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United States Embassies Abroad

17 06, 2014

Green Card Holders and International Travel: The Most Common Questions

By |2014-06-17T14:50:24-05:00June 17th, 2014|Categories: Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, Conditional Permanent Residence Based on Marriage, Customs and Border Patrol / Travel to and from the U.S., DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), DHS / Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Employment-Based Immigration Law, Family-Based Immigration Law, General, Green Cards, Immigrant Health Care Workers in the U.S., Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S., United States Embassies Abroad|

Published:  June 17, 2014 The U.S. government issues permanent resident cards, or “green cards,” to individuals seeking to “reside” in the U.S.   That means there are significant limits on the amount of time Green Card holders can spend outside the U.S. for a given period or for any single trip.  Below is a discussion of the most common questions Green Card holders present when it comes to international travel and related issues. In general, what is the maximum amount of time a Green Card holder can travel outside the U.S. on a single trip? In general, a U.S. resident can leave […]

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7 10, 2013

DHS/CIS Largely Unaffected by Government Shutdown; A Different Story for Related Agencies

By |2013-10-07T08:29:51-05:00October 7th, 2013|Categories: Customs and Border Patrol / Travel to and from the U.S., DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), DHS / Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Removal / Deportation Proceedings and Court Hearings, United States Embassies Abroad|Tags: , |

Published:  October 7, 2013 With no end in sight for the ongoing government shutdown, many wonder how federal government agencies performing immigration-related functions will be impacted for the foreseeable future.  Below is a summary assessment: Department of Homeland Security/Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/CIS):  In general, business as usual.  DHS/CIS primarily operates by way of “fee for service” funding, and thus is not affected by a lapse in annual appropriated funding.  That is, most of DHS/CIS’ functions are funded by way of filing fees supplied by applicants and petitioners.  So, green card and citizenship interviews and decision-making will continue without interruption.  However, […]

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22 08, 2013

I Married a U.S. Citizen and Now I Want a Green Card

By |2013-08-22T14:10:16-05:00August 22nd, 2013|Categories: Conditional Permanent Residence Based on Marriage, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Family-Based Immigration Law, Green Cards, Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S., United States Embassies Abroad, Visa Lottery and Diversity Visas to the U.S.|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Published:  August 22, 2013 Marrying a U.S. citizen – it can be the quickest and easiest avenue to a Green Card.  Assuming it involves a bona fide, genuine spousal relationship – including between same sex partners – a green card filing premised on a marriage to a U.S. citizen can be the most straight-forward route toward obtaining U.S. resident status. If the foreign spouse is outside the U.S., their journey to the U.S. usually starts with the filing of an I-130 visa petition, and after approval, immigrant visa processing at their nearest U.S. consular post in their home country.  This same process […]

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12 01, 2012

Another New Immigration Proposal That Has Everyone Excited: I-601 Waiver Processing

By |2012-01-12T11:55:32-06:00January 12th, 2012|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Family-Based Immigration Law, Green Cards, Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S., U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation, Undocumented Immigrants and Workers in the U.S., United States Embassies Abroad|Tags: , , , , , , |

Published: January 12, 2012 It never fails. Whenever a new immigration provision is presented to Congress for consideration, or is proposed by the President or some other official in the Executive Branch, the media takes the ball and runs with it. It’s either presented as something it is not, or simply misunderstood to be something it’s not. Either way, the US audience, ranging from the general American John Q. Public demographic to the vulnerable 12 million undocumented demographic, gets excited, in different ways, and for different reasons. Notably, this provision will impact only limited number of prospective applicants, applicants who are […]

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20 01, 2009

Waiting for Comprehensive Immigration Reform – What Actions Can the Overstay/Undocumented Take in the Meantime?

By |2009-01-20T11:40:37-06:00January 20th, 2009|Categories: Amnesty for Immigrants in the U.S., Asylum in the United States, Employment-Based Immigration Law, Family-Based Immigration Law, Green Cards, Immigrant Health Care Workers in the U.S., Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S., Removal / Deportation Proceedings and Court Hearings, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation, Undocumented Immigrants and Workers in the U.S., United States Embassies Abroad|

Waiting for Comprehensive Immigration Reform – What Actions Can the Overstay/Undocumented Take in the Meantime? Published: January 20, 2009 So, you have made the decision that being in the U.S. without legal status is better than being in your home country with all the legal status in the world. And you continue to hope that President Obama can advance his goal of comprehensive immigration reform and that your particular circumstances will be covered by some prospective legislation. While we await such legislation, are there measures the overstay / undocumented foreign national can take to “legalize” their status and obtain U.S. lawful […]

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24 11, 2008

An Alternative to the H-1B Visa for Canadian and Mexican Citizens: TN status now available for 3-year approval

By |2008-11-24T08:00:37-06:00November 24th, 2008|Categories: Customs and Border Patrol / Travel to and from the U.S., Employment-Based Immigration Law, Immigrant Health Care Workers in the U.S., Non-Immigrant Visas for Temporary Workers / H-1B, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation, United States Embassies Abroad|

An Alternative to the H-1B Visa for Canadian and Mexican Citizens: TN status now available for 3-year approval Published November 24, 2008 For citizens of North American countries such as Canada and Mexico, the path toward obtaining a nonimmigrant visa or permission to work in the United States is often much simpler than applying for the H-1B. Since the enactment of NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) in 1994, workers in certain employment categories have been welcomed to the U.S. along with their families in one-year increments, with the freedom in some cases to renew indefinitely. As we approach 2009 […]

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22 02, 2007

CGFNS Halts Visa Screen Issuance To Certain Filipino RN’s

By |2007-02-22T14:00:36-06:00February 22nd, 2007|Categories: Immigrant Health Care Workers in the U.S., United States Embassies Abroad|

CGFNS Halts Visa Screen Issuance To Certain Filipino RN’s February 22, 2007 For final U.S. immigrant visa processing to be completed, most foreign Registered Nurses are required to present evidence of special certification confirming the bona fides of their educational and professional credentials along with their competence in the English language. The “VisaScreen” certificate is issued by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, also known as CGFNS. As of February 14, 2007, CGFNS has declared that R.N.’s who received their licensure in the Philippines following their passage of the June 2006 licensure exam will not be eligible to be […]

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1 02, 2006

Isolated Instances of Drug Use May Lead to Denial of Immigrant Visa

By |2006-02-01T14:00:36-06:00February 1st, 2006|Categories: Immigration and Criminal Law / Detainees, United States Embassies Abroad|

Isolated Instances of Drug Use May Lead to Denial of Immigrant Visa February 1, 2006 Section 221(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act requires immigrant visa applicants to undergo a physical and mental examination so as to determine whether the applicant has a medical condition that would make him/her ineligible for admission into the US. HIV, tuberculosis, and other contagious diseases are tested for, and applicants are also generally questioned about their use/abuse of controlled substances, with the latter line of inquiry becoming the subject of much controversy as of late. U.S. immigration law deems, without exception, “drug abusers or addicts” […]

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9 09, 2004

CIS Service Centers Implement Good Idea

By |2004-09-09T14:00:36-05:00September 9th, 2004|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Family-Based Immigration Law, Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, United States Embassies Abroad|

CIS Service Centers Implement Good Idea September 9, 2004 Over the past year or so, processing times for family based, I-130 immigrant petitions have skyrocketed. Of particular significance are the extended processing times for visa petitions in the “Immediate Relative” or “IR” category, where visas are immediately available and the main obstacle to visa processing are stateside CIS service center delays, delays that have stretched to as long as 2 years. In the past month, however, CIS headquarters has issued a directive instructing the four regional CIS service centers to give first priority to adjudicating I-130 petitions in the IR category […]

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17 04, 2003

Responding to Those Thick National Visa Center Packets

By |2003-04-17T14:00:36-05:00April 17th, 2003|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Family-Based Immigration Law, Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, United States Embassies Abroad|

Responding to Those Thick National Visa Center Packets When the Alien Relative is in the U.S. April 17, 2003 The following sequence of events may sound familiar. First, the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident files an I-130, Alien Relative Petition on behalf of a family member living outside the U.S., or maybe even living in the U.S. – with or without status. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (now the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services or CIS) eventually issues a notice confirming that the petition has been approved and shortly thereafter the National Visa Center forwards a correspondence informing the […]

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