Latest Articles
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G-639 Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request
Posted on September 21, 2021Form G-639, Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request (FOIA), is used to request USCIS immigration records (for yourself or someone else with their permission) as well as agency policies, data, and other types of records. Before using USCIS FOIA Form G-639 to request documents, you should check to ensure that USCIS has not already added them to your USCIS account or that they are not already available in the Electronic Reading Room. If you want to avoid mail processing, you can make your FOIA request online, otherwise use the instructions laid out in this post. (more…)
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October 2021 Visa Bulletin: Analysis & Predictions
Posted on September 16, 2021One of the biggest parts of getting a green card in the U.S. is waiting for your priority date to be current. For those that have invested the time, effort, and money into an immigrant visa, questions arise such as "How long will it take for my date to be current?" and "Can I speed this process up?." We provide regular monthly updates on the most recent visa bulletin, analyze the date movements, and predict upcoming months to help answer these questions. This month, we’ll go over the October 2021 visa bulletin. (more…)
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USCIS Ombudsman | Requesting Help Guide
Posted on September 14, 2021The Ombudsman is an independently operated organization within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that helps individuals and employers with issues or problems related to their immigration case with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This arm of the Department of Homeland Security also takes measures to pinpoint systemic issues within USCIS and make suggestions to improve processes. USCIS ombudsman case assistance is offered at no charge and as a service to the public if they have attempted to resolve their issue with USCIS customer service but still need additional help. This post will explore ways to seek help from…
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Proxy Marriage | How to Obtain U.S. Immigration Validity
Posted on September 07, 2021Although the pandemic might've seen a rise in interest in proxy marriages, the concept has existed for a while. However, just because a virtual wedding is possible doesn't mean that USCIS will recognize that wedding for the purposes of a marriage-based green card. Learn the intricacies of having USCIS recognize virtual weddings, proxy marriage state rules, and more through this post. (more…)
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IMBRA Law | International Marriage Broker Regulation Act
Posted on September 03, 2021Unfortunately, immigrants can be targets of domestic abusers. Criminals can take advantage of an immigrant's lack of knowledge of American laws or the language. The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) aims to protect immigrants who are arrived through marriage green cards from abusive spouses. Learn about an immigrant's legal rights and how IMBRA can help. (more…)
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COVID-19 Vaccine Required for Green Card Applicants
Posted on August 30, 2021Beginning October 1, USCIS along with the United States Department of State (DHS) will be requiring green card applicants, seeking either refugee or lawful permanent status to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and show proof of it at their medical exam. This new I-693 Medical Exam vaccine requirement will apply to any permanent resident applicant (with exceptions permissible) who has a medical exam (by the Civil Surgeon or Panel Physician) scheduled on or past October 1st, 2021. Green card applicants are already required to be vaccinated for other diseases that would deem them inadmissible to the United States such as…
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ITIN – Everything You Need to Know as an Immigrant
Posted on August 30, 2021It is a widespread mistruth that undocumented immigrants who work but do not have social security numbers evade paying taxes for their wages. Just because you are undocumented does not exempt you from paying taxes like a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident would. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN for short, is a 9-digit number used by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States for federal tax reporting and processing for people who work including undocumented immigrants. More specifically, an ITIN is given to certain foreign nationals, nonresidents, their dependents, and spouses who are not eligible…
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What are the USCIS Certified Translation Requirements
Posted on August 23, 2021One of the many requirements when submitting documents to USCIS related to your immigration case is a certified translation of any document that is not in English. Typically, these include birth certificates, divorce certificates, marriage certificates, academic degrees, death certificates, passports, bank statements, police records, transcripts, affidavits, and so more. The exact requirements are laid out in the code of Federal Regulations, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). The section below falls under the requirement of USCIS Certified translations. Any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS shall be accompanied by a full English language translation which the translator has certified as complete and accurate,…