In the United States, Valentine's Day often brings with it an increase in marriage proposals. U.S. immigration law has long-valued the idea of family unity. And, to that end, a U.S. citizen (USC) wishing to bring a foreign national fiancé/e or spouse to the United...
On February 14, 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) issued updated guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual that significantly improves the protections offered by the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). Per the new guidance, in certain circumstances, CSPA age determinations may be based...
Answer In order to file an N-400 application, the applicant typically must be at least 18 years old. However, depending on the circumstances, a minor may automatically acquire U.S. citizenship based on the naturalization of a parent. (29.Apr.2021)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that...
The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) was enacted to preserve family unity. As explained in Part 1 of this article, the CSPA works to "freeze" the age of a qualifying child for immigration purposes. This second and final part focuses on how the CSPA works...
Since June 2013, same-sex couples have been eligible for the same type of U.S. immigration benefits as opposite-sex couples. This policy shift, however, has given rise to safety concerns for beneficiaries in certain types of cases involving same-sex couples; more specifically, the U.S. Department of...
The U.S. Department of State, National Visa Center (NVC) plays a key role in applications for immigrant visas that are utilizing the consular processing (CP) option. In a November 2014 meeting with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the NVC provided some insights into how...
For some time, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has been taking steps to reduce the processing times for "stand alone" I-130 petitions filed on behalf of immediate relatives - that is, family-based cases filed for the parent, spouse, or (unmarried, minor) child of...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced major changes to immigrant and nonimmigrant visa fees charged to applicants for visa "stamps" at U.S. embassies and consulates. The new fee structure took effect on September 12, 2014, and the DOS has provided instructions for those with pending...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Immigration Statistics, recently reported that over 990,000 foreign nationals were granted U.S. permanent residence ("green card" status) in fiscal year (FY) 2013. These individuals, their respective countries of origin, and avenues to permanent resident status provide...
On June 9, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow against hopes for a favorable interpretation of family unity-related provisions within U.S. immigration law. The Court held that the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) had authority to narrowly interpret key protections offered by the...
