Obtaining a green card through marriage is one of the most common paths to U.S. residency for foreign spouses of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPRs). However, when a couple lives separately, the process can become significantly more challenging. Physical separation, whether due to work, immigration status, or personal circumstances, can raise red flags...
Family Based Immigration
Within a week of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opening applications for its new Parole in Place program, a Federal Judge blocked the initiative in response to a federal lawsuit filed by Texas and 16 Republican-led states. This program was designed to support non-citizen spouses and stepchildren who entered the U.S. without proper admission...
The Department of State Reciprocity Schedule is a crucial resource for anyone involved in the U.S. immigration process, whether you are petitioning for an immigrant relative, the Beneficiary in a petition, or filing for a non-immigrant status. This article shall provide details on the reciprocity schedule, explaining what it is, how it works, and why...
Starting August 19, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting online applications for its new Parole in Place program, introduced under the “Keeping Families Together” initiative. This program is designed to assist non-citizen spouses and stepchildren who entered the U.S. without proper admission or parole. By granting temporary Parole in Place, these individuals...
This article initially set out to compare the pros and cons of filing an Immigrant Petition for a foreign national spouse (Form I-130) versus a fiancé(e) visa (Form I-129F). However, while reviewing the estimated processing times on the USCIS website, the path is no longer clear. In general, fiancé(e) visas had a shorter processing time,...
Jul182024
In June we reported that the Biden administration had announced a parole-in-place program to help unite families. This new initiative aimed to benefit those married to a U.S. Citizen who had entered without admission or parole and had continuously resided in the U.S. for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024. Although precise...
On June 17, the Biden administration unveiled a new initiative allowing certain spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for “parole-in-place” through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Although marriage to a US Citizen allows a foreign national to obtain a green card, those without a legal entry are forced to leave the U.S. and return...
Consular Processing versus Adjustment of Status for Spouses For many foreign nationals married to U.S. citizens (USC) or lawful permanent residents (LPR), the ultimate goal is to obtain permanent residency in the United States. However, the process of achieving this status can vary significantly depending on whether the individual pursues Consular Processing or Adjustment of...