Which Relatives May a US Citizen Bring to the US?

The State Department issues family-based immigrant visas to citizens of a foreign country who are sponsored by the immediate relative of a US citizen. More distant relatives and relatives of a lawful permanent resident may be eligible for a family preference visa. There are many reasons that US citizens and lawful permanent residents (green card […]
Can ICE Investigators Use a Private Database?

The federal agency charged with enforcing immigration laws, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has surprised Congress with its willingness to invade the privacy of citizens while searching for people who entered or remained in the country without proper documents. Researchers at Georgetown University discovered that ICE is paying for access to private databases that […]
Who Needs to Take a US Citizenship Test and How Should One Prepare for it?

Immigrants who have permanent residence in the United States often hope to become US citizens. While the number of immigrants who become American citizens rises and falls each year, about 844,000 green card holders became US citizens in 2019. Permanent residents need to satisfy several requirements before they become eligible to apply for US citizenship. […]
What Are the Penalties for Committing Immigration Marriage Fraud?

Noncitizens who marry American citizens are given a preference in obtaining visas that will allow them to enter or remain in the United States. Since many noncitizens value the opportunity to live and work in America, that preference is valuable. In some cases, a citizen might propose or enter into a sham marriage solely for […]
Applying for a green card through marriage
What Employers Need To Know About I-9 Compliance

Regulation of I-9 form requirements fall within the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). Even though IRCA sounds like immigration law, it actually prohibits employers from hiring any individual, including US citizens, for US employment without using Form I-9. That is, every employer who recruits, refers for a fee, or hires an individual for […]
How Getting Charged with a DUI can Affect My Chances of Getting a Green Card?

When applying for a US permanent resident aka green card, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will want to know whether or not the person applying has been implicated in any criminal related acts, other than getting traffic tickets. Here, we are going to talk about how getting charged with a DUI can affect […]
If I have a green card, do I need to apply for US citizenship?

While some people are in too much of a hurry to apply for US citizenship, most green card holders have no idea that they qualify for US citizenship or do not know how to go about it. As a legal resident of the US – permanent or conditional, you already have your green card. The […]
Examining U.S. Immigration Statistics

Every three months, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) releases a report with up-to-date statistics on U.S. immigration. Prepared by the DHS’ Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS), this report provides recent figures on lawful permanent residents, refugee arrivals, and naturalizations, among others. Lawful Permanent Residents In their report, the OIS provides a breakdown of how […]
What is the Shifting Landscape of DACA Immigration?

An immigration program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has been featured prominently in the news of late. Today we will explore the presently shifting landscape for the DACA program. What is DACA? Created on June 15, 2012, the U.S. Government rolled out the DACA program to protect the interests of children who were […]