CASE: I-130 / I-485 Adjustment of Status

 NATIONALITY:  Filipina

 LOCATION: Estill, SC

Our client came from the Philippines on a J-1 in August 2015 to work as a public school teacher in South Carolina. She was subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement. After her authorized stay period expired, has remained in the United States. 

In May 2018, she got married her U.S. citizen husband and later on consulted with our firm for her J-1 visa waiver s. If someone is subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement, he or she cannot get a green card in the United States until he or she fulfills the requirement or obtains a waiver.

Upon retention, our office prepared the waiver application. On September 13, 2019, the J-1 Waiver Application (Form DS-3035) was filed to the Department of State.  On November 5, 2019, our office sent our client’s materials to the Waiver Review Committee in Manila, Philippines.  They eventually forwarded the materials and favorable recommendation to the Philippine Embassy in D.C. who eventually issued a No Objection Statement.

On January 27, 2020, the Waiver Review Division issued a favorable recommendation based on the No Objection statement.  Eventually, on February 3, 2020, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for the waiver. 

Once her J-1 waiver was approved, our client retained our office again for her adjustment of status application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on April 6, 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 through conference calls. On January 25, 2021, our client was interviewed at the Charleston, SC USCIS office.  The interview went well, and eventually, on the same day of the interview, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: I-751

APPLICANT: Filipina

LOCATION: Sidney, MT

Our Filipina client contacted our office in June of 2019 regarding her I-751 application.

She married a U.S. citizen in August 2016. She obtained a 2-year conditional green card in November 2017.  Her conditional residency terminated in November 2019.

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 June 12, 2019. 

On September 17, 2019, our office filed an I-751 application to the USCIS with multiple affidavits from her friends and family members, joint bank statements, joint taxes, utility bills, insurance policies, and photos of our client and her husband to demonstrate the bona fideness of their marriage.

The the fingerprint notice was issued two weeks later. Eventually, USCIS issued a Request for Evidence (RFE). We filed the response on September 29, 2020.  

On January 7, 2021, the USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application and she received her 10-year green card which removed the conditions.

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CASE: I-130 (Petitions for Parents) and Adjustment of Status
CLIENT: Philippines
LOCATION: Buffalo Grove, IL

Our client retained us to petition for her Filipino parents who came to the U.S. to visit their daughter. Our client was born and raised in the Philippines, but was naturalized in the United States. She contacted our office in July 2020 and she eventually retained us on July 21, 2020. 

Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on July 28, 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. On January 11, 2021, our client’s parents were interviewed at the Chicago, IL USCIS office. On the same day, the adjustment of status applications were approved.

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CASE: I-130 / I-485 Adjustment of Status

 NATIONALITY:  Filipina

 LOCATION:  Las Vegas, NV

Our client came from the Philippines on a J-1 in July 2017 to work as a teacher. Based on her DS-2019, she was subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement. After her authorized stay period expired, she remained in the United States. 

In June 2019, she got married to her U.S. citizen husband and later on consulted with our firm for her J-1 visa waiver prior to applying for adjustment of status. If someone is subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement, he or she cannot get a green card in the United States until he or she fulfills the requirement or obtains a waiver.

Upon retention, our office prepared a waiver request through a No Objection Statement (NOS) from the Philippine Embassy in the United States through the EVP in the Philippines.

On July 19, 2019, the J-1 Waiver Application (Form DS-3035) was filed to the Department of State.  On September 10, 2019, our office sent our client’s materials to the Waiver Review Committee in Manila, Philippines.  Then, the Waiver Review Committee forwarded the materials and favorable recommendation to the Philippine Embassy in D.C. who eventually issued a No Objection Statement. On December 12, 2019, the Waiver Review Division issued a favorable recommendation based on the No Objection statement.  Eventually, on December 23, 2019, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for the waiver. 

Once her J-1 waiver was approved, our client retained our office again for her adjustment of status application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on December 17, 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 through conference calls. On January 12, 2021, our client was interviewed at the Las Vegas, NV USCIS office.  The interview went well, and eventually, on the same day of the interview, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Cameroonian

LOCATION: West Columbia, SC

Our client came to the United States from Cameroon on a B-2 visitor’s visa in August 2016. He has remained in the United States since then.  He married a U.S. Citizen in January 2020 and retained our office on February 20, 2020 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 21, 2020.  Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices, fingerprint appointment, and work permits all came on time. Prior to the interview, we prepared our clients over the phone. On January 13, 2021, our client was interviewed at the Charleston, South Carolina USCIS office. Eventually, on January 14, 2021, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: I-130 / I-485 Adjustment of Status

 NATIONALITY:  Canadian

 LOCATION: Overland Park, KS

Our client was a citizen of China (currently citizen of Canada) who came to the U.S. on a J-2 Visa in June 1996.  She came with her 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.

She turned 21 in December 2016. She wanted to get a waiver because she has a U.S. citizen spouse who can file I-130 petition for her. She can file an adjustment of status application along with her husband’s I-130 petition. However, because of her two-year foreign residency requirement, our client cannot adjust her status in the United States without the waiver approval.

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. Our client turned 21 in December 2016.

Our firm was retained to do her J-2 waiver, and on August 13, 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 September 10, 2019, the DOS recommended to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) that our client be granted a waiver.  On September 20, 2019, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for our client’s waiver request.

Once her J-2 waiver was approved, our client retained our office again for her adjustment of status application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on January 27, 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 through conference calls. On September 24, 2020, our client was interviewed at the Kansas City, MO USCIS office.  Eventually, on January 13, 2021, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Filipino

LOCATION: Colorado Springs, CO

Our client came to the United States from the Philippines and has worked in the U.S. on a valid J-1 status. He married a U.S. Citizen in January 2019 and retained our office on April 17, 2020 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on May 28, 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 over the phone. On January 14, 2021, our client was interviewed at the Centennial, CO USCIS office. On the same day of the interview, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: I-751

APPLICANT: Chinese

LOCATION: Wexford, PA

Our client contacted our office in February 2020 regarding her I-751 application.

She is from China and she married a U.S. citizen in May 2017. Through her marriage, she obtained a 2-year conditional green card in April 2018.  Her conditional residency terminated in April 2020.

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 February 13, 2020, and our office prepared an I-751 application for our client.

On February 20, 2020, our office filed the I-751 application to the USCIS with all necessary supporting documents.

On December 31, 2020, the USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application and our client received her 10-year green card which removed the conditions.

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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: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Korean

LOCATION: New York, NY

Our client came to the United States from South Korea on a H-1B visa to work as an attorney in the U.S. She married a U.S. Citizen in November 2019 and retained our office for her green card application on November 13, 2019.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on November 20, 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. On December 23, 2020, our client was interviewed at the New York, NY USCIS office. Eventually, on the same day of her interview, her green card application was approved.

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