Many people from war torn countries come to the U.S. to seek refuge from their native countries that cannot protect them. Sometimes, natural disasters or other circumstances force people out of their home countries. In any case, although the U.S. does not grant asylum to each person that escapes from their own countries for one…
It is that time of the year when parents are sending their children off to their first day of school, commemorating the moment with photos, smiles, and goals for the year. The first day of school is exciting for most, as the students endeavor upon a new school year. However, for some students in the…
One can find themselves in trouble with the law at some point in their lives, and especially for immigrants who are not yet citizens of the U.S., the arrest or the conviction can be detrimental to their immigration status. For those that are undocumented, even a DUI can alert the immigration authorities of their presence…
Living in the U.S. without lawful status means that one is always subject to the possibility of deportation. Even if one is in status, they can find themselves in trouble that would make them deportable and then placed in deportation, or removal proceedings. For example, even Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) can be subject to deportation…
Many people believe that they must marry a U.S. citizen or have family in the U.S. to immigrate to the U.S. However, although being married to a U.S. citizen can certainly simplify matters, there are other ways of living in the U.S. Not everyone wants to live permanently in the U.S. For those that want…
Many people believe that they must marry a U.S. citizen or have family in the U.S. to immigrate to the U.S. However, many people immigrate to the U.S. through a potential or existing employer. Almost all of the same rules apply but the process will be very different and can take many years depending on…
Many people have heard of an H1B visa, or a visa for specialty occupations, which these days seem impossible to get. There are only 65,000 H1B visas allotted every year and so, USCIS has now implemented a lottery system that randomly selects the lucky “winners” of these visas every year. There are 20,000 additional visas…
Recently, the Department of Homeland Security released a strategy to promote naturalization, or the process of becoming a citizen. The government recognized the important and privilege of becoming a U.S. citizen and that with more citizens, we can strengthen our nation. The strategy is to promote it through education and awareness, by partnering with different…
June is Pride Month, which is a month used to celebrate and pay tribute to those were involved in the Stonewall Riots in 1969 in New York. A riot ensued after police raided a LGBTQ club and broke it apart. Over the years, it has been recognized formally by our presidents, and many celebrate with…
The time to wait for a visa can sometimes be painfully long. Each visa category has a different waiting period, and depending on which country the beneficiary is from, the wait can be even longer. Of course, immediate relatives have no wait, but for everyone else, there can be. Immediate relatives are limited to parents,…