CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Indian

LOCATION: Parma, OH

Our client contacted us in February 2022 to seek legal representation for her naturalization application. She came to the United States from India and obtained her green card in April 2017.

Her N-400 application was filed on February 17, 2022 with all supporting documents. Prior to her citizenship interview, our office prepared her in our office.  On July 22, 2022, our client appeared at the Cleveland, OH USCIS office for her naturalization interview. Attorney JP Sarmiento from our office accompanied our client. She answered all questions correctly and passed her naturalization civics test. On August 9, 2022, her application was approved. Her oath taking is scheduled in which she will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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CASE: I-140 / National Interest Waiver

CLIENT: Korean

LOCATION: Beachwood, OH

Our client contacted us about the possibility of doing a National Interest Waiver self-petition. He is in the United States as a F-2 visa holder and is an outstanding financial specialist with proved achievement in financing, investment, and derivatives. He also did a Master’s program in Financial Mathematics in the United States. Our client is a highly regarded international financial specialist who is more than capable of providing top-notch financial services to the US and international companies in the field of cross-border finance business.

Upon review of his credentials and qualifications, our office determined that he was qualified for the National Interest Waiver (NIW) category. Being qualified for NIW is beneficial since you would not need an employer nor family member to petition for you for green card purposes. You’d be eligible for a self-petition and unless you are from China or India, in which case you’d still have to wait for priority dates to be current, you would be eligible to apply for adjustment of status (green card) immediately without any lag in priority dates.

As a primer, NIW applicants must have a master’s or higher degree. While we prepared his case, the AAO set the new standards for NIW cases in Matter of Dhanasar, 26 I&N Dec. 884 (AAO 2016). Under the new standard, the petitioner must demonstrate that the foreign national’s proposed endeavor has both substantial merit and national importance. Next, it must be shown that he or she is well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor. Finally, the petitioner seeking the waiver needs to demonstrate that, on balance, it would be beneficial to the United States to waive the job offer and labor certification requirements. Id. 

Our office concluded that our client’s professional work is of substantial merit. Given that he has a plan to provide such services to US companies and multinational companies expanding business in the United Sates, his work will have merits on providing solutions and customized financial products to US companies financing funds at cheap cost in international financial markets, stimulating multinational companies producing products in the United Sates; and therefore, stimulating corporations to create jobs in the United States.

Our office prepared a 31-page brief for our client’s NIW filing. Our client also obtained 10 letters of recommendation from his colleagues and internationally-recognized finance professionals. Our office also included his work experience records, business plan, issuance reporting documents, and other materials in the NIW application. We demonstrated that our client is one of the few financial specialists who have made significant and substantial contributions to his field of endeavor, that he is well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor, and it would be beneficial to the United States to waive the requirements of a job offer and thus of a labor certification for our client. 

Our office filed his I-140(NIW) petition to the USCIS Nebraska Service Center on August 12, 2021. Eventually, on August 2, 2022, the USCIS approved his I-140 petition without any Request for Evidence (RFE).

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CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Chinese

LOCATION: Columbus, OH

Our client contacted us in March 2022 to seek legal representation for his naturalization application. He came to the United States from China and obtained his green card in May 2010. 

His N-400 application was filed on March 15, 2022 with all supporting documents. On July 20, 2022, our client appeared at the Columbus, OH USCIS office for his naturalization interview. Our client answered all questions correctly and passed his naturalization interview. On July 28, 2022, 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-485 Adjustment of Status based on approved I-360 Petition

NATIONALITY: Kenyan

LOCATION: Willoughby, OH

Our Kenyan client came to the U.S. in February 2005 with a J-2 visa. He married his U.S. citizen wife in December 2014. In December 2019, he contacted our office to seek legal representation for his I-360 petition. According to his story, our client’s marital life was tough and he eventually was abused by his spouse.  With his story and other evidence, our office determined that he would be eligible for I-360 self-petition as a spouse of an abusive U.S. citizen.

Our client experienced domestic violence and spousal abuse during his marriage. His wife physically and mentally abused our client throughout the years. Thus, we prepared and filed his I-360 petition, which included numerous exhibits and a detailed brief to the USCIS Vermont Service Center on January 24, 2020. 

Eventually, on April 4, 2022, the USCIS Vermont Service Center approved our client’s I-360 petition. While his I-360 petition was pending, our firm prepared and filed the Adjustment of Status Application on March 17, 2020.  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 all. On July 14, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, OH USCIS.  Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu accompanied our client as well. Eventually, on the same day of the interview, the USCIS approved our client’s adjustment of status application and issued a green card.

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CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Nigerian

LOCATION: Warrensville Heights, OH

Our client contacted us in December 2021 to seek legal representation for his naturalization application. He came to the United States from Nigeria and obtained his green card in April 2019 through marriage. 

His N-400 application was filed on January 24, 2022 with all supporting documents. Prior to his citizenship interview, our office prepared him via conference calls.  On July 13, 2022, our client appeared at the Cleveland, OH USCIS office for his naturalization interview. Our client answered all questions correctly and passed. On July 18, 2022, his application was approved. His oath taking is scheduled in which he will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Indian

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client contacted us in January 2022 to seek legal representation for his naturalization and application. He came to the United States from India and obtained his green card in December 2018 through his marriage to his US Citizen spouse. 

We filed his application on January 24, 2022 with all supporting documents. Prior to his citizenship interview, our office prepared him via conference calls.  On July 13, 2022, our client appeared at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office for his naturalization interview. Our client answered all questions correctly and passed his naturalization interview. On July 18, 2022, his application was approved. His oath taking is scheduled in which he will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Filipina

LOCATION: Carrollton, KY

Our client came to the United States from the Philippines in January 2019 with a B-1 business visitor’s visa. Since then, she has remained in the United States. She married a U.S. Citizen in November 2021. She retained our office on November 3, 2021 for her green card application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on December 14, 2021. Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices and fingerprint appointment all came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients via conference calls. On July 14, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Louisville, Kentucky USCIS office. On July 15, 2022, our client’s green card application was approved.

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CASE: I-751 / Waiver of the Joint Waiver Requirement
APPLICANT: Costa Rican
LOCATION: Mansfield, OH

Our client contacted our office in late January 2021 regarding her potential I-751 filing. She is from Costa Rica and she married a U.S. citizen in July 2018. Through her marriage with a U.S. citizen spouse, she obtained a 2-year conditional green card in January of 2020. Therefore, her conditional residency terminated in January 2022.

Unfortunately, during their marriage, our client and her ex-husband went through marital issues. She was the subject of extreme cruelty by her ex-husband. Therefore, they lived separately for a while and their divorce was finalized in July 2020. Thus, our client could not file I-751 application jointly with her ex-husband. After the consultation, we advised that we can help her file the I-751 application with a waiver of the joint filing requirement. We requested a waiver because our client entered into the marriage in good faith, but the marriage was terminated through divorce or annulment before they can file a joint petition.

On March 12, 2021, our office filed the I-751 application. In April 2022, the USCIS issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) for our client and the requested her submit more bona fide marital evidence with her ex-husband. Our office prepared and filed the Response to RFE on April 21, 2022. Eventually, on June 17, 2022, the USCIS approved her I-751 application. Now, she has her ten-year green card.

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CASE: I-485 Adjustment of Status based on approved EB-2 I-140 petition

EMPLOYER: Cosmetic Products Manufacturer

BENEFICIARY: Korean Cosmetic Product Plant Manager

LOCATION: Solon, OH

Our client is currently working as a Cosmetic Product Plant Manager and his employer was willing to petition for a second-preference I-140.  Our client has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree and has more than 5 years of experience as a Production Director. After talking to our client, our firm concluded that his employer can petition him as a Cosmetic Product Plant Manager. Second preference petitions for Koreans are current, which means that if a PERM Labor Certification for a second preference position gets approved, the I-140 and I-485 could be filed simultaneously. Based on our client’s education and work background, our office determined that he is eligible for EB-2 classification for his I-140 petition.  Our client eventually retained us on August 24, 2020.

Prior to filing PERM, our firm prepared the prevailing wage request, job order, advertisements, internal job posting, recruitment report, and all other steps which are important pre-PERM filing. Take note that the PERM application could be filed at least 60 days from the job posting date or 30 days from the last ad. Within a week from our retention, the prevailing wage request was filed.  After we obtained the foreign degree evaluation report, our office filed the job order on February 11, 2021.  On April 19, 2021, we promptly filed PERM.  Eventually, on August 31, 2021, the PERM Labor Certification was approved – an EB2 position for the Korean beneficiary. 

We then proceeded with the I-140 Petition. We submitted the “ability to pay” letter for the I-140 petition application. We included the job offer letter, employer’s tax records, and other necessary supporting documents. The I-140 Petition was filed on September 7, 2021 via premium processing service. Eventually, on September 20, 2021, the I-140 EB2 Petition for our Korean client was approved without any Request for Evidence (RFE). 

Once his I-140 petition was approved, he retained our office again for theadjustment of status application. On October 14, 2021, our office filed I-485 adjustment of status applications. 

Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our client via conference calls. On June 21, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office also accompanied our clients. Eventually, his I-485 application was approved by the USCIS on the same day of the interview.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Nepalese

LOCATION: Blacklick, OH 

Our Nepalese client came to the U.S. on a F-1 student visa in August 2015. In August 2021, our client married his U.S. citizen wife.  He retained our office on September 7, 2021 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on October 12, 2021.  Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices and fingerprint appointment came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients via conference call. On June 23, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Columbus, OH USCIS office. On June 24, 2022, his green card application was approved.

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