When you file for divorce, you must state a date of separation. In Pennsylvania, no-fault divorces are granted one of two ways: (a) both parties agree after a ninety (90) day cooling off period, or (b) after one year of separation, whether or not the other party agrees. It may seem like a […]
Naturalization is the process of obtaining citizenship and becoming a U.S. citizen. The process is codified in 8 U.S.C. 1427. The requirements are quite straight forward. In order to become a U.S. naturalized citizen, a person must: (1) be a green card holder for 5 years (or, in the case of spouse […]
There are four major ways you may be detained if you are not a citizen of the United States of America: unlawful presence, crimes, prior removal orders and terrorism grounds. Being detained means sitting in an immigration detention center (which may be in a prison or airport) until immigration officers can determine your […]
The world of immigration is full of immigration judges and CBP, ICE/ERO, and USCIS officers investigating fraud and misrepresentation. Most grounds are waivable or forgivable. For example, when adjusting in the United States as the spouse of a U.S. citizen, any unauthorized work is generally not an issue. As another example, coming to the […]
Over the past week, we learned acclaimed rapper 21 Savage was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. 21 Savage, whose real name is Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was charged with being a British citizen who came to the U.S. in 2005, where he last overstayed his visa. Many fans wonder: so what? […]
On November 19, 2018, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) released an opinion regarding affidavits of support where a K-1 fiancé gets divorced. When a K-1 fiancé gets married and applies for a green card, he or she must also submit an affidavit of support from his or her U.S. citizen spouse. The […]
The Long Night The most common concern that I hear from clients is dealing with wait times and delays. In the immigration world, we wait for USCIS to make decisions on applications and petitions, we wait for priority dates to come current, we wait for interviews and hearings to be set in Court, […]
A Notice to Appear (NTA) is a legal document that summons you to Immigration Court. Depending on where you live, this Court may be near-by or hours away. Currently, there are fifty-eight (58) Immigration Courts in the United States (see the list here). Immigration Courts are not civil or criminal – they are […]
“Build the Wall” has become a popular political tagline regarding immigration. It started with the Presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump and remains a key point in immigration reform debates. Essentially, the concept is to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to stop the flow of human and drug trafficking. Supporters believe […]
Why I cringe every time someone brings up this show… The TLC show 90 Day Fiancé follows the lives of dozens of U.S. citizens and their foreign-born fiances as they navigate the immigration system to obtain a visa, get married, apply for a green card, and live happily ever after in the United States. It […]