Overview of Removal Proceedings How do individuals find themselves in removal proceedings? This week’s blog will kick off a series of posts aimed at providing a broad overview of removal proceedings. Removal proceedings, formerly known as deportation proceedings, are the process by which the Department of Homeland Security (or “DHS”)…
The story of “Tommy and Tomina”… One of the questions that every immigration lawyer gets asked is “How long is it going to take for my family member to get his green card?” And, in typical lawyer fashion, my response is “Well, it depends.” This answer sometimes gets met with…
US Naturalization 101 What you need to know to apply for naturalization in the United States Regular readers of this blog may have noticed that I have been writing about naturalization quite a bit lately. First, the one about a looming deadline. More recently, the one about my client with…
Thinking of getting married just for the green card? ICE is cracking down on fraudulent marriage cases. My former boss tells his clients “Marriage is the fastest and easiest way to get a green card. However, you need a good foundation. It’s like a house. If the foundation is good, then everything that…
Was your application denied because of a false claim to citizenship? If the claim was made before 1996, it may not affect your application for naturalization. One of the things that gives me immense pleasure as an immigration lawyer is taking a case that had previously been denied and turning…
How the USCIS really handles marriage interviews The other night, I was watching the tele with my wife. As regular readers of this blog know, that means I was watching one of my wife’s shows again. On a recent episode of “Trophy Wife,” Kate (played by Malin Akerman) discovers that…
If you are planning to apply for citizenship, you may want to do so before May 4, 2014. I have previously discussed the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen in order to “save” one’s children. I still believe that if you want to become a U.S. citizen, you should pursue…
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…
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…
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…