In light of the Supreme Court's watershed decision, Padilla vs. Kentucky, criminal defense attorneys are now obligated to properly counsel their foreign national clients as to the immigration consequences of a conviction. In cases where the consequences are clear, the...
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Month: April 2014
How to File USCIS FORMS: U.S. Immigration Forms Explained
Some people are under the misimpression that United States Citizen and Immigration Services ("USCIS") charges a fee to download an immigration form. It is important to understand that the forms themselves are free and may be downloaded free of charge off the official...
Parole in Place Allows for Adjustment of Status For Many
What is Parole in Place?Parole in Place (PIP) is a humanitarian immigration policy that allows immediate family of active duty military personnel who might not otherwise qualify to apply for permanent residence here in the US, to do so by "paroling" them.Why was this...
9 Reasons Why a Citizenship Application May Be Denied
Form N-400 is the application for naturalization. If the applicant successfully passes the examination and clears all the necessary background checks, he/she will become a United States Citizen. While everyone who files an application anticipates being able to become...
Shoplifting in New Jersey and Its Effect on Citizenship
One of the more common crimes that occur in New Jersey is the offense of shoplifting. Shoplifting is a criminal offense codified in NJSA 2C:20-11, and the penalties can be very severe. Shoplifting is considered a crime of the second degree if the full retail value of...
Immigration Consequences of Marriage Fraud and 204(c)
An individual who knowingly enters into a fraudulent marriage for purposes of evading the immigration laws may be criminally prosecuted. Under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) section 275(c), such an individual "shall be imprisoned for not more than five years,...
Immigration Consequences of New York’s ACD program
People who charged with minor crimes in New York are sometimes offered an alternative disposition called an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal ("ACD"). This type of offer generally arises when the crime is charged is a misdemeanor and the defendant has no prior...
Do Illegal and Undocumented Aliens Qualify For Driver Licenses in New Jersey?
There is a new bill making its way through the New Jersey Legislature that, if signed into law, would make New Jersey one of a select group of states to offer driving licenses to those who do not have lawful immigration status in the United States. The Bill, No. 2135,...