The Immigration and Naturalization Service is long gone. In its wake lie a slew of acronyms that can leave your head spinning. Recently, I met with some clients who wanted to know if their prior applications for immigration benefits would cause any harm to a new application. They showed me…
With the federal government shutdown now in the rearview mirror, the question now becomes: Is there going to be a new immigration law this year? Here’s some of what I learned as a political science major: The two parts of Congress — the House of Representatives and the Senate —…
I’m a green card holder with a prior conviction. Am I able to leave and come back to the United States? What you should know about traveling internationally if you’ve had a prior conviction. Over the years, I have encountered this scenario multiple times: “I have a green card. A long…
How does the government shutdown affect immigrants, the courts and our border? Although the federal government has been shutdown, the effects upon my immigration clients have been varied. U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the primary agency that handles petitions and applications related to…
If you are a United States citizen with overseas siblings that want to immigrate, file those petitions NOW! Members of Congress are contemplating some major immigration reform. According to the New York Times, one of the things that a bipartisan group of Senators is proposing to eliminate are visas available…
This morning, the Immigration Judge granted a motion to terminate the removal proceedings against one of my clients. How did we pull it off? My client is a lawful permanent resident. At the time his family contacted me, he was in state custody with multiple criminal charges pending. I told his…
I was dismayed (but not particularly shocked) to read about the arrests and indictments of persons involved in fraudulent schemes to obtain asylum for clients in New York City’s Chinatown and Flushing neighborhoods. You can read more about it in the New York Times or in the U.S. Attorney’s press…
I occasionally watch “Elementary” on CBS. My wife is a big fan. Since we only have one TV, let’s just say that if my wife is watching it, then I’m watching it. The December 6, 2012 episode (“You Do It to Yourself“) happened to have an immigration subtext. The thing about…