Once a family-based petition for a green card is filed, especially in conjunction with an adjustment of status application, an applicant will often wonder how long the case will take to complete. Generally speaking, we have seen a delay in adjudication in 2017 due to...
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New Version of I-485 Adjustment of Status Form Starts August 2017
Many people are not aware that USCIS quietly released a new edition of the Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. The new edition is dated 6/26/17 and must be used if filing on August 25, 2017 or anytime after. Before August 25, the...
What documents do I need for an I-130 interview? | Proof of Marriage
Preparing for a green card interview is just as crucial as submitting a properly completed application. Part of that preparation process entails not only knowing what type of questions will be asked but also furnishing the required necessary documents at the...
Will I Be Arrested At My Green Card Interview? | Newark Immigration Lawyer
Just last week, five applicants were reportedly picked up and arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") when they appeared for their immigration interviews with USCIS in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Apparently, three of them were scheduled to appear for...
Green Card Holders Are Not Entitled to Admission After Travel Outside
The last few weeks have illuminated not only the volatile nature of immigration but also the perils of traveling as a green card holder. While lawful permanent residents enjoy a tremendous array of benefits and privileges that non-immigrants do not have-such as the...
Will Green Card Holders Who Travel Also Be Banned According To The Trump Order?
This past weekend, the nation was drawn into a firestorm of controversy over President Trump's divisive executive order titled "Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States." The order, which went into effect immediately last Friday,...
Is an I-94 Necessary to File for My Green Card? | Entry and Inspection
Until recently, most visitors to the United States used to be provided with an I-94 Arrival-Departure Record upon admission. The I-94 is a white card that is usually affixed to the passport and bears an entry date, class of admission, and date of stay expiration. In...
I-751 Application To Renew Green Card | Evidence for Married Couple
Unlike aliens accorded permanent residence without conditions, those who have been granted conditional two year green cards must file together with their spouses for the permanent "10 year green card." (This term itself is a misnomer, as the status is indefinite;...
What If I Don’t Pay the Immigrant Visa Fee? | $165 Green Card Fee
We have noticed that there is still some confusion regarding the USCIS immigrant visa fee and where it is paid. Especially amongst the Gujarati Indian community (fostered through misunderstanding or sometimes through deliberate deception by "agents" not licensed to...
DNA Tests May Be Considered for Sibling Petitions
The Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA") issued an important precedential decision last month regarding sibling DNA test results. The decision is Matter of RUZKU, 26 I & N Dec. 731 (BIA 2016). The holding basically establishes that direct sibling DNA test results...