Filing Form I-485 for Adjustment of Status

  What Is Form I-485?   Form I-485 is an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. This form is utilized by people in the United States to apply to USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to adjust their status to a lawful permanent resident.  In most cases, I-485 eligibility is based on an underlying visa petition, typically an …

Visa Bulletin Changes & What They Mean

The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, which is a part of the Department of State. The Visa Bulletin is the ONLY document that can be used to determine when a visa number is available for a person to immigrate to, or adjust status in, the United States. What Changed on the Visa Bulletin?  In October 2015, …

BREAKING: USCIS to Allow Additional Provisional Waiver Applicants

USCIS just made the following important announcement today: https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-allow-additional-applicants-provisional-waiver-process USCIS to Allow Additional Applicants for Provisional Waiver Process Release Date: July 29, 2016   Rule to Extend Process to All Individuals Who Are Statutorily Eligible for the Waiver WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule expanding the existing provisional waiver process to allow certain individuals who are …

What Happens If The I-751 Is Denied?

What Happens if the I-751 is Denied? What should I do if my I-751 was denied? I am married to a US Citizen and 90 days before my conditional residence expired I filed my I-751 (jointly) with all supporting documents. The extension letter for one year was received and the fingerprints were taken. Those 2 papers were the only ones ...

When to file Form I-751

What is an I-751? Form I-75I is a Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.  “Conditional” lawful permanent status is given to an individual who is married to his or her spouse for less than two years at the time the lawful permanent resident status is granted.  The Form I-751 is required to be filed in order for the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and …

Important Notice to K-4 Visa Holders

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Monday made a precedential decision regarding K-4 Visa regulations. Background on K-4 Visas Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), children under 21 whose alien parent marries a U.S. citizen abroad can obtain a K-4 Visa to accompany their parent. Then, the individual can apply to adjust his or …

How do I apply for an I-130?

Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative is the first step for U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents seeking to help relatives immigrate to the country. This form verifies the relationship between the two parties, and may be filed along with an I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, depending on the category of relative petition. The process of …

How Much Does It Cost To Hire An Immigration Lawyer To Get A Green Card?

The answer to this question varies widely depending on a number of factors. Some of the elements that determine an immigration lawyer’s fees for services to obtain a permanent resident card, commonly known as a green card, are “the experience, reputation, diligence, and ability of the lawyer or lawyers performing the service and the skill, expertise, or efficiency of effort …

President Obama’s Executive Actions on Immigration – Summary from USCIS

On November 20, 2014, the President announced a series of executive actions to crack down on illegal immigration at the border, prioritize deporting felons not families, and require certain undocumented immigrants to pass a criminal background check and pay taxes in order to temporarily stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation. These initiatives include: Expanding the population eligible for ...

President Obama’s Immigration Accountability Executive Actions – FACT SHEET

FACT SHEET: IMMIGRATION ACCOUNTABILITY EXECUTIVE ACTION The President’s Immigration Accountability Executive Actions will help secure the border, hold nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants accountable, and ensure that everyone plays by the same rules. Acting within his legal authority, the President is taking an important step to fix our broken immigration system. These executive actions crack down on illegal immigration at …