So many people seem to think that any US Citizen can sponsor an immigrant to relocate to and reside in the US. This is pure fiction. There is no “friend or acquaintance” option to obtain LPR in the United States. Most people who wish to immigrate to the United States will never be allowed to do so.

Many of our same sex clients have this concern. Rest assured that we have not seen nor have we been notified by our clients or colleagues of bias during the spouse based Green Card process. While individual USCIS officers and consular officers have a great deal of freedom to use their discretion when granting or denying green card applications, bias cannot legally play a role in this process. Both USCIS and consular officers are expected to carry out the law despite any personal feelings that they may or may not have. Should bias ever occur, there are actions that we can take! 🏳️‍🌈 

No! When one enters on a non-immigrant visa, they are making a legal promise to leave at the end of their authorized stay. Therefore, entering, on a non-immigrant visa, with the intent to remain, is immigration fraud. It is the intent, upon entry, that is relevant. When one enters on a non-immigrant visa, their intent must be to leave at the end of their authorized stay. Entering with the intent to remain can and does lead to denied entry; revoked visas; deportation and bans on reentry.

“Just do it myself.” “The forms look easy.” The biggest mistake that intending immigrants and their families make is assuming that immigration law is all about the forms. Immigration law is all about the law and it is an extremely complicated area of law. What you do not know can hurt you and your loved ones. Trying to represent yourself is the equivalent of trying to perform your own surgery. Stop filling the bathtub with ice and retain an attorney before you bleed out.

No, we are available to represent clients located in all fifty states and abroad.

If you have a question or concern that is not addressed here, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Immigration law is federal, not state law so every attorney who is licensed to practice law in one state is automatically licensed to practice immigration law in all 50 states. Immigration petitions and applications are not filed locally, so a local office or meeting with the clients in person is never required. All communication is handled through email. This leaves both attorney and client with a written record of each conversation.

Once a client is ready to proceed, that day, our office drafts and sends an Agreement of Representation and an invoice. Once the Agreement is signed and returned by email and the invoice is paid, our office sends the intake sheet and we begin the process.

Aside from a possible initial call, communication is exclusively through email. Answering the phone each time a potential client calls would necessitate the cessation of work on existing client’s files. Each client is too valuable to allow this practice. Further, having clients located throughout the US and in many different countries means dealing with multiple time zones. It is impractical to personally communicate with each client via telephone and utilizing an answering service only serves to waste the client’s valuable time.

Perhaps most importantly, phone calls are often an ineffective way to communicate complex immigration law issues. Bluntly, Clients never remember all of the information that is provided during a call. There is simply too much to process within a 10, 30 or 60 minute call. With email, each client has a written record of all communications. This way if something is forgotten, day or night, all the client has to do is to open the email.  

https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/attorneyservices/search?3

A lawful permanent resident (LPR), also known as a “green card holder,” is a foreign national who is authorized to live and work anywhere in the United States, sponsor certain relatives for their own green cards, and ultimately have the opportunity to apply for US Citizenship.

A “green card,” issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), provides proof of lawful permanent resident status, with authorization to live and work anywhere in the United States. Most green cards must be renewed every 10 years, but conditional green cards based on marriage must be replaced after the first 2 years.

A bonafide marriage is one that was entered into for purposes other than to gain an immigration benefit. Do not translate this into a “Facebook Happy Marriage.” Real marriages are not social media perfect. A Bonafide Marriage can be one entered into for love, an arranged marriage or a marriage that was entered into because of an expectant child. Proving that your marriage is bonafide is a crucial step with spouse- based applications.

To become a US Citizen, you must file an Application for Naturalization. Prior to taking this step, you must have your Green Card for 3 years, if married to and residing with your US citizen spouse for those three years, or for 5 years. You must also demonstrate good moral character and, unless you qualify for an exception, speak, read, and write in English and pass the American History and Government test.

Yes. Contact us as soon as possible after receiving the RFE or NOID.

The issuance of driver’s licenses falls under state and not federal law. Each state has their own rules, regulations and requirements. Contact your local DMV after thoroughly reviewing their posted requirements online. Be prepared to ask to speak to a supervisor if needed.

Almost all male US citizens and male immigrants, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service. It’s important to know that even though a male registers for Selective Service, he will not automatically be instated into the military. The US has powerful and ample volunteer services. A draft is highly unlikely to occur.

Yes! Many people think that they may never become a US Citizen due to a failure to register but this is not the case.  We have two options. 1) We can attempt to show that you were unaware of your requirement to naturalize or 2) We can simply wait until the relevant GMC period has passed. If you are under 26 now and an LPR, you may register at the following link. https://www.sss.gov/register/

You may check processing times at the following link. Be advised that posted processing times are frequently inaccurate.

https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/

First, this is not a productive question to ask. What happened with Person X’s case has nothing to do with your case. Second, your petition may be at a different office or with a different officer. You likely have different facts and backgrounds and provided different evidence. It is quite possible that you filed Pro Se while Person X retained a qualified attorney.

We are convinced that USCIS officers have a drawer named the “Black Hole” into which they throw all Pro Se petitions and applications. After reviewing many Pro Se petitions and applications, we find this to be understandable.

No. First and foremost, under the Rules of Professional Conduct that attorneys are required to follow, attorneys are ethically prohibited from guaranteeing results.

Second, our time is as valuable as yours and we deserve to be compensated for the substantial time and effort that we put into each file. While we can and do advise each and every client to the best of our ability, there are certain situations that we cannot control. For instance, we could not have predicted the pandemic and subsequent border closures. Further, occasionally, we have a client omit relevant facts. These omissions could cause a denial through no fault of our own. For instance, if a naturalization client tells us that they have no criminal history when they were convicted of petty larceny two years ago, the application will be denied despite our best efforts.

Our questions about our fees are evenly split between those who ask why our fees are more expensive than other attorneys and those who ask why our fees are less expensive than other attorneys. Attorney’s fees vary widely throughout the US. We calculate our fees based on the expected amount of time and energy that we will expend on your case. When comparing attorney’s fees throughout the United States, we are at the very low end. This is understandable; since we are a remote practice, we do not have any overhead. This means that we do not have to factor in rent or mortgage for an office. Nor do we have to factor in the cost to employ a receptionist. For a very few areas of the US, we are at the higher end. However, most people who find our fees higher have been browsing non-attorney sites or sites where some attorney somewhere “prepares all of your documents” We do not “fill out forms.” We provide representation.

Under the immigration laws of the United States, a foreign national who applies for an immigrant visa abroad, or who seeks to adjust status to a permanent resident while in the United States, is required to receive vaccinations to prevent the following diseases:

• Mumps
• Measles
• Rubella
• Polio
• Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids
• Pertussis
• Haemophilus influenzae type B
• Hepatitis B
• COVID-19
• Any other vaccine-preventable diseases recommended by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices