Category Archives: us immigration

10 Immigrant Categories With No Financial Ability Restrictions!

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Money and Gavel

You may not be required to prove your financial ability to be eligible for immigration benefits!  There are certain groups of people who are either exempt from public charge, or may get a waiver for public charge when applying for a green card or other benefits with USCIS.  These include:

  1. Refugees  (or current refugees applying for adjustment to permanent resident status)
  2. Asylum applicants (or current asylees applying for adjustment to permanent resident status)
  3. Amerasian Immigrants (for their initial admission)
  4. Individuals granted relief under the Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA)
  5. Individuals granted relief under the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA)
  6. Individuals granted relief under the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (HRIFA)
  7. Individuals applying for a T Visa or have one and are trying to become a permanent resident and get a green card
  8. Individuals applying for a U Visa or have one and are trying to become a permanent resident and get a green card
  9. Applicants for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
  10. Certain applicants under the LIFE Act Provisions

If you have any questions or concerns regarding if you need to prove your financial ability or file an Affidavit of Support, feel free to contact us at Your Immigration Angel!

Your Facebook Relationship Status Might Say: “It’s Complicated,” But Understanding Your Immigration Status Shouldn’t Be! 

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Puzzled male shrugging wearing lab coat

It’s true that immigration is a complicated area of law.   At Your Immigration Angel, we stay at the forefront of changing immigration policy and legislation.  Even if your circumstances are complicated, we can answer your immigration questions and create the best strategies for you.  For example, if the National Benefits Center still has not granted your Motion to Terminate after your AOS interview, we can help you to make sure that USCIS or EOIR proceeds with the adjudication of your adjustment of status. What about an I-130 petition for a noncitizen who is detained?  We can help you with that as well by requesting an expedited action with USCIS and the ICE counsel.  There are often options that you may not know exist.  That’s when our experienced Los Angeles immigration attorneys can help you!  Contact us for your free initial consultation today!  You can find many convenient ways to contact us on our “About Page.”

Immigrants in California Are Valuable Assets to the Economy and Are Achieving Increasingly Higher Levels of Education!

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Greetings CA postcard

Did you know that according to 2012 data, more than half of young adults in California ages 16 to 26 were first- or second-generation immigrants?  This should not come as a surprise if you consider that California is home to one-quarter of the nation’s immigrants!  Although some naysayers like to denigrate immigrants as uneducated high school dropouts or worse, statistics show that recent immigrants to California include a large number of highly educated workers.  Although it is important to note the wide spread of ages in the Current Population Survey data, let’s look at some of the numbers:

For Californian adults aged 25 to 65:

  • 8% immigrants had a high school level education, compared to 23.3% of U.S. citizens.
  • 1% of immigrants had achieved a bachelor’s level degree, as compared to 37.2% of U.S. citizen adults.

Even better, among recent immigrants aged 24 and over who arrived in California between 2005 through 2008:

  • 41% had at least a bachelor’s degree!!! 

Immigrants in California are attaining higher educational levels, and while many still add valuable work to the unskilled labor forces, many are helping the U.S. and California economies by joining the higher skilled workforce as well.  And that is good news for all of us!

Why are United States Visa applications for Permanent Immigration (Green Cards) Backlogged?

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Multi-Ethnic Hands Reaching For American Flag Umbrella

Every hopeful immigrant knows that there are constraints on the availability and issuance of United States Green Cards.  The limited availability of U.S. visa creates the main backlog on green card applications.  Employment-based green cards for foreign workers and their families are also limited by the United States government, and the 2015 cap has been set at 144,000 per year, world-wide.  Family-sponsored preference categories for 2015 are limited to 226,000 visas per year.  USCIS also places a total annual cap on the amount of visas that can be issued to foreign nationals from any particular country.  For 2015, no country can receive more than 7 percent of the total annual number of family-sponsored and employment-based visas or approximately 25,600 visas.

Top 5 Reasons a Marriage Based Green Card Application is Denied by USCIS

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broken heart with band aid

Obtaining a marriage based green card may be a dream come true for many couples.  However, this sweet dream can instead become a nightmare if you or your spouse’s green card application is denied.   Although romantic and comedic movies have been made about how fun and easy it is to obtain a marriage based green card, that is often far from the truth.  In reality, immigration law is a complex field, and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services must adhere to strict rules and regulations.  There are many reasons a marriage based green card application may be rejected, but the following are some of the most common causes of denial.

  1. Incorrect Green Card  Application, Wrong Fee, Incorrect Mailing Address for USCIS
  2. USCIS Considers Your Marriage a “Sham” or Fraudulent Marriage
  3. Lack of Financial Security to Become a U.S. Citizen
  4. Misunderstanding Your U.S. Green Card Eligibility
  5. USCIS Determines Ineligibility Based on Crimes, Previous Marriages

If you have any questions or concerns about whether your marriage green card application or if your marriage will be questioned by immigration officials when you apply for a U.S. green card, feel free to contact us today!

Are You Interested in Finding Out More About the Status of Your Immigration Application?

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uscislogo

Learning About the Status of Your  Immigration Application

Your immigration journey is one that may have been long in the planning and the making.  If you have any applications submitted to USCIS, you may be anvious to know of any change in status or progress in your case.  Did you know that checking the status of your application is often quite simple?   In many instances, you can log onto USCIS’s website and select ‘My Case Status’.

It is important to note that an e-filled receipt number is not necessarily available through this option for at least 72 hours after submitting your forms.

In case you are unable to get a status update, you can also contact the USCIS National Customer Service Center. Before you contact the department, make certain that you have your specific information from your application handy so you are ready to provide this information.