CASE: I-130 (Petitions for Parents) and Adjustment of Status
CLIENT: Kenyan
LOCATION: Olmsted Falls, OH

Our client retained us to petition her parents for adjustment of status – permanent residency. Our client was born and raised in Kenya, but was naturalized in the United States. She retained our office on March 27, 2020. 

Our firm filed the applications on June 30, 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 November 30, 2020, our client’s parents were interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. On the same day, the I-130 and I-485 adjustment of status applications were approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Nigerian

LOCATION: Wilkesboro, NC

Our client came to the United States from Nigeria on a F-1 student visa. He married a U.S. Citizen in July 2019 and retained our office on October 19, 2019 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on November 19, 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 December 1, 2020, our client was interviewed at the Charlotte, North Carolina USCIS office. On the same day of the interview, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status
CLIENT: Filipina
LOCATION: Lakewood, OH 

Our client came to the United States in September 2018 on a F-1 Student visa from the Philippines. She married a U.S. Citizen in November 2019 and retained our office on December 16, 2019 for her adjustment of status application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 19, 2020.  Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices, fingerprint appointment, and work permit all came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients via conference calls. On November 12, 2020, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS Field Office.  Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office accompanied them at the interview as well.  Eventually, on November 18, 2020, her green card application was approved. 

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CASE: I-751

APPLICANT: Chinese

LOCATION: Parma, OH

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

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

To comply with immigration requirements, our client and her husband had to file an I-751 Joint Petition to Remove Conditions application. She retained our office on December 11, 2019.

On December 13, 2019, our office filed the 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. 

Eventually, on November 17, 2020, the USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application and our client received her 10-year green card.

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CASE: I-751

APPLICANT: Mexican

LOCATION: Medina, OH

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

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

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 we prepared the I-751 application.

On November 25, 2019, our office filed an 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.

Several months later, the USCIS scheduled an interview for our client and his wife. Our client and his wife were requested to appear for the interview at the USCIS Cleveland Field Office.  Prior to the interview, our office prepared them thoroughly via conference calls. Sung Hee Yu from our office accompanied them at the interview as well. The interview went well on November 13, 2020 and the USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application on the same day. 

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Chinese

LOCATION: Brunswick, OH

Our client came to the United States from China on a F-1 student’s visa. He married a U.S. Citizen in January 2020 and retained our office on February 11, 2020 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 19, 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 as well. On November 9, 2020, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu, Esq. from our office accompanied our clients as well. On the same day of the interview, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Nigerian

LOCATION: Parma, OH

Our client came to the United States from Nigeria with a B-2 visitor’s visa in September 2017. She married a U.S. Citizen in April 2019 and retained our office for her green card application on June 20, 2019.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on September 10, 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 February 18, 2020, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office also accompanied our clients. The interview was very intense and lasted more than 2 hours. Nevertheless, on November 3, 2020, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: I-751

APPLICANT: Chinese

LOCATION: Cleveland Heights, OH

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

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

To comply with immigration requirements, our client and her spouse had to file an I-751 Joint Petition to Remove Conditions. She retained our office, and our office prepared an I-751 application for our client.

On December 23, 2019, 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 tax documents, and photos of our client and her spouse to demonstrate the bona fideness of their marriage.

Once the application was filed, the fingerprint arty@sarmientoimmigration.comnotice was issued two weeks later. Eventually, on October 28, 2020, the USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application without any RFE. 

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CASE: I-130/I-485

NATIONALITY: Kenyan                                                                                                        

LOCATION: Northfield, OH

Our client is from Kenya who came to the U.S. on a J-1 Visa in June 2013 to work as a camp counselor.  After she finished her J-1 program, she remained in the United States. In April 2014, our client married her current U.S. Citizen husband.  However, she could not adjust her status due to her J-1 2-year foreign residency requirement. 

She retained our office on January 5, 2016. Thereafter, our office filed a waiver request through a No Objection Statement (NOS) from the Kenyan Embassy. Every country’s Embassy maintains different procedures with regards to the J-1 No Objection Statement waiver.  Our office contacted the Kenyan Embassy in D.C. to pursue the waiver for our client.  The Embassy requested several documents including a statement of reason for the waiver, the clearance letter from the J-1 program sponsor, Clearance certificate from HELB and KSCE in Kenya, and a letter of reason for obtaining the J-1 waiver.  

On January 19, 2016, the J-1 Waiver (Form DS-3035) Application was filed to the Department of State.  We also sent a request to the Kenyan Embassy to issue a No Objection Statement and recommend this waiver based on the fact that our client is eligible to adjust based on her marriage to her spouse. 

Eventually, the Kenyan Embassy issued a No Objection Statement for our client, and sent this letter to the State Department’s Waiver Review Division.  On March 9, 2016, the Waiver Review Division issued a favorable recommendation based on the No Objection statement. On March 31, 2016, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for the waiver of our client’s two-year foreign residency requirement. 

Once her J-1 waiver was approved, our client retained our office again in June 2019 for her adjustment of status application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 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 through conference calls. On October 30, 2020, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office.  Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office also accompanied our client.  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 Green Card (I-130 / I-485)

NATIONALITY: Philippines

LOCATION: Cherry Hill, NJ

Our client came from the Philippines on a J-1 in January 2018 as an exchange student. 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 December 2018, 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 EVP in the Philippines.

On January 30, 2019, the J-1 Waiver Application (Form DS-3035) was filed to the Department of State.  On September 11, 2019, our office sent our client’s materials to the Waiver Review Committee in Manila, Philippines.  They granted a No Objection Statement. 

On December 18, 2019, the Waiver Review Division issued a favorable recommendation based on the No Objection statement.  Eventually, on January 13, 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 December 30, 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 October 8, 2020, our client was interviewed at the Mount Laurel, NJ 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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