Family Based Green Card
USCIS & DHS Takedown Immigration Fraud Scheme Directed at Families
In Florida, federal prosecutors and the United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced indictment charges for Erika Paola Intriago, of Tampa, Florida. Intriago stands accused of four counts of wire fraud and three counts of wrongfully using government seals. Allegedly, Intriago posed as an immigration attorney through social media, manipulating immigrants and immigrant families from…
Read MoreChild Marriage Guidance from USCIS
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced new guidance for adjudicating officers processing a Form I-130 spousal petition involving a minor party. Now, those petitions involving a minor party will require an initial interview as a part of the early stages of the Form I-130 adjudication. Impacted Applications From April 12th, 2019 on,…
Read MoreGreen Card Fraud Business Taken Down
Green card fraud through marriage is a serious issue in immigration law. Some individuals may enter into sham marriages solely for the purpose of obtaining a green card or permanent residency in the United States. This type of fraud not only violates immigration laws but also undermines the integrity of the entire immigration system. In…
Read MoreTrump Administration to Close All International Immigration Field Offices (USCIS)
The director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), L. Francis Cissna has reportedly announced the end to the International Division of USCIS. This change would bring about the end of two dozen international branches of USCIS. The end of the USCIS international field office program would occur by the end of 2019,…
Read MoreChecklist for Evidence of “Good Faith” Marriage (I-751)
A U.S. conditional resident filing for the Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, Form I-751, must provide information of a “good faith” marriage. The Form I-751 petition, made available to those conditional permanent residents who obtained status through marriage, requires evidence that the marriage was legitimate, and not a means to subvert immigration laws. Types…
Read MoreUSCIS Increases Scrutiny for Family Based Applications
In the past few months, the United States Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) has launched new initiatives to promote greater scrutiny towards several types of immigration applications. Under these new guidelines, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) and U.S. Citizens have received an alarming amount of RFEs, or request for evidence, for family-based applications. Petition for Alien…
Read MoreUSCIS Introduces Online Fee Calculator
Regardless of the visa application, calculating total fees for filings can be a hassle. But what many don’t realize is that an improperly calculated fee payment would result in rejection of the complete application thereby leading to a longer application process. This tedious process has left many with rejected applications due to citing and submitting…
Read MoreGovernment Shutdown: EB-5 Program & Immigration Agencies
In the absence of congressional authorization, the EB-5 foreign investors visa program was set to end on December 21st of 2018. However, following the government shutdown that began on December 20th of 2018 and continues into the 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that the future of the EB-5 program will…
Read MoreDHS Proposed Rule: New Changes to Public Charge Inadmissibility
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a new proposed rule which would outline the ways in which the agency determines a foreign national is inadmissible due to risk of becoming a public charge. Foreign nationals who wish to enter the U.S. or adjust their immigration status must provide evidence of financial stability, and…
Read MoreDigital Border Search by CBP under Federal Scrutiny
Last month, a federal suit brought forth new questions surrounding individual property rights at the U.S. border. Two months ago, an American woman filed a federal suit against the Department of Homeland Security after Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents seized her smartphone upon return to the United States and made copies of the data…
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