DHS has designated Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Ukrainians in the United States on March 1, 2022 can apply for temporary protection from deportation and for employment authorization for 18 months. This only helps Ukrainians who were here on March 1, 2022. It will not help Ukraini...
The government is experiencing significant delays in issuing receipt notices for some applications and petitions filed at USCIS lockbox facilities. Filing a case online with USCIS avoids these delays.
The 2020 Census is upon us. Ever since the administration threatened to put the citizenship question on the census, the overriding questions facing the immigrant community have been, “Is it safe to respond?” and “Should I even respond?” Immigrants, especially immigrants who are unlawfully present...
We all feel it. It is one of the universal emotions. Whether you say say, “love,” “ti amo,” “حب (Habb),” amor,” “அன்பு (Anpu),” “愛 (Ai),” “Grá,” “Kocham cie,” or another word from hundreds of languages, we all understand the feeling. We all know why people want to be with their loved ones. Someti...
What's the difference between being married to a United States citizen compared to married to a lawful permanent resident (a green card holder)? Spouses of lawful permanent residents and spouses United States citizens can often obtain lawful permanent residence (the green card) in the United Stat...
This question comes up surprisingly often. The answer is clear and obvious: You must mention every child you have on any application that asks for your children. However, because this is such a common question, I will review the different scenarios. The answer does not change, though: You must li...
Immigrating to the United States is a multi-step process. However, even the final application for the Green Card (becoming a lawful permanent resident) has multiple steps. As a general rule, you have to be in lawful status to apply for the Green Card in the United States. This process is called ...
Overstaying a period of authorized stay in the United States can carry severe consequences. However, the United States Customs and Border Protection officers do not always make it clear how long a person can stay in the United States. Therefore, I am spending a few moments explaining periods of l...
Conditional lawful permanent residents are a subset of lawful permanent residents. A lawful permanent resident is entitled to live and work in the United States without restriction. A lawful permanent resident also may apply for United States citizenship (naturalization) after several years. Cond...
Is it possible to apply for a Green Card while in the USA? The question of whether you can stay in the United States while you apply for a Green Card (lawful permanent residence) is a more complex question than it sounds. Some background is necessary to answer the question. An application for law...
What can I do if my spouse has a work visa in the United States? There are many types of visas that give work authorization. These visas usually allow spouses and minor children to come to the United States as “derivatives” so the family can stay together. The most common work visa is the H-1B, b...
Thousands of foreign students come to the United States every year. Most students attend post-secondary institutions (community colleges, four year universities, or graduate programs). Some attend institutions in the United States as exchange visitors. Others attend institutions as foreign studen...
One of the most common questions I hear in consultations or by email inquiries is a variation of, “I was deported. When can I come back to the United States?” The short answer is, “It depends.” There no way to give an accurate answer regarding a specific case without seeing a person's immigration...
What is Temporary Protected Status? Temporary Protected Status is an eighteen month status for people in the United States who cannot safely return home due to country conditions in their home country. Who can register for Temporary Protected Status? Yemen nationals can register for Temporary Pro...
Employers can petition for foreign workers to work in the United States for temporary periods of time. There is a whole alphabet soup of work visas. H-1B, L-1A, and L-1B are the most common nonimmigrant work visas, but there are others (E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B1, H-2B, O-1, O-2, O-3, P-1, R-1, and TN ...
When President Obama first announced DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) in 2012, applicants were able to apply for work permits that were valid for two years. In November 2014, President Obama expanded DACA and made it a three-year program as well as expanding the number of people who ...
One common way an employer can sponsor an employee is through the labor certification process. A labor certification case is extremely complex, so any employer thinking about this type of case should talk to a qualified immigration lawyer. Many of the “rules” are agency memos or FAQs and they cha...
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