Immigration Law News

Find help and informative articles about U.S. immigration law relating to family-based immigration including K1 fiance visas, green cards, and adjustment of status. Follow our news feed and keep up on the latest changes that may affect you or your family members.

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Tips for Processing an Immigrant Visa Petition at the National Visa Center

Posted Sat, 01/28/2012 - 00:39 by Phil

All approved I-130 immigrant visa petitions are forwarded by the USCIS to the National Visa Center or NVC. The NVC is responsible for gathering additional forms, supporting documentation, collecting visa fees, conducting preliminary background clearances and generally preparing the approved immigrant visa petition for final adjudication by the processing post. Compared to USCIS processing, NVC processing is relatively complicated and many applicants who are handling their cases without the assistance of an experienced immigration attorney run into problems at this stage.

Facts & Myths: Getting Married in the U.S. After Entry on a Tourist Visa

Posted Thu, 01/26/2012 - 21:23 by Phil

A question that I am asked over and over again is whether a person who enters the U.S. on a tourist visa may get married while in the U.S. This question generally arises where the person who entered the country on the tourist visa desires to marry a U.S. citizen and then apply for adjustment of status. As is often the case with U.S. immigration law, there is a lot of confusion and misinformation about this issue.

U.S. Immigration Options for Canadian Nationals

Posted Mon, 01/16/2012 - 20:59 by Phil
U.S. Visas for Canadians

Immigration between the United States and Canada is not something that Canadians and Americans think about as much as people from other countries. This is largely because Americans and Canadians can move between each others countries so freely. However, this open border can create a false sense of security or give Canadians a sense that the U.S. immigration laws with respect to Canadians are different or special. In fact, while there are some special visa provisions for Canadians, U.S. immigration laws with respect to Canadians are otherwise the same as they apply to all other countries.

New Proposed USCIS Regulation Would Offer Relief to Unlawful Immigrants

Posted Tue, 01/10/2012 - 01:40 by Phil

A new regulation proposed by the USCIS would allow unlawful immigrants currently residing in the U.S. to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver prior to departing the United States. This new regulation is an attempt to provide some relief to persons who have accrued more than 180 days of unlawful presence in the U.S.

Find Out if this New Regulation Will Help you

What is the fiance visa?

Posted Mon, 01/02/2012 - 22:15 by Phil

If you've found this article maybe you are just beginning your research regarding the fiance visa because you plan to marry someone who is not from the United States or maybe you have just heard about a "fiance visa" and wonder what it is. Either way, this article is a great place to start.

The Fiance Visa Defined

How much does a K1 fiance visa cost?

Posted Mon, 01/02/2012 - 21:46 by Phil

One thing everyone who is considering apply for a K1 fiance visa wants to know is how much it cost. Since not all applicants will use the services of an immigration attorney and because these fees vary from attorney to attorney this article will just examine the the other costs of the fiance visa.

Government Filing Fees

The Doctrine of Dual Intent

Posted Sun, 01/01/2012 - 02:04 by Phil

In U.S. immigration law there are two types of visas: immigrant visas and non-immigrant visas. While there are several different ways one may obtain an immigrant visa there is only one immigrant visa. On the other hand, there are several types of non-immigrant visas. The list is too long to name them all here but a couple of the more common non-immigrant visas are the B1/B2 tourist visa; the F1 student visa; the H1B visa; the TN visa; and the J1 visa. All foreign nationals who hold a non-immigrant visa and present themselves at a U.S.

Expedited Processing of Biometrics in I-131 Cases

Posted Sat, 12/24/2011 - 01:58 by Phil

Form I-131 is used to apply for a travel document that allows a lawful permanent resident or applicant for lawful permanent residency to reenter the U.S. after temporary foreign travel. U.S. law requires LPR applicants for a travel document to be physically present in the U.S. when the application is filed. Once the application has been filed, the applicant may depart the United States, and the approved travel document can be delivered abroad.

U.S. Department of State Announces Instructions for 2013 Visa Lottery

Posted Wed, 09/14/2011 - 10:21 by Phil

The U.S. Department of State recently announced the instructions and application period for the 2013 Visa Lottery.

The application period will begin on October 4, 2011 at noon EST and conclude on November 5, 2011 at noon EST.

All applications must be submitted electronically via the Department of State DV Visa web page.

The DOS instructions for the 2013 visa lottery are attached.

USCIS Tips for AOS Applications Based on DV Visa Lottery

Posted Mon, 08/08/2011 - 16:46 by Phil

I have recently been receiving a lot of inquiries from DV green card lottery winners. Some of those questions have related to applying for adjustment of status. Attached below is a document from the USCIS that gives some tips for completing Form I-485 based on a DV lottery visa. There are also some good services that will submit your DV visa application for you.

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