How to Obtain a Green Card (USA Permanent Residency)

admin — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:00:55 +0000

The United States has always been the land of opportunity. People from all over the world strive to come here and fulfill their dreams. This is possible only after a foreign national is in possession of a Green Card. A Green Card, also known as Permanent Resident Card, is issued to immigrants only after they receive permanent US resident status.

On getting a Green Card, you will be entitled to many rights that US citizens already enjoy. The benefits include:

You can lawfully live in the United States.
You will be allowed to work permanently.
In between you can spend short periods abroad.
You may even formally request a Green Card for your spouse and children.
In most of cases it does not expire.

The question that arises is how one can obtain a Green Card. Generally, you can obtain it in any of the following ways:

By Family – If any of your family members or immediate relatives is a permanent resident of the US or a US citizen, your family members may help you obtain a Green Card. Immediate relatives may include:
- Spouses
- Siblings
- Parents above 21 years of age
- Children over 21 years of age
By Employment – If you successfully land up a job or want to make a business investment in the United States, you are eligible for getting a Green Card.
By special skills – By dint of exceptional training and skills like broadcast news training, employment with a religious organization etc, you can acquire a Green Card.
For refugees – Refugees to the US can also obtain Green Cards with a condition that they must reside in the US for one year before applying for the Card.
Other alternatives – Green Cards are also accessible to groups like:
- American Indians who are born in Canada
- Members of the Armed Forces
- Government informants
- Cuban natives
- Foreign diplomats and so on.

On the whole, a Green Card serves as proof that a foreign national has followed suitable legal channels to stay in the States and hence nobody can deport him (unless that individual commits a serious crime—he or she may be removable and a Green Card terminated). Apart from that, the process of getting a Green Card can be prolonged for years because of the high number of immigrants who are trying to settle in the United States.

The post How to Obtain a Green Card (USA Permanent Residency) appeared first on .

U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Requirements and Application Process

admin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:13:22 +0000

If for the past five years you are in possession of a Green Card, then you can apply for U.S. citizenship. Once you obtain U.S. citizenship, a lot of benefits are in store for you. There are many methods to acquire U.S. Citizenship:

Marriage – One way to gain U.S. citizenship is by marrying a U.S. citizen. To apply for this, make sure that you are aged 18 years or above and are marrying a person who has lived in the U.S. for the past three years. You also need to ensure that you have been a permanent resident in the country for three years at minimum.
Armed Forces – Members of U.S. Armed Forces who are a non-citizens can also gain U.S. citizenship if they fulfill eligibility requirements. The process is simple and straightforward.
Through parents – You are suitable to achieve U.S. citizenship through your parents as well. Generally, there are two ways for this:
- By birth
- After birth and before turning 18 years old.
Green Card Naturalization – Naturalization can be referred to as a process of granting U.S. citizenship to an immigrant after they fulfill all the obligations established in the Immigration and Nationality Act. To apply for the process of naturalization, you need to file an application. Also, you will undergo a naturalization self-test.

Once you meet all the requirements to apply for naturalization, the next step will be to start filling out an application for the same. You will need two passport photographs as per the requirements. Once your application is processed you will be called up to take your fingerprints. The whole process of naturalization will end with an interview.

The U.S. citizenship Interview Process

You will be informed about your interview via letter. The letter will inform you of the place and time of the interview. It will also mention the important documents that you will need to carry on the day of the interview.

The interview will test:

Knowledge pertaining to Civics and English
Questions related to your application as well as your background
Personal questions

Apart from that, do not take the interview lightly. Dress appropriately and arrive at least half an hour before the process starts. However, most important of all is that bring an immigration attorney with you and that you honestly answer all the questions asked.

The post U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Requirements and Application Process appeared first on .

‘Gang of Eight’ needs to deliver immigration fix

admin — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 19:20:13 +0000

The Sacramento Bee

Republicans and Democrats working on an immigration overhaul bill missed their goal of unveiling a draft by March. Now they hope to present a bill to the Senate Judiciary Committee by April 8, when they return from a two-week recess.

The so-called Gang of Eight in the U.S. Senate crafting a bill has hit another of the usual stumbling blocks – what to do about future legal flows of lower-skilled immigrants who traditionally fill jobs that native-born workers shun. The failure to address this issue in the 1986 immigration reform fueled new ranks of illegal migrants.The “Gang” does agree on admitting more highly skilled immigrants and is close to consensus on much-needed agricultural workers, a big issue for California’s Central Valley.But what about the equally important lower-skilled nonagricultural workers? In California and elsewhere there is strong demand for workers in landscaping, housekeeping, dishwashing, construction and services that don’t require high levels of education. These are the usual entry jobs that immigrants traditionally have filled in the United States.

But the current cap for these workers is totally unrealistic – set at 66,000 a year, a number that hasn’t changed since 1990. To create an immigration system to meet the needs of our country, Congress should allow enough lower-skilled workers to enter the country legally.

A historic deal between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO reached Friday would help, if members of Congress don’t quash it.

It doesn’t help that some lawmakers go out of their way to insult foreign workers, as U.S. Sen. Don Young, R-Alaska, did on a radio show last week. “My father had a ranch; we used to have 50 to 60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes,” he said, later claiming that he “meant no disrespect.”

Then a key Gang of Eight member, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was all too quick to say on Sunday that the business-labor compromise on future flows of lower-skilled workers was “premature.”

The proposal – based on a 2003 bill introduced by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas – would phase in up to 200,000 new “W” work visas by 2020. Most important, however, a new Bureau of Immigration and Labor Market Research would make adjustments each year based on labor shortages and unemployment numbers, not rely on static quotas.

Some will quibble that the 200,000 cap remains too low and that it takes a long seven years to achieve, starting with 20,000 visas in 2015. But this should not be a deal-breaker.

Adjusting the proposed 200,000 cap should remain an issue for negotiation as a bill goes through the committee process – and should reflect the real range of numbers of lower-skilled foreign workers coming to fill U.S. jobs, from 165,000 at the height of the recession in 2011 to 700,000 at the height of the economic boom in 2007.

The business-labor compromise also is important in erasing some current conditions that lead to exploitation of foreign workers. Those with the new “W” visa could move between employers (not be stuck with one employer), get the same wages as similarly situated American workers and apply for green cards on their own (not have to depend on employer sponsorship).

The business-labor compromise marks real progress if senators don’t use it as an opportunity to delay or derail the larger effort to fix our obsolete immigration system.

The post ‘Gang of Eight’ needs to deliver immigration fix appeared first on .

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Extended for Hondurans

admin — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:50:05 +0000

Current Honduran beneficiaries seeking to extend their Temporary Protection Status must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period that runs from April 3, 2013, through June 3, 2013. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages beneficiaries to register as soon as possible once the 60-day re-registration period begins. Applications will not be accepted before April 3, 2013.

The 18-month extension also allows Temporary Protection Status re-registrants to apply for a new employment authorization document (EAD). Eligible Honduran Temporary Protection Status beneficiaries who request an EAD and meet the re-registration deadline will receive a new EAD with an expiration date of Jan. 5, 2015. USCIS recognizes that some re-registrants may not receive their new EADs until after their current EADs expire. Therefore, USCIS is automatically extending current TPS Honduras EADs that have a July 5, 2013, expiration date for an additional six months. These existing EADs are now valid through Jan. 5, 2014.

To re-register, current TPS beneficiaries must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status. Temporary Protection Status re-registrants must also submit Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, but no application fee is required if the re-registrant does not want an EAD. Re-registrants do not need to pay the Form I-821 application fee, but they must submit the biometric services fee, or a fee waiver request, if they are 14 years or older. All TPS re-registrants applying for an EAD must submit the Form I-765 application fee, or a fee waiver request.

TPS applicants may request that USCIS waive any fees by filing a Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, or by submitting a personal letter requesting these fees be waived. Failure to submit the required filing fees or a properly documented fee waiver request will result in rejection of the entire TPS application.

The post Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Extended for Hondurans appeared first on .

Immigration Lawyer in West Palm Beach

admin — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:28:28 +0000

The most sought after country for people across the globe wishing to visit or stay or seek permanent citizenship is the United States of America. Among other reasons, it is due to the opportunity the country presents for leading a rich life style. Staying in the United States brings many obligations and responsibilities for the people going from other countries. As such it is obligatory on these people to follow some procedural laws and requirements to stay in the USA for any length of time. That means all foreigners, wishing to live in the USA need to follow the country’s immigration laws to qualify for a visa for the specific purpose of coming down from their native countries.

Among prominent places in the USA, immigration Lawyers of West Palm Beach Florida occupies a respectable place in providing the required service in the area of immigration. People already living in the country and people seeking fresh asylum, both have to abide by these immigration laws. People who qualify for permanent stay in the USA are awarded green card which is considered as a permanent visa. People with green cards also need to stay away from illegal and unlawful activities to avoid the risk of deportation. It is therefore advisable for all foreign people to make all possible efforts to stay legally in the USA.

It is in the context that immigration Lawyers experienced in the field offer several legal options for these foreign people who wish to stay or seek asylum due to certain conditions in their home countries. The West Palm Beach immigration lawyers extend exceptional services to foreign people in the following related areas.

Citizenship
Immigration
Deportation
Permanent Visas or Green cards
Political Asylum and Refugees
Temporary Visas

Broadly, all foreign people wishing to seek an American Visa need services in the following important areas.

Visa restrictions
Replacing a certificate of citizenship
Cancellation of removal
Travelling outside the US without green card
Biometric laws
Deportability grounds
Sanctuary cities and immigration
Relief from deportation or removal
Fiancé Visa
Birthright citizenship laws
Student visas etc.

Immigration is a lengthy process with several legal angles to take care of. Preparation of the case in due regards to your problem and possible solution to it by a good lawyer can save a lot of time and money. Therefore, when it comes to choosing an immigration lawyer, it is better to do some good home work before you decide on someone or some . The first and foremost point is to check on the credentials of the lawyer. You can either look into their standing with the bar association or read reviews in the yellow pages. Alternatively, you can also seek advice of your colleagues or friends who with their experience in a similar situation can lead you to a good lawyer. A good lawyer can help about the ins and outs of the immigration angle you are in, complete the paper work efficiently and ensure you that the filing process goes smoothly to give you the result you need, and hand over all legal papers to you.

The post Immigration Lawyer in West Palm Beach appeared first on .

Immigration Bill

admin — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:35:44 +0000

Key Senate Dem chides lamwakers, says immigration bill moving too slowly

By Carrie Dann, NBC News

A day after a half-dozen Republican senators urged a slower and more public process for the crafting of immigration legislation, a key Democrat said that the timeline for completion of a bill will be delayed because closed-door negotiations have yet to produce a draft.

In a statement, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy lamented that his goal of completing a tentative version of a comprehensive reform bill by April won’t be met.

“Because we do not yet have legislative language to debate, the Senate Judiciary Committee will not be able to report a comprehensive immigration bill by the end of April, which was my goal,” Leahy said.

Leahy said that he has asked the White House to release its own version of reform legislation “for months” but that President Barack Obama has deferred to the bipartisan “Gang of Eight,” which is working on compromise legislation.

That group, Leahy wrote, has “engaged in secret, closed door discussions on their own proposal and … committed to completing it by the beginning of March. That deadline and others have come and gone.”

The chairman’s statement comes a day after a group of Republican senators urged a slower process for the reform effort, writing to Leahy that the legislative language could present a “real problem” if it comes to the floor without being discussed in open committee hearings.

“If we are serious about protecting our national interest and the best interests of American workers, we must provide all members of the Senate, and, most importantly, the public, a full and fair opportunity to become adequately informed,” the group wrote.

At the end of this week, the Senate is scheduled to go on a two-week Easter recess.

The post Immigration Bill appeared first on .