Permanent Residence/Green Card
U Visa Helps Immigrant Victims of Crime Stay in US
A Path to Residence for Certain Victims The U Visa program is giving immigrants in the Boston area and beyond who are victims of certain crimes a way to stay legally in the U.S. Immigrants who help law enforcement officials investigate and prosecute certain serious crimes can get temporary legal status with a U Visa, [...]
How to Avoid Deportation from the U.S.
The threat of deportation, or removal as it’s now known, can be a stressful experience for immigrants living in the Boston area. You’ve worked hard to build a better life here, and all of a sudden you have to give up your job, move, and leave behind your family and friends. Fortunately, the Law Offices [...]
¡La Exención Provisional es una Realidad!
El Secretario de Seguridad Nacional dio a conocer un comunicado de prensa el 02 de enero 2013, que indica que la Exención Provisional para la Permanencia Ilegal ha sido finalmente publicada y entrará en vigencia a partir 04 de marzo 2013. Actualización: ¡La Exención Provisional para la Permanencia Ilegal está ahora en efecto! Para aquellos [...]
Divorce and Immigration – I’ve been married for years! But Immigration says I’m not!
I’m not married to my wife? Lots of my clients enter the firm and tell me “We’ve been married for five years, we have two children together, we even own a house together! And immigration is telling me we’re not married!” I always sigh to myself because before they even explain their predicament, I know [...]
Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver is a reality!
The Secretary of Homeland Security released a press release on January 2, 2013 stating that the Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver has finally been issued and will go into effect beginning March 4, 2013. Update: The provisional unlawful presence waiver is now in effect! For those of you who don’t know what this is: when a [...]
New Waiver Proposal May Mean Families Get To Stay Together!
On December 21st, 2011, I wrote about getting green cards for a spouse that entered illegally across the border. In that post (Consular Processing – Getting a green card for your border jumping spouse), I noted that if you were not admitted into the United States at a port of entry, such as an airport [...]
Consular Processing – Getting a green card for your border-crossing spouse
Update: In early 2013, this process changed for certain people. Please see my post Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver is a Reality! for more information about the change and whether it applies to you and if it will make consular processing a more attractive option. Consular Processing is not straight-forward for everyone! Prior to reading this article, [...]
Special Immigrant Juveniles – A pathway to permanent residence for minors
Minors are treated differently from adults in a very important section of the immigration law in that they have a way to obtain permanent residence even if they entered unlawfully. If a minor is a Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) under the immigration law, he or she may adjust status (read: acquire their permanent resident status/green [...]
Legal Permanent Resident Statistics – Maybe it’s time to naturalize.
The Department of Homeland Security released its report regarding the estimated legal resident population in the United States in 2010 (see below for a link to report). While the statistics are mildly interesting, they do bring to mind a subject that has come up in my practice on occasion: long term permanent residence. The report [...]
Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence and Divorce
In my practice, I have noticed a common recurring question: I acquired my conditional green card through my spouse, but we’re now separated, have no intention of getting back together, and I’m worried about getting a divorce because of the potential impact on my immigration status. First, the law: If you are still married to [...]
