If you submit an immigration petition to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), you almost always pay a fee. Paying a fee may seem pretty straight forward, but there are still small mistakes that can slow down, or in cases with deadlines, thwart your immigration application. You’ll need to ensure that you pay the correct fee. I recommend that clients pay by check or money order, not by credit Read More
Form I-944 Financial Information Required for Most Green Card Applications from within the US
As of February 24, 2020, USCIS requires that all Form I-485 Application for Adjustment of Status ("green card applications") be accompanied by Form I-944 Declaration of Self-Sufficiency. This form requires a burdensome amount of financial documents from the US citizen or LPR petitoner and from the intending immigrant. Also, this inquiry goes well outside the prior scope of financial inquiry of whether the US citizen Read More
Does a criminal record mean that I can never obtain any immigration benefit?
If you’re an immigrant who has ever been arrested, summonsed to court, admitted to criminal activity, or convicted of certain criminal offenses, you must discuss your legal history with an immigration attorney before submitting any paperwork to any US government agency or attending any interview or hearing. A broad category of crimes can render an individual ‘inadmissible’ to the United States and can trigger Read More
Will my criminal history make me ineligible for immigration benefits?
Having a criminal record can affect your ability to receive immigration benefits, whether you’re seeking a temporary visa, green card, or an adjustment of status. But under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) convictions for certain crimes, or admissions to committing certain crimes, will automatically make you “inadmissible” to the United States. If you’ve been convicted of or admitted to any of these crimes, Read More
Marijuana and Green Card Applications
US immigration laws prohibit the issuance of nonimmigrant or immigrant visas to anyone who has been convicted of or admits to the essential elements of federal controlled substances crimes. Generally, an admission to a drug crime happens in court as part of a plea or, in Massachusetts, a "continued without a finding." However, USCIS interviews can be the site of "admissions" to federal controlled substances Read More
Disclosing Criminal Histories on Immigration Applications: What You Should Know
The United States requires all applicants for immigration benefits to disclose information about their criminal history, whether applying for a visa, green card, or U.S. citizenship. If you have a criminal record, this can be worrying. If you have any criminal history--even if you were never arrested nor convicted of anything--you should consult with an attorney about the immigration consequences of your criminal Read More
AILA Summary of Changes to Public Charge Rule
AILA published a summary of the changes to the public charge rules at the various agencies, as recently affected by the unblocking of the hold on implementation of Trump's horrible new public charge rules. Read More
Green Cards for Liberians through 12/20/2020
Liberians who have have been continuously physically present in the United States from Nov. 20, 2014 and who file an application for adjustment of status by Dec. 20, 2020 are eligible to adjust status to lawful permanent resident (that is, receive a "green card") under Section 7611 of the National Defense Authorization Act (PDF) Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF), signed into law on Dec. 20, 2019. There are Read More
What Documents Should I Include in My Green Card Filing?
What Documents Should I Include in My Green Card Filing? If you are recently married or engaged to a U.S. citizen, the green card application process can seem overwhelming. You may have questions about how long the process will take and how likely you are to have your application approved. While every couple’s situation is different, in this post, I will walk you through what you will need for your green card filing Read More
Courts block USCIS’s Implementation of New Public Charge Rules
On October 11, 2019 various courts blocked the Trump administration's implementation of new public charge rules that drastically increase the scope of inquiry for the public charge determination. The new rules, if ever formally implemented, will prevent applicants for receiving green cards if they have used a wide variety of "benefits" most of which fall well outside the long-standing practice of considering "cash" Read More
Hello@CambridgeImmigrationLaw.com
Visit us at our office in Cambridge:
MA 111 Rice Street Cambridge, MA 02140