CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Russian

LOCATION: Strongsville, OH

Our client contacted us in March 2021 to seek legal representation for her naturalization application. She came to the United States from Russia and obtained her green card in April 2018 through her marriage to a US citizen spouse. 

We filed her N-400 application on April 1, 2021. On November 22, 2021, our client appeared at the Cleveland, OH USCIS office for her naturalization interview. Our client answered all questions correctly and passed her naturalization and citizenship interview. Eventually, on December 2, 2021, her application was approved. Her oath taking is scheduled in which she will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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CASE: J-2 Waiver of Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement / Over 21-year-old dependent child

NATIONALITY: Russian

LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY

Our client is a citizen of Russia who came to the U.S. on a J-2 Visa in February 1998.  He came with his father who came on a J-1 Visa for his research program in the United States. Both were subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement, meaning they had to go back to their home country for two-years before they can apply for permanent residency or some non-immigrant visa such as the H, L, and O visas.

He turned 21 in November 2010. This year, his employer wanted to file an I-140 petition for him. The I-140 was possible, but the eventual I-485 adjustment of status (green card) was not possible due to the two year foreign residency requirement.

Although J-2 dependents cannot independently apply for a waiver, in cases where a J-2 child reaches 21, the Waiver Review Division may consider requests for waivers on behalf of the J-2 dependent.  The Department of State’s policy allows for that process in instances where the J-2 dependent obtains a divorce form the J-1 principal, the J-1 principal dies, or in cases where the J-2 dependent turns 21, which is our client’s case. In fact, our client turned 21 in November 2010.

Our firm was retained to do her J-2 waiver, and on March 3, 2020, the J-2 Waiver application (Form DS-3035 and supporting documents) was filed to the Department of State. We also sent a request to the DOS to be an interested government agency and recommend this waiver based on the fact that our client reached the age of 21 and was not a dependent of a J-1 visa holder anymore.  Eventually, on June 29, 2020, the DOS recommended to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) that our client be granted a waiver.  On July 29, 2020, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for our client’s waiver request.

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CASE: J-2 Waiver of Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement / Over 21-year-old dependent child

NATIONALITY: Russian

LOCATION: Bar Harbor, ME

Our client was a citizen of Russia who came to the U.S. on a J-2 Visa in November 1998. She eventually became a Canadian citizen. She came with her mother who came on a J-1 Visa for her research program in the United States. Both were subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement, meaning they had to go back to their home country for two-years before they can apply for permanent residency or some non-immigrant visa such as the H, L, and O visas.

After our client came to the United States, she attended a school and then moved to Canada after her mother’s research program ended. Our client came back to the United States in 2019 on a TN visa.

She turned 21 in November 2016. This year, her employer wanted to file an H-1B petition for her. However, because of her two-year foreign residency requirement, our client cannot change her status in the United States without fulfilling the 2-year foreign residency requirement, or obtaining a waiver.. 

Although J-2 dependents cannot independently apply for a waiver, in cases where a J-2 child reaches 21, the Waiver Review Division may consider requests for waivers on behalf of the J-2 dependent.  The Department of State’s policy allows for that process in instances where the J-2 dependent obtains a divorce form the J-1 principal, the J-1 principal dies, or in cases where the J-2 dependent turns 21, which is our client’s case. In fact, our client turned 21 in November 2016.

Our firm was retained to do her J-2 waiver, and on December 20, 2019, the J-2 Waiver application (Form DS-3035 and supporting documents) was filed to the Department of State. We also sent a request to the DOS to be an interested government agency and recommend this waiver based on the fact that our client reached the age of 21 and was not a dependent of a J-1 visa holder anymore.  Eventually, on June 1, 2020, the DOS recommended to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) that our client be granted a waiver.  On June 23, 2020, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for our client’s waiver request.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Russian                                                                                                  

LOCATION: Cleveland, Ohio

Our client is from Russia who came to the U.S. on a B-2 visitor’s visa in January 2018. In April 2018, our client married her current U.S. citizen husband.  After she got married, she retained our office for her green card application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on May 25, 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 officel. On November 19, 2018, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland Ohio USCIS office. Attorney JP Sarmiento from our office also accompanied our clients. Eventually, on November 21, 2018, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: I-130 (Petition for Mother) and Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Russian

LOCATION: San Francisco, CA

Our client retained us to petition her mother for her green card. Our client was born and raised in Russia, but was naturalized in the United States in 2012. She contacted our office in February of 2017 and discussed with us the green card process. After consultation, she retained our office on February 6, 2017.

Once retained, our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Applications on March 23, 2017 for her mother.  Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices, fingerprint appointment, and work permit all came on time. On February 21, 2018, our client appeared at her I-485 adjustment of status interview at the San Francisco, California USCIS Field Office. Prior to the interview, our office prepared her via conference calls. Eventually, on February 22, 2018, our client’s mother’s adjustment of status application was approved. Now, she is a green card holder.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Russian                                                                                                        

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client is from Russia who came to the U.S. on a J-1 exchange visitor’s visa in June 2010. She had a complex immigration case, having filed a VAWA I-360 before that got denied, before retaining us. In September 2015, our client married her current U.S. citizen husband.  She retained our office in October 2015 for her green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 29, 2016.  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 January 13, 2017, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland Ohio USCIS office.  Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu also accompanied our clients. In November 2017, the USCIS issued a Request for Evidence and requested our client to do updated medical / vaccination check-up with the USCIS approved civil surgeon. Our client did it and submitted the sealed result to the USCIS Cleveland Field Office. Eventually, on December 11, 2017, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: I-751

APPLICANT: Russian

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client contacted our office in July of 2015 regarding her I-751 application.

She is from Russia and married a U.S. citizen in July 2013. Through her marriage, she obtained a 2-year conditional green card in November of 2013. Our office helped her in the green card process.  Her conditional residency terminated in November 2015.

To comply with immigration requirements, our client and her husband had to file an I-751 Joint Petition to Remove Conditions. She retained our office on August 10, 2015 and our office prepared an I-751 application for our client with supplemental exhibits.

On September 3, 2015, our office filed an I-751 application to the USCIS with multiple affidavits from her friends and family members, joint bank statements, utility bills, joint insurance documents, and photos of our client and her husband to demonstrate the bona fideness of their marriage.

Once the application was filed, the fingerprint notice was issued two weeks later. However, the USCIS issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) to demonstrate the bona fideness of our client’s marriage with her husband. We filed an extensive Response to RFE to the USCIS with more bona fide marital documents on April 29, 2016.

Eventually, on May 24, 2016, the USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application.

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CASE: Fiancée Visa

PETITIONER: US Citizen in Cleveland Ohio

BENEFICIARY: Russian

PETITION FILED: January 5, 2016

PETITION APPROVED: March 4, 2016

K-1 VISA APPROVED: May 10, 2016

Our client, a US Citizen Petitioner, met his Russian fiancée in Russia in 2014. They started their relationship in 2015 while he visited Russia again. His fiancée also visited the United States to see him in the summer of 2015. In October 2015, he proposed to her during his trip in Russia. After his proposal, he retained our firm to file a fiancée petition for her.

After retention, we informed our client about the necessary supporting documents to demonstrate the bona fide nature of their relationship. Our client retained our office on November 25, 2015. We helped him and his fiancée draft letters in support of the fiancé petition, and we filed the petition on January 5, 2016.

On March 4, 2016, less than two months of the filing, the I-129F fiancée petition was approved. On May 10, 2016, our client’s fiancée appeared at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia for her K-1 visa interview. The interview went well, and on the same day, the U.S. Embassy issued her K-1 visa.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Green Card / J-2 Waiver of Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement Post-Divorce

NATIONALITY: Russian

LOCATION: Virginia

Our client is a citizen of Russia who initially came to the U.S. on a J-2 Visa in February 1995. He came with his ex-wife who held a J-1 Visa as a visiting researcher. Both were subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement. Later, both of them started to work at International Governmental Organizations in the United States under G-4 visas. However, they were still subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement.

Unfortunately, their marriage did not work out and he eventually got divorced from his ex-wife. He remained in the United States and has continuously worked for his employer under the G-4 visa.

In September 2011, our client married his U.S. citizen wife. She wanted to file an I-130 petition for him, but he could not file for adjustment of status application because of the two-year foreign residency requirement.

He contacted our office, and our firm was retained to do his J-2 waiver on February 12, 2014.

On February 19, 2014 the J-2 Waiver was filed to the Department of State. We also sent a request to the DOS to be an interested government agency and recommend this waiver based on the fact that our client was divorced from the J-1 visa holder.

On March 17, 2014, the DOS sent a recommendation to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) for our client be granted a waiver. On April 1, 2014, the USCIS issued the I-612 waiver approval.

After he obtained the waiver of his 2 year foreign residency requirement, he retained our office again for his adjustment of status application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on September 30, 2014. 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 via conference calls. On May 5, 2015, our client was interviewed at the Fairfax, Virginia USCIS office. Eventually, on September 8, 2015, his green card was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Russian

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our Russian client came to the United States on a F-1 student visa to pursue her ESL Program in September 2011. She married a U.S. Citizen in June 2013 and retained our office on March 27, 2014 for her green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on April 21, 2014.  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 3, 2014, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, OH USCIS office.  Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office accompanied our clients as well. On the same day, her green card application was approved.

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