News/Legal Updates

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

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,

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

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)

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

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

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

It seems like yesterday I reflected upon 2019 and what it meant for our immigration system with a bit of hopelessness. One full year later, I can only say that 2020 has been chock full of ups and downs. It goes without saying that all our lives have been affected

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a powerful tool for battered spouses, children, or parents of certain U.S. citizens (USCs) and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) to obtain their permanent residency without leaving the U.S. Do not be fooled by the name of the law! Males acting as a father,

This year has been quite an eventful year for us all, and U.S. immigration laws and policies have not been an exception. The most pressing piece of news is that USCIS will increase their application fees on October 2, 2020. Some of the fees are being slightly reduced, but it

Is your visa current? Check here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2020/visa-bulletin-for-august-2020.html

In 2018 USCIS proposed changing the rules on what is considered a “public charge” for inadmissibility purposes. In 2019, USCIS published the final rules on it, and litigation ensued. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and on January 27, 2020, the Court found that the

In May of 2019, the President issued a memorandum that emphasized the legal responsibilities of a financial sponsor, and the potential enforcement actions the government can take. Since 1997, U.S. laws have required that an intending immigrant have a sponsor, which usually is the petitioner, and a joint sponsor if