CASE: I-751

APPLICANT: Iranian

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client contacted our office in June of 2020 regarding his I-751 application.

He is from Iran and he  married a U.S. citizen in January 2018. He obtained a 2-year conditional green card in August 2018.  His conditional residency terminated in August 2020.

To comply with immigration requirements, our client and his wife had to file an I-751 Joint Petition to Remove Conditions. He retained our office on June 12, 2020. On June 23, 2020, our office filed the I-751 application to the USCIS. There was no RFE. On March 18, 2021, the USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application. He received his 10-year green card.

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CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Iranian

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client contacted us in May 2020 to seek legal representation for his naturalization and citizenship N-400 application. He came to the United States from Iran and he obtained his green card in September 2014. 

His N-400 application was filed on May 19, 2020. Prior to his citizenship interview, our office prepared him via conference calls.  On September 23, 2020, our client appeared at the Cleveland, OH USCIS office for his naturalization interview. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu, Esq. from our office also accompanied our client. Our client answered all questions correctly and passed his interview. On January 8, 2021, his application was approved. His oath taking is scheduled in which he will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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CASE: I-751

APPLICANT: Iranian

LOCATION: Coppell, TX

Our client contacted our office in September of 2019 regarding his I-751 application.

He is from Iran and he married a U.S. citizen. Through his marriage, he obtained a 2-year conditional green card in February of 2018. Thus, his conditional residency terminated in February 2020.  

To comply with immigration requirements, our client and his wife had to file an I-751 Joint Petition to Remove Conditions. He retained our office, and our office prepared an I-751 application for him. .

On November 25, 2019, our office filed the I-751 application to the USCIS with multiple affidavits from his friends and family members, joint bank statements, utility bills, joint tax documents, birth certificate of their child, and photos of our client and his wife to demonstrate the bona fideness of their marriage.

In December 2020, the USCIS scheduled an interview for our client and his wife at the USCIS Dallas Field Office.  Prior to the interview, our office prepared them thoroughly via conference calls. The interview went well on December 17, 2020. The USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application on January 4, 2021.  

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CASE: I-751

APPLICANT: Iranian

LOCATION: Wilson, NC

Our client contacted our office in March 2019 regarding his I-751 application.

He is from Iran and married a U.S. citizen in September 2015. Through his marriage, he obtained a 2-year conditional green card in June of 2017.  His conditional residency terminated in June 2019.

To comply with immigration requirements, our client and his wife had to file an I-751 Joint Petition to Remove Conditions. He retained our office on March 26, 2019, and our office prepared an I-751 application for our client with other supplemental exhibits.

On March 28, 2019, our office filed an I-751 application to the USCIS with multiple affidavits from his friends and family members, joint bank statements, joint taxes, utility bills, insurance policies, and photos of our client and his wife to demonstrate the bona fideness of their marriage.

Once the application was filed, the fingerprint notice was issued two weeks later. There was no RFE issuance or interview request for our client’s I-751 application. As a result, on January 29, 2020, the USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application and our client received his 10-year green card which removed the conditions.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Iranian

LOCATION: Lakewood, OH

Our client came to the United States from Iran with a F-1 student visa in February 2013. He married a U.S. Citizen in August 2018 and retained our office on April 18, 2019 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on May 22, 2019. Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices, fingerprint appointment, and work permits all came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients as well. On October 17, 2019, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney JP Sarmiento from our office accompanied our clients as well. Eventually, on the same day of his interview, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Iranian

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client came to the United States from Iran with a B-2 visitor’s visa in November 2014. In 2015, he changed his status from B-2 to F-1.  He married a U.S. Citizen in August 24, 2018 and retained our office on April 29, 2019 for his green card application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on May 7, 2019.  Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices, fingerprint appointment, and work permits all came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients as well. On August 26, 2019, our client was interviewed at Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office accompanied our clients as well. Eventually, on August 28, 2019, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: J-1 Waiver of the Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement, Extreme Hardship

 NATIONALITY:  Iranian

 LOCATION: Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Our client came from Iran and came to the U.S. as a J-1 short-term scholar in 2013.  In 2015, he got his F-1 status as a Ph.D. Student in the United States. His J-1 status made him subject to the two-year foreign resident requirement. Our client would like to file his adjustment of status application along with his I-140 NIW application; however, due to the two-year foreign residency requirement, he had to obtain a waiver first.

Unlike our other J-1 clients, our client could not pursue his waiver under No Objection Statement or Interest Government Agency (IGA). Our client also received government funding for his research programs which made his case tougher for the No Objection Statement or IGA waiver route. Our client, though, would like to pursue his J-1 waiver based on exceptional hardship standard. In fact, our client’s U.S. citizen son is experiencing exceptional medical hardships. 

According to 8 C.F.R. Section 212.7(c)(5), “an alien who is subject to the foreign residence requirement and who believes that compliance therewith would impose exceptional hardship upon her spouse or child who is a citizen of the United States… may apply for a waiver on Form I-612.” 

Some of the factors in analyzing extreme hardship are as follows: age of the subject, family ties in the U.S. and abroad, length and residency in the U.S., health / medical conditions, conditions in the country of removal – economic and political, financial status – business and occupation, position in / ties to the community. Matter of Anderson, 16 I&N Dec. 596 (BIA 1978). 

After he retained our firm, we prepared and filed a waiver request through an exceptional hardship basis. On July 31, 2017, the J-1 Waiver (Form DS-3035) Application was filed to the Department of State.  Thereafter, our office prepared affidavit of our client, extensive brief in support for our client’s J-1 waiver application, and other supporting documents. Our client provided us with extensive medical documents and doctor’s reports for his U.S. citizen son’s medical conditions.  On August 14, 2017, our office filed I-612 application to the USCIS and asked for them to issue and recommends this waiver based on the fact that our client’s son would experience exceptional hardship if our client needs to go back to Iran for two years. 

Eventually, the USCIS approved his I-612 waiver on August 19, 2019. Now that our client’s two-year foreign residency requirement is waived, he can file his adjustment of status application along with his NIW I-140 self-petition in the United States. 

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CASE: J-1 Waiver of the Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement – Hardship

NATIONALITY:  Iranian

LOCATION: Alabama

Our client came from Iran as a J-1 short-term scholar in 2011.  In 2012, he got his F-1 status as a Ph.D. Student in the United States. His J-1 visa made him subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement. Our client would like to file his adjustment of status application along with his I-140 NIW application; however, due to the two-year foreign residency requirement, he had to obtain a waiver first.

Unlike our other J-1 clients, our client could not pursue his waiver under No Objection Statement or Interest Government Agency (IGA). Our client also received government funding for his research programs which made his case tougher for the No Objection Statement or IGA waiver route. Our client, though, would like to pursue his J-1 waiver based on exceptional hardship standard. In fact, our client’s U.S. citizen daughter is experiencing exceptional medical hardships.

According to 8 C.F.R. Section 212.7(c)(5), “an alien who is subject to the foreign residence requirement and who believes that compliance therewith would impose exceptional hardship upon her spouse or child who is a citizen of the United States… may apply for a waiver on Form I-612.”

Some of the factors in analyzing extreme hardship are as follows: age of the subject, family ties in the U.S. and abroad, length and residency in the U.S., health / medical conditions, conditions in the country of removal – economic and political, financial status – business and occupation, position in / ties to the community. Matter of Anderson, 16 I&N Dec. 596 (BIA 1978).

After he retained our firm, we prepared and filed a waiver request through an exceptional hardship basis. On September 7, 2017, the J-1 Waiver (Form DS-3035) Application was filed to the Department of State.  Thereafter, our office prepared affidavit of our client, extensive brief in support for our client’s J-1 waiver application, and other supporting documents. Our client provided us with extensive medical documents and doctor’s reports for his U.S. citizen daughter’s medical conditions.  On September 25, 2017, our office filed I-612 application to the USCIS and asked for them to issue and recommends this waiver based on the fact that our client’s daughter would experience exceptional hardship if our client needs to go back to Iran for two years.

However, the USCIS issued Request for Evidence on July 5, 2018 and requested more hardship evidence from our client. Our office filed Response to RFE on July 19, 2018.

Eventually, the USCIS approved his I-612 waiver on March 4, 2019. Now that our client’s two-year foreign residency requirement is waived, he can file his adjustment of status application along with his NIW I-140 self-petition in the United States.  

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Iran                                                                                                  

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client is from Iran who came to the U.S. on a J-1 exchange visitor’s visa to pursue his research project. His J-1 program was not subject to the INA 212(e) two year foreign residency requirement. In January 2018, our client married his current U.S. citizen wife.  He retained our office on January 23, 2018 for his green card application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 21, 2018. Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices, fingerprint appointment, and work permits all came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients at our office. On August 24, 2018, our client was interviewed at Cleveland Ohio USCIS office. Attorney JP Sarmiento from our office accompanied our clients at their interview as well.  Eventually, on the same day of his interview, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Iranian                                                                                                        

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client is from Iran who came to the U.S. on a F-1 student visa to pursue his dental degree. In March 2017, our client married his current U.S. citizen wife.  He retained our office on July 24, 2017 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition I-485 and Adjustment of Status Application on August 3, 2017. Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices, fingerprint appointment, and work permits all came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients at our office. On February 15, 2018, our client was interviewed at to Cleveland Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office accompanied our clients at their interview as well.  Eventually, on February 26, 2018, his green card application was approved.

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