The process of applying to become a lawful permanent resident, or "green card" holder, via marriage to a U.S. citizen can offer a number of procedural advantages. Unfortunately, the relative ease of obtaining a green card through marriage has led some to try to abuse...
Most months, Charles Oppenheim, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions. Following the release of the March 2020 Visa Bulletin, Mr. Oppenheim provides some minor updates on a few of the employment-based...
On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law a $738 billion defense appropriation bill and buried near the end of the bill is the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) provision. While it initially received little public attention, its unlikely passage was no doubt celebrated...
Answer No, generally speaking, a foreign national cannot be directly sponsored for a family-based green card by their aunt or uncle. (06.Feb.2020)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services, click here. Access more FAQs here. Copyright...
On February 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which includes the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), will begin implementing the public charge rule that was published in the Federal Register in August 2019....
Answer One must be a U.S. citizen to file for a K-1 fiancé/e visa. As a green card holder, there is no family-based category to sponsor a fiancé/e. But, if you get married, you may file an I-130 petition for your spouse under the family-based, second...
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...
One motivating factor for many people in the decision to immigrate to the United States is the potential opportunities for their children. For years, parents of children born abroad faced the possibility of family separation if their children turned twenty-one years of age prior to...
William Barr, the U.S. Attorney General, recently certified a decision on a case, Matter of Castillo-Perez, in which he ruled that a foreign national who has two or more convictions for driving under the influence (DUI) is presumed to lack "good moral character" (GMC). A...
As previously reported on MurthyDotCom, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a new proposed rule on Thursday, November 14, 2019, outlining significant increases for many U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) filing fees. The increases will result in a weighted average increase of...
