Recent Blog Posts
New Citizenship test to go into effect December 1, 2020
USCIS has announced that all applicants for naturalization who file their applications on or after December 1, 2020 will be given a new civics test. The current history/civics test is a 10 question test. The questions asked at a naturalization interview are pulled from a list of 100 possible test questions. In order to… Read More »
How to Get Married in NY With a K-1 Visa
If you are an American citizen with a non-citizen fiancée and hope to reunite with your partner, you may need to apply for a K-1 Visa on their behalf. A K-1 Visa allows a non-citizen to visit the United States in order to get married. After the marriage, the non-citizen may obtain permanent resident… Read More »
Federal Court Rules Government Can End Protected Status for 300,000 Immigrants
The federal administration under the guidance of President Trump is continuing its perpetual mission of limiting immigration and treating even legal immigrants like second-class individuals. The federal government won an unfortunate victory recently in federal court, as the appellate court ruled that the government was within its rights to end protected status for immigrants… Read More »
What is PERM? Applying for a Green Card Through Your Employer
If you have an employer in the United States, you may be able to get your lawful permanent residence status (green card) through that employer. Several common forms of green card sponsorship through employment begin with PERM labor certification. Continue reading to learn about PERM labor certification and the steps necessary to obtain permanent… Read More »
DACA and Public charge news – Updated 12/07/2020
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) – On July 28, 2020 Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland security released a policy memo in response to the Supreme Court’s recent decision declaring the Trump Administration’s rescission of DACA improper. The hope was that in light of the Supreme Court decision new DACA… Read More »
Supreme Court Rules Trump Administration Can’t Unilaterally End DACA
Following right on the heels of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision granting federal workplace anti-discrimination protections to employees based on their gender identity and sexual orientation, the Court again shocked the nation by declaring that the current federal administration cannot simply end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program without proper cause. Read on… Read More »
What Is a 212(h) Waiver?
The United States sets a high bar for anyone seeking to immigrate, whether by obtaining a work visa, a student visa, asylum status, or some other route to lawful presence and if desired, eventual citizenship. One important requirement for most applicants for visas or citizenship is that the applicant has no criminal history. There… Read More »
IMMIGRATION – CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 5/17/2021
Immigration Court hearings at the New York City Immigration Courts for non-detained case are cancelled through and including 7/6/2021. After 7/6/2021 non-detained individual hearings and master calendar hearings in limited numbers will resume. US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) has re-opened effective 6/4/2020. Bio-metric appointments (fingerprinting) at USCIS Application Support Centers are open but… Read More »
What is the Process of Naturalization in the U.S.?
Naturalization refers to the process by which a person who is not born in the United States becomes a U.S. citizen. There are multiple pathways to citizenship, but once a person is eligible, there are a few steps that everyone must generally take to complete the naturalization process. The measures include applications to and… Read More »
Trump’s New Immigration Ban – What To Know
On April 22, 2020, President Trump issued a proclamation suspending the entry of any individual seeking to enter the United States as an immigrant who: – Is outside the United States on the effective date of the proclamation; – Does not have a valid immigrant visa as of April 23, 2020; and – Does… Read More »