent residents petition their family members to join them in the United States as permanent residents (and eventually, as citizens in their own right). Currently, citizens can apply Read more about The Importance of Filing for Family-Based Immigrant Petitions Right Away[…]
One of the questions I get most often is how an applicant can improve his or her odds of getting United States citizenship. A variety of factors can help to steer your citizenship application toward the approval pile. These do not guarantee your chances in and of themselves, but help to build up your overall Read more about Factors that Improve Your Odds of Getting U.S. Citizenship[…]
Marriage is one of the most common ways for someone to obtain legal permanent resident status in the United States. However, when the situation involves a citizen marrying an undocumented immigrant, things become more complicated. In short, there is a path to legal status for these types of couples, but that path is not straightforward—there Read more about Steps to Take When You Marry Someone Who is Undocumented[…]
In September 2017, the Trump administration rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. As of September, new applications have been suspended, and Republicans and Democrats are currently fighting it out in Congress to determine the future of the program. When the Trump administration made its DACA announcement in September 2017, it announced a Read more about The Current State of DACA: March 2018[…]