Answer There is no family-based category that enables a U.S. citizen to sponsor a cousin for a green card. (26.Aug.2021)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 © 2021,...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised its policy related to the definition of a parental relationship. The USCIS will now recognize a parent-child relationship for children born abroad using assisted reproductive technology (ART), as long as the child's parents were married at...
On August 24, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that, starting October 1, 2021, green card applicants will be required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The complete vaccination history is documented by a designated civil surgeon on form I-693, which...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is considering a rule, which could be published as soon as next month - September 2021 - that would establish new benefit requests eligible for premium processing, consistent with the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA). Assuming the regulation...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires foreign nationals to submit biometrics in-person at an application support center (ASC) before granting certain categories of immigration benefits. After the USCIS schedules the biometrics appointment, if the individual fails to attend and does not take any...
Answer Normally, most U.S. consulates allow third-country nationals to apply for visas. During the pandemic, however, many consulates have imposed additional restrictions. Prior to scheduling your trip, we recommend checking the particular consulate's website for instructions on eligibility to apply as a third-country national. (11.Aug.2021)Sheela Murthy...
Answer The USCIS does not appear to have an official policy on this. Anecdotally, however, we have had cases where we have provided an updated I-94 to the USCIS while the form I-765 application for employment authorization was pending. For at least some of those cases,...
Answer A U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old typically can sponsor a sibling for a green card under the family-based, fourth preference (FB4) category. However, the pending or approved I-130 petition does not provide any immediate immigration benefits. Rather, one would need to...
With the ongoing pandemic, there have been severe backlogs in immigrant visa processing at U.S. consular posts. The overwhelming majority of consular posts still have limited capacity to process immigrant visas. Due to the delayed visa interviews during the pandemic, the National Visa Center (NVC)...
Answer Generally speaking, a U.S. citizen living abroad may sponsor her parents for green cards when she turns 21, as long as she plans on moving to the U.S. once the immigrant visas are issued. (On occasion, we have seen consulates require the U.S. citizen child...
