Filing Applications & Petitions

March 17, 2010

USCIS Often Googles, Checks Facebook and Other Networking Sites

Flying Trapeze.jpg An immigration lawyer who has been in practice for any respectable period of time encounters fun, funny, and bizarre situations. The attorneys at Romben Law, APC in Los Angeles have, among them, 40 years of experience, and a recent article describes how the Department of Justice uses your own Google enties, and postings to Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites as evidence against you. If you post about the car you stole, or you post your picture taking a hit from your favorite bong, that information can be used against you!

Romben Law, APC are located in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, and we are no strangers to clients with “fast” lifestyles. Years ago, one American client applied for Legal Residence for his wife, who was from Scandinavia. Imagine their shock — and mine — when at the immigration interview the adjudicator pulled up photos that were posted on the couple’s Facebook page — photos that depicted a very frisky sex party that they had hosted at their Hollywood Hills home two months earlier. Not having been invited to the party myself, I had no idea about this couple’s hobby, and they certainly never told me about it. Now, there is nothing illegal in California about having a some like-minded friends come for an evening’s fun and recreation. However, this is hardly the kind of thing that promotes a favorable experience with generally-suspicious immigration officers. (Yes, the green card was eventually granted.)

So: at Romben Law, APC, we have been telling immigration applicants for years that if there is ANYthing found on a Google search or posted on social networking sites — even postings and activities that are perfectly legal — that they would rather not show to the Department of Homeland Security, it would be wise to remove them. Better to be safe than to be put into the position of explaining to USCIS what you do with that trapeze in the living room. –jcf

March 11, 2010

Some Small Options for Citizens of Chile

by Romben Law, APC

Chile-Seal Two very strong aftershocks hit Chile today, right around the time of the inauguration of Chile’s new president, Sebastián Piñera, in Santiago. Immigration lawyers at Romben Law, APC in Los Angeles have received a continuous flow of inquiries about any possible immigration benefits that might be made available to Chilenos. While el Presidente Piñera may have promised una nueva forma de gobernar, it is mostly business as usual with US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Some small developments:

* USCIS says that Chilenos may submit applications for extension of stay (EOS) or change of visa status (COS), even in cases where the individual’s authorized stay on the I-94 has expired. Please note that USCIS does not say that all these applications will be approved. If a Chileno has been out of status in the USA for a very long period of time, it is not clear that filing a EOS or COS would be effective to fix things.

* Individuals may seek to extend a parole that has already been granted. Also, individuals may apply for expedited advance parole to exit and re-enter the USA. Be careful, because an advance parole is not a guarantee of re-admission, and an advance parole does not cure the problem of the 3-10 Bar which applies to persons unlawfully present in the USA for more than 6 months. If you exit the USA, and if you have been unlawfully present in the USA for more than 6 months, you may have serious difficulty getting another visa or legal resident status in the future.

March 8, 2010

Chile: Estado protegido temporal (TPS)

by Romben Law, APC

The powerful earthquake that hit Chile moved the entire city of Concepcíon, Chile 3 meters to the west! When such a natural calamity strikes a particular country, the immigration lawyers at Romben Law, APC in Los Angeles receive many calls and e-mails from citizens from that country about the possibility of staying in the USA, because of the problems back home.

The US government sometimes permits citizens from that country to remain in the USA — even after their visas or landing permits have expired — due to the emergency circumstances in the home country. This designation — which is called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) — is made by the US government. At the present time, Chile has not yet been designated a TPS-eligible country by the US government.

A veces, por situaciones de urgencia nacional, el gobierno estadounidense les permite a ciudadanos de algunos paises de quedar en los EE.UU. — aunque sus visas o permisos sean vencidos. Esta designación se llama Estado Protegido Temporal (TPS, en inglés). En este momento, los ciudadanos de La República de Chile todavía no han sido nombrado como eligible por TPS por el gobierno estadounidense.

March 5, 2010

USCIS (Again) Criticized for Arbitrary Requirements

by Romben Law, APC

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (for the western part of the USA) handed down a decision on 4 March 2010 that strongly criticizes — and rules against — US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for arbitrarily imposing novel substantive or evidential requirements over and above those required by immigration regulations. Romben Law, APC immigration lawyers in Los Angeles have recently seen an increase in USCIS Requests for Evidence (RFEs) which ask for (a) documents which have already been submitted, (b) information which does not relate to the case at hand, and (c) proof which is not required or is irrelevant.

This case is a vindication of the rule of law, that USCIS cannot simply make up the rules as it goes along, lawlessly flying by the seat of its administrative pants. This case says that USCIS must follow the law and provide a reasonable and fair process. This case, called Kazarian v. USCIS, can be read here.

Does this mean that USCIS will now and forever cease and desist from arbitrary and capricious rulings, making up requirements outside the regulations, and creating their own rules? Of course not. It does mean that, at least here in the western region, attorneys have an additional legal precedent to correct future wrong-doing. –jcf

January 29, 2010

Changes to Vaccination Requirements for Immigrants

by Romben Law, APC

Immigrants are asked to take a medical exam before being granted legal permanent resident status in the USA. As part of this exam, immigrants are required to take various vaccinations. The immigration lawyers at Romben Law, APC in Los Angeles are often asked whether someone is required to take ALL the vaccinations.

Since November 2009, USCIS has delayed the processing of many “green” card applications, because new vaccinations criteria would become effective in December 2009. Beginning on 14 December 2009, the vaccinations for herpes zoster and human papilloma virus (HPV) were no longer required for immigration purposes.

After 14 December 2009, cases that have been held in abeyance should be processed. If your Adjustment of Status case was put “on hold” due to vaccination-related issues, the case should be revived now and processed. If you have not received a resolution of your vaccination-delayed Adjustment of Status by mid-February, you should contact an immigration attorney to do a follow up with USCIS. If you have questions about the vaccinations that you will be required to take, please contact us for a consultation. –jcf

December 20, 2009

HIV Ban Lifted

by Romben Law, APC

Beginning January 4, 2010, applicants for visas or greencards will no longer be considered inadmissible for being HIV positive. Early last month, the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) removed HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) from the definition of a “communicable disease of public health significance.”

This marks a major success by immigration advocates like Romben Law, APC and HIV/AIDS health advocates. J Craig Fong (Retired from the practice of law) was cited in a recent Los Angeles Times article as one of the few immigration attorneys in the nation who work with HIV positive immigrants and who has been extremely successful in HIV waiver applications with the USCIS to overcome this ban.

Romben Law, APC applauds the Centers for Disease Control, the HHS, and USCIS in recognizing that the ban against nonimmigrant visa and permanent residency applications by HIV positive individuals was wrong. –ecf

August 24, 2009

Immigration Reform Set for 2010

by Romben Law, APC

Because the debates about Health Care Reform are taking so much of the Congress’ energy, the Obama Administration believes that Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) will not be considered by the Congress until the beginning of 2010. Romben Law, APC has many clients in Los Angeles, CA and throughout the nation who would benefit from the passage of CIR. In a recent article, President Obama restated his commitment to humane immigration law reform.

Two of the most anticipated provisions of CIR would be the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) and the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).

The DREAM Act would allow the normalization of the immigration status of certain undocument students who were brought prior to age 16 to the United States by their parents or guardians. These students have lived and been educated in the USA, and it would be fundamentally unfair to deny them immigration status, when they did not come to the USA through their own decision, and when the USA is often the only country these students have ever really known.

July 21, 2009

International “Support” Office Opens in California

by Romben Law, APC

USCIS has recently opened an “International Adjudications Support Branch” in Anaheim, California. This purpose of this office is to help process some of the applications and petitions received from international USCIS offices. The office is meant to help overseas USCIS offices handle periodic fluctuations in work. We at Romben Law, APC in Los Angeles have noticed that some of our immigration law clients’ forms are being processed at this new office.

The office is located in the same facility as the Los Angeles Asylum Office, and it does not handle or accept inquiries, appointments, or walk-ins.

Currently, this support branch is handling I-601 Waiver cases — except health-related waivers — from the US Consulate-General in Ciudad Juárez, México. It is not yet known what other cases will be assigned to this office. –jcf

July 15, 2009

Update – Delays in LPR Card Production

by Romben Law, APC

At the end of June 2009, we noticed that our Los Angeles immigration clients were experiencing delays in receiving their Legal Permanent Resident cards (LPR card, the so-called “green” card). This delay was apparently due to USCIS updating its card production equipment. As immigration lawyers, Romben Law, APC are always concerned when USCIS delays the production of LPR cards, because such a delay creates enormous difficulties for clients.

We have recently noticed that our clients have received their LPR cards within one month of approval.

Whether the card production delay is over, or whether the California Service Center (where the majority of our clients’s card are processed) has already had its equipment upgrade, we do not know. –jcf

July 1, 2009

Trying to Save the EB-5 Employment Creation Visa

by Romben Law, APC

Because we are a law firm devoted exclusively to the practice of immigration law, Romben Law, APC of Los Angeles gets calls frequently about the so-called “millionaire green card.” The more accurate name for this would be the EB-5 Employment Creation Immigrant Visa, or just “EB-5.” This sometimes controversial visa provides for conditional legal permanent resident status for persons who, after November 1990, invest $1 million (or in some cases $500,000) in a new business that employs ten US citizens (or certain other authorized workers) full-time and engage in that business through day-to-day management.

There has been much criticism of the EB-5 visa; however, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials declared in February 2009 their firm commitment to the success of the EB-5 program, acknowledging the value of the program to the US economy. The USCIS Ombudsman’s office has made the following recommendations for the EB-5 program:

1. Quickly finalize the Special Legislative Regulations, to alleviate the so-called “stuck” EB-5 investors who have been in limbo since 1995. Improperly documented cases can drag on for years.