USCIS Forms Update Notice
Recently USCIS updated the following form(s):
12/09/2024 01:22 PM EST
Edition Date: 12/09/24. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page of Form G-1055, Fee Schedule.
10/24/2024 10:06 AM EDT
Recently USCIS updated the following form(s):
12/09/2024 01:22 PM EST
Edition Date: 12/09/24. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page of Form G-1055, Fee Schedule.
10/24/2024 10:06 AM EDT
On January 2nd, 2013, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens present in the United States without a visa, who are in the process of seeking immigrant visas to become lawful U.S. permanent residents, may apply and be approved for provisional unlawful presence waivers before departing the United States to attend their immigrant visa interviews. USCIS will begin accepting provisional unlawful presence waivers on March 4th, 2013.
I am a US citizen. I am planning to file an I-130 in January 2025 for my mom, who is currently residing in India. She plans to visit us in July 2025 (on her visitor visa, valid until Feb 2026). Can she travel to the US while the I-130 has been filed and is pending? What additional preparation/papers would she need if this is an issue? I have heard cases of denied entries in similar cases. I thought of postponing the I-130 until after her US visit next year, but I fear the process may slow down under the new administration. Please advise what would be the right thing to do since we would like for her to visit us in 2025.
If you are filing an I-130 for your parent, they can generally travel to the U.S. on a visitor visa while the petition is pending. Theoretically, they could face issues at entry due to the pending green card application, but in practice, parents of U.S. citizens are rarely stopped for this reason.
To reduce the risk of being denied entry, consider having your parent use an immigration pre-clearance airport, like Abu Dhabi or Dublin, so they can return home easily if denied. While past practices suggest minimal issues, policies could change, especially under unpredictable administrations.
IMMIGRATION INNOVATION (I2) ACT OF 2013
ORRIN HATCH (R-UTAH), AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MINN.), MARCO RUBIO (R-FLA.), CHRIS COONS (D-DEL.)
Employment-Based Nonimmigrant H-1B Visas
1. Increase H-1B cap from 65,000 to 115,000
2. Establish a market-based H-1B escalator, so that the cap can adjust – up or down – to the demands of the economy (includes a 300,000 ceiling on the ability of the escalator to move)
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mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
My father is a green card holder (five years, three months now). He has spent 33 months in the US in the last five years and for 6 months every calendar year. The issue is that on two of his most recent trips, he was out of the US for nine months, six weeks, and 11 days.
He has always been retired and has not held a job in the US or abroad. His daughter and family continued to stay in the US during these trips. He does not own a house in the US but stays with his daughter and her family and continues to have access to that residence during these trips. He does own property in India and has continued to hold that same property over the last five years. His trips abroad were to visit his other children.
What are the rough chances of "rebutting the presumption of break of continuous presence", if he applies for naturalization, despite these two trips of 9 months and 6 months two weeks ? Would you recommend going through a lawyer ?
Regarding the 9-month absence that is being questioned, if he doesn't own a house but still has access to the residence, it should be acceptable as long as there's a valid explanation for his absence of more than six months. This situation has occurred before. For example, if he couldn't return due to reasons like COVID-19, health issues, or similar circumstances, as long as these reasons are clearly explained, it should be acceptable.
Regarding the 9-month absence being questioned, if he doesn't own a house but still has access to the residence, it should be acceptable if there's a valid explanation for his absence of more than six months. This situation has occurred before. For example, if he couldn't return due to reasons like COVID-19, health issues, or similar circumstances, it should be acceptable if these reasons are clearly explained.
A permanent resident card or green card (USCIS Form I-551) is proof of your permanent resident status in the United States. It also serves as a valid identification document and proof that you are eligible to live and work in the United States. Although some, green cards contain no expiration date, most are valid for 10 years. If you have been granted conditional permanent resident status, the card is valid for 2 years.
I have a family-based green card. For my job, I need to travel outside of the US for 150-160 days (3 days per week for the entire year). I am worried that I may lose my green card. What shall I do to retain my green card and still maintain this schedule of travel for my job?
To maintain your green card during extended absences:
FAQs: GC approval before AC21 Supplement J could be filed || H-1B grace period eligibility after second layoff and B-1/B-2 visa options for job search
My I-485 was pending for 9 months (concurrent filing), and I worked all these years (4 years) with my sponsoring employer. My I-140 was approved 4 months ago, and I received EAD and AP as well. At the end of 8 months, I resigned from my employer to take advantage of AC21 (moving to a similar position) and was on notice period. My new employer was ready to file I-485J when asked by USCIS. During my last working week with my sponsoring employer, my 485 got approved, and I received my GC. Can you please advise on what kind of documentation I need to get from my new employer to help with any future naturalization process since I can't file I-485J as my case has been approved?
To ensure compliance and maintain proper documentation, I recommend gathering your proof of employment with the sponsoring employer when your green card was approved. It's important to request written confirmation from your new employer showing they were prepared to file Supplement J before your transition. Keep any prepared Form I-485 Supplement J documentation, even if it wasn't filed due to the timing of your green card approval. Additionally, maintain detailed job descriptions from both positions to demonstrate they were "same or similar" positions as required by immigration law. Store all these documents securely for the long term, as you may need them during the naturalization process to verify compliance. This documentation will help protect you and demonstrate that you followed proper procedures during your employment transition, even though the green card approval occurred before Form I-485 Supplement J could be filed.
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
FAQs: US Visa & Social Media: What you need to know about new screening policies and their impact
FAQs: What are the risks of job seeking while on F-2 or B-1/B-2 status post-H-1B layoff || F-1 COS -- Risks of future denials, job search, and visa stamping with multiple status changes || H-4 extension (I-539) abandoned by travel? Re-filing strategy after re-entry with new I-94
Release Date
08/01/2025
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual that will enhance the capability to screen and vet family-based immigrant visa petitions. This update explains requirements and adjudication of these petitions, including eligibility criteria, filing, interviews, and decisions.