CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Ghanaian                                                                                                   

LOCATION: Columbus, OH

Our client is from Ghana who worked in the United States under an H-1B status. In August 2016, our client married his current U.S. citizen wife.  He retained our office in September 2016 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on October 3, 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 via conference call. On January 23, 2017, our client was interviewed at the Columbus Ohio USCIS office.

The USCIS issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) on August 24, 2017 for our client. The RFE letter requested our client to submit more “bona fide” marital documents between him and his U.S. citizen wife. On October 3, 2017, our office filed a Response to RFE to the USCIS with a joint lease, joint bank accounts, joint insurance, joint tax documents, and multiple affidavits from their family and friends regarding the bona fideness of their relationship.  Eventually, on October 14, 2017, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Indian                                                                                                        

LOCATION: Tennessee

Our client is from India who last entered the U.S. on an H-1B visa. In December 2016, our client married his U.S. citizen wife.  He retained our office in January 2017 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 14, 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 via conference calls. On October 14, 2017, our client was interviewed at the Memphis, TN USCIS Field office. Eventually, on October 20, 2017, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: PERM Labor Certification    
EMPLOYER: Taekwondo (Martial Arts) School
BENEFICIARY: Korean
LOCATION: Cleveland, Ohio (Petitioner); Seoul, South Korea (Taekwondo Coach)

Our client is a former Taekwondo athlete who currently resides in South Korea. He had a Taekwondo school which was willing to petition him for a third-preference petition (I-140).  Our client has a bachelor’s degree in a related field. After talking to our client, our firm concluded that his potential employer can petition him as a Taekwondo Coach.  Based on our client’s education, professional and work background, our office determined that he was eligible for EB-3 classification for his I-140 petition.  Our client eventually retained us on December 22, 2016.

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 PERM could be filed at least 60 days from the job posting date or 30 days from the last ad. On December 23, 2016, the prevailing wage request was filed.  After we obtained foreign degree evaluation report, our office filed the job order on March 21, 2017.  On June 7, 2017, we promptly filed PERM.  Eventually, on October 26, 2017, the PERM Labor Certification was approved – an EB3 position for the Korean beneficiary. Now our client can file the I-140 petition.

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CASE: I-751

APPLICANT: French

LOCATION: New York, NY

Our client contacted our office in August of 2016 regarding his I-751 application.

He is from France and he married a U.S. citizen in July 2014. Through his marriage, he obtained a 2-year conditional green card in February of 2015. Thus, his conditional residency terminated in February 2017.

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 September 1, 2016, and our office prepared an I-751 application for our client with supporting documents.

On November 21, 2016, 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 lease documents, joint tax documents, 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. Eventually, on October 13, 2017, the USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application without any Request for Evidence (RFE).

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CASE: I-485 Adjustment of Status based on Approved I-140 (EB-3 Category) / Schedule A

EMPLOYER: Nursing / Rehabilitation Center

BENEFICIARY: Nepalese

LOCATION: Houston, TX

Our client’s beneficiary is a registered nurse from Nepal and licensed in the state of Texas. She came to the United States and currently works in the United States on her TPS (Temporary Protected Status).  Her current employer was willing to petition her for a third-preference employment immigrant visa petition (I-140).

Since she is a registered nurse, he is eligible for “Schedule A” classification. The Department of Labor (DOL) maintains a schedule of occupations in its regulations, Schedule A included, for which the individual permanent labor certification procedure is not required. The schedule of pre-certified occupations is referred to as Schedule A, and is included in DOL regulations at 20 CFR 656.10. Based on an occupation’s inclusion on Schedule A, an employer may file an immigrant visa petition (I-140) directly with the (USCIS) without first going to the DOL for a labor certification. Usually, prior to filing I-140 petitions (EB-2 or EB-3 category), the employer must file a Labor Certification to the Department of Labor. However, for Schedule A cases, the employer does not have to go through the labor certification process. The position of Professional Nurses is included in Schedule A.

Our client has a Bachelor of nursing degree and has worked for the sponsor-employer. Our firm told her that her employer can petition her as a Registered Nurse under the schedule A category. Our office was retained on June 15, 2016 and started on her Prevailing Wage Request.

We filed the I-140 application on October 20, 2016 via premium processing. We included the job offer letter, the notice of filing, and other necessary supporting documents. However, on November 4, 2016, the USCIS issued Request for Evidence and asked our client to submit the copy of her bachelor’s degree certificate. Our office filed the response to USCIS on November 7, 2016.  Eventually, on November 15, 2016, the I-140 was approved.

Then, we proceeded with our client’s I-485 adjustment of status application. We prepared and file our client’s adjustment of status application along with supporting documents to USCIS on December 1, 2016. Eventually, our client’s adjustment application was approved by the USCIS on October 20, 2017 without any Request for Evidence.  After a long wait, our client is finally a green card holder.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Thai                                                                                                    

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client is from Thailand who came to the U.S. on a B-2 visitor’s visa in October 2006. After his authorized stay period expired, he remained in the United States. In September 2016, our client married his current U.S. citizen wife.  He retained our office on January 31, 2017 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on April 24, 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 as well. On October 20, 2017, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office also accompanied our clients as well. Eventually, on the same day of the interview, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status
CLIENT: Canadian
LOCATION: Ohio

Our client came to the United States as a visitor from Canada.  She married a U.S. Citizen husband in May 2017 and retained our office on June 6, 2017 for her adjustment of status application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on July 10, 2017.  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 at our office.  On October 16, 2017, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS. Attorney JP Sarmiento accompanied them at the interview as well.  On October 18, 2017, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: I-485 adjustment of status
CLIENT: Moldovan
LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client came to the United States on a valid J-1 visa from Moldova in June 2007. He remained in the United States for a time longer than permitted. Later, he was placed in deportation proceedings due to his overstay and a Notice to Appear was issued. His asylum relief was denied by the Immigration Judge in April 2012, but an appeal was timely filed.  The BIA appeal was pending when our client contacted our office in March 2014.

While the BIA appeal was pending, our client married his U.S. citizen wife in February 2013. His wife filed an I-130 petition for our client on March 7, 2013.  He contacted our office for legal assistance for Motion to Remand and possible adjustment of status if the Motion is granted.  We explained to him that the Motion to Remand procedure and he retained our office on April 8, 2014. On April 17, 2014, we prepared and filed a Motion to Remand for Adjustment of Status Based on a Pending I-130 on behalf our client. You typically want the I-130 to be approved prior to filing the Motion to Remand, but by submitting the actual I-130 application itself and its supporting documents attached to the Motion, you can show that it is approvable.

In Matter of Coelho, 20 I&N Dec. 464, 473 (BIA 1992), the BIA found that a motion to remand must conform to the same standards as a motion to reopen, where the respondent presents new evidence which would likely change the result of the case. In a Motion to Reopen before the BIA, the Applicant must show that the evidence is material, unavailable at time of original hearing, and could not have been discovered or presented at the original hearing. 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(c)(1). In this case, the adjustment of status relief was not available for our client at his previous hearing since he was not married his U.S. Citizen wife.  

Our office filed a Motion to Remand for Adjustment of Status based on a pending I-130 to the BIA on April 17, 2014. We argued that our client will be eligible for adjustment of status once the I-130 is approved since he had a legal entry to the U.S., has no criminal records, and has no other grounds of inadmissibility. We also attached lots of bona fide marital evidence between our client and his U.S. citizen wife to demonstrate the I-130 petition is approvable.

While his motion was pending before the BIA, he and his wife appeared for the I-130 interview on May 5, 2014. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our client at our office.  On the day of our client’s I-130 interview, our attorney accompanied them at the Cleveland, OH USCIS. The interview went well, I-130 petition was approved for our client.

On June 6, 2014, the BIA granted our motion, reopened our client’s case, and the record was remanded for further proceedings.

His case was remanded and scheduled for master calendar hearing on July 12, 2017. With the approved I-130 petition, our office filed a request to join in a Motion to terminate proceedings with the I-485 application and supporting documents on July 3, 2017. The DHS counsel in Cleveland, OH agreed to terminate our client’s proceedings. Ultimately, the Immigration Judge granted the Motion to terminate without prejudice on July 12, 2017 hearing.  

After his removal proceeding was terminated, our client retained us again for his I-485 adjustment of status application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on August 2, 2017. 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. On October 19, 2017, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, OH USCIS. Attorney JP Sarmiento accompanied our clients as well.  After the interview, his I-485 application was approved.  Now, our client became a green card holder.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Filipina                                                                                                        

LOCATION: Santa Ana, CA

Our client is from the Philippines who came to the U.S. on an E-1 dependent visa. Later, she changed her status from E-1 to F-1 to pursue her undergraduate studies. In November 2016, our client married her current U.S. citizen husband.  She retained our office in December 2016 for her green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on January 5, 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 via conference calls. On October 13, 2017, our client was interviewed at Santa Ana, California USCIS Field office. Eventually, on October 18, 2017, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Chinese

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client contacted us in August 2017 to seek legal representation for his naturalization and citizenship N-400 application. He came to the United States from China and obtained his green card in July 2005.

After retention, his N-400 application was filed on August 15, 2017 with all supporting documents. Prior to his citizenship interview, our office prepared him via conference calls.  On October 12, 2017, our client appeared at the Cleveland, OH USCIS office for his naturalization interview. Our client answered all questions correctly and passed his naturalization and citizenship interview. Eventually, his application was approved on October 13, 2017. His oath taking is scheduled in which he will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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