Applying for asylum is an intimidating process that may have a number of outcomes. Fortunately, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has broken down each of the potential decisions that an asylum applicant in California may receive. The possible decisions for...
Returning hope to diversity visa lottery winners
Each year, thousands of foreign citizens from around the globe apply for a prized U.S. visa through the government's Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program). Many winners relocate to California. The idea of the DV Program is to give internationals from countries...
Some green cards expiring on Sept. 30
Many California immigrants who are present in the U.S. on work visas have applied for adjustments of status to secure green cards. Unfortunately, however, the Biden administration has done little to speed up the process, and a large number of green cards will likely...
Employment-based immigration increases expected in October
Employment-based immigration allows foreigners to immigrate to a country and obtain permanent residency through their work. An employment-based immigrant visa makes it easier to eventually become a permanent resident or citizen. In contrast, a non-immigrant visa does...
Revised asylum interview priority schedule is making a difference
The constantly changing immigration laws demand that California attorneys practicing in this area keep abreast of asylum procedures. On Jan. 29, 2018, the Asylum Division of USCIS moved to restore the prioritization of asylum applications to the original plan that was...
What crimes can impact your immigration status?
There is no question that immigrants in the United States are held to a different set of standards than natural-born citizens. This means that they must be particularly careful to avoid committing any crimes that can result in a loss of their immigration status and...
Changes to H-2B visas
Recently, the Department of Labor announced some key changes to the H-2B visa program. These visas are designed to bring skilled, temporary non-agricultural workers to the U.S. The new rules not only create more available visas to address America's labor shortage....
Remain in Mexico asylum seekers to be given second chance
Thousands of asylum seekers who were detained by federal authorities in border states like California and Texas and returned to Mexico may be given another chance to start new lives in the United States. President Biden put an end to his predecessor’s controversial...
Are children of U.S. citizens also U.S. citizens?
Many immigrants in California want to become naturalized U.S. citizens, but they might not understand how the process works. The law could apply differently based on someone's specific immigration category. A child of a United States citizen, for example, follows...
What is the difference between affirmative and defensive asylum?
Immigrants in California attempting to secure residency status for other family members living in countries with significant violence or political strife face two different types of asylum processes: affirmative and defensive. Affirmative is the easier of the two, yet...
