CASE: I-129F Fiancée Petition and Fiancée Visa
PETITIONER: US Citizen in Gainesville, FL
BENEFICIARY: Filipina
PETITION FILED: March 20, 2013
PETITION APPROVED: July 25, 2013

Our client, a US Citizen Petitioner, met his Filipina fiancée who was living in Taiwan online. Their relationship grew and he met her in person in Taiwan in December 2012. During his visit, he proposed to her. Months after his proposal, he retained our firm to file a fiancée petition.

After retention, we informed our client of the necessary supporting documents to demonstrate the bona fide nature of their relationship. Our client retained our office on February 12, 2013. We helped him and his fiancée draft letters in support of the fiancé petition, gathered supporting documents, and we filed the petition on March 20, 2013.

On July 25, 2013, the I-129F Fiancée petition was approved.

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CASE: Asylum

CLIENT: From Zimbabwe

LOCATION: Austin / Houston, TX

Our client, a Zimbabwean asylum seeker from Austin, Texas retained us on April 8, 2013 for an asylum case. She is an F-1 student currently working under an OPT. She wanted to seek asylum relief.

While she was in Zimbabwe last year, she was forced to attend a political rally for the government and she was severely beaten and harassed by government militia. Persecution occurred due to her political opinion and the political affiliation of her parents and brother. She was hospitalized because of this persecution and had to leave Zimbabwe. She is scared to go back home to Zimbabwe, fearing that she will be persecuted again.

We prepared her asylum application, going over several drafts until her claim was as detailed as possible. Names, addresses, dates, and all possible issues relevant to her asylum claim were addressed. We also asked her to provide supporting documents corroborating her claim. Our firm also did some research on articles pertaining to her particular claim, and the type of persecution that members of anti-government political activists suffer in Zimbabwe.

The asylum application was filed in May 17, 2013. On June 24, 2013, the CIS issued an interview notice for her, scheduled for July 10, 2013 at the Houston, Texas USCIS Asylum Office. Prior to her interview, Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu prepared her thoroughly over conference calls to make sure she was able to address any possible question the asylum officer would ask. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu also went to Houston and represented our client at her asylum interview.

On July 25, 2013, the CIS in Houston approved our client’s asylum case. She is now an asylee and will be eligible to apply for permanent resident status in one year.  She also would obtain her work permit in about two weeks.

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CASE: I-130 (Petitions for Parents) and Adjustment of Status
CLIENT: Pakistan
LOCATION: New Jersey

Our client retained us to petition his parents who came to the U.S. from Pakistan as visitors. Our client was born and raised in Pakistan, but was naturalized in the United States. His parents were visiting him. He contacted our office in late August of 2012 and discussed with us the possibilities of petitioning his parents. After consultation, he retained our office on September 4, 2012.

Once retained, our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on September 19, 2012 for his parents.  Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices, fingerprint appointment, and work permits all came on time.  Eventually, on July 18, 2013, our client’s parents’ adjustment of status applications were approved. Now, they are green card holders.

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CASE: Adjustment of Status (I-485) / I-360 Approval
CLIENT: Kenyan
LOCATION: Ohio

Our Kenyan client came to the U.S. on a J-1 Visa in 2004. She overstayed and was placed in removal proceedings two years ago, and she retained our office.

When she came in 2004, her visa made her subject to the 2-year foreign residency requirement. As our previous success story explained, this client received an I-612 J-1 waiver approval from the USCIS in January 2012 with our assistance.

Our office then filed her I-360 petition as a spouse of an abusive U.S. Citizen. Our client experienced domestic violence and spousal abuse while she was married to her ex-husband. Thus, we prepared and filed her I-360 petition, which included 26 exhibits and a detailed brief to the USCIS Vermont Service Center on May 5, 2011.

This petition was also reviewed by the Immigration Judge during our client’s Master Calendar hearing and the IJ opined that our client’s I-360 petition is prima facie approvable. Nevertheless, our client’s I-360 petition was pending for a while.

Despite our client’s thoroughly prepared I-360 application, in August 2012, the USCIS Vermont Service Center issued a Request for Evidence (RFE). Specifically, the RFE letter requested our client to submit more medical documents to prove her ex-husband subjected her to extreme cruelty. Moreover, the RFE letter asked our client to submit more notarized affidavits from witnesses. Our client and our office thoroughly gathered the requested documents, and filed a response to RFE on November 7, 2012 with 13 exhibits.

Finally, on February 22, 2013, the USCIS Vermont Service Center approved our client’s I-360 petition. With the approved I-360 and I-612 J-1 waiver, our office filed a Request to Join in a Motion to Terminate proceedings to the USICE-DHS Cleveland Office with an attached I-485 application and its supporting documents on April 2, 2013.

On April 6, 2013, the assistant chief counsel of the DHS agreed with us and signed a joint motion to terminate.

On April 9, 2013, our client appeared at the Cleveland Immigration Court for her master calendar hearing.  The Immigration Judge granted the Joint Motion to Terminate and eventually terminated our client’s case without prejudice on the same day.

After removal proceedings were terminated, the USCIS scheduled an I-485 adjustment of status interview for our client. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our client at our office as well.  On July 12, 2013, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland USCIS office. Attorney Sune Hee Yu from our office accompanied her.

On July 18, 2013, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status.
NATIONALITY: Philippines
LOCATION: Colorado

Our Filipina client came to the U.S. on a J-1 Visa in July 2009.  Upon completion of her J-1 program, she remained in the United States and overstayed.

She was subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement. In March 2011, she got married to her U.S. citizen husband. She was eventually eligible for a green card through her; however, she had to get a waiver of her two-year foreign residency requirement first. In order to get a waiver of her two-year foreign residency requirement, she consulted with our office and later decided to retain our firm.

Our office worked on her J-1 waiver. Eventually, the Philippine Embassy issued a No Objection Statement for our client, and sent this letter to the State Department’s Waiver Review Division.

On February 25, 2013, the Waiver Review Division issued a favorable recommendation based on the No Objection statement. The CIS has receipted the fee and issued an I-612 approval notice on March 8, 2013.

After we received the I-612 waiver, our firm prepared and filed the I-130 petition and I-485 adjustment of status application on April 2, 2013.  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 July 18, 2013, our client was interviewed at the Denver USCIS office.  On the same day, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage Based Adjustment of Status
CLIENT: Mali
LOCATION: Cleveland Ohio

Our client came to the United States with a valid B-2 visitor’s visa in August 2009 from Mali.  Since then, he has remained in the United States after his authorized stay expired.

He married a U.S. Citizen in March 2012 and retained our office on November 28, 2012 for his adjustment of status application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 25, 2013.  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 May 23, 2013, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office.  Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office accompanied them as well. On July 11, 2013 his green card application was approved.

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CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)
APPLICANT: Filipina
LOCATION: Ohio

Our client contacted us in early April 2013 to seek legal representation for her naturalization and citizenship N-400 application.

She came to the United States from the Philippines and obtained her green card in 1999. She retained our office for her naturalization and citizenship N-400 application on April 25, 2013.

The N-400 application was filed on April 29, 2013 with all supporting documents. Our office prepared her before her naturalization interview, and also accompanied her on July 11, 2013 at the Cleveland CIS office. Our client answered all questions correctly and passed her naturalization and citizenship N-400 interview. Eventually, her naturalization application was approved on the same day. Her oath taking will be scheduled in which she will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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CASE: I-485 Adjustment of Status / Termination of Removal Proceedings with an Approved I-130 Petition
CLIENT: Chinese
LOCATION: Cincinnati, Ohio (USCIS) / Cleveland, Ohio (EOIR)

Our client is a Chinese citizen who came to the U.S. on a B-2 Visitor’s Visa in December 2005. She remained in the United States after her authorized stay expired. Because of her overstay, she was placed in removal proceedings, which was initiated at the Los Angeles Immigration Court in California.

Our client married his second husband in December 2011 in Ohio. She initially contacted our office for a Change of Venue to Cleveland.  She retained our office on January 12, 2012. We then filed a Motion for Change of Venue from Los Angeles to Cleveland on behalf of our client. The Immigration Judge granted the Motion and her case was transferred to the Cleveland Immigration Court.

Our office then prepared and filed an I-130 Petition with a lot of bona fide marriage evidence on January 26, 2012. The petition also included a bona fide marriage exemption letter.

While the I-130 petition was pending, our client appeared at the Cleveland Immigration Court on January 25, 2012 for her initial master calendar hearing. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office represented her at the hearing, did pleadings and sought adjustment of status relief upon approval of the I-130 petition.

Our client’s I-130 interview was scheduled on October 29, 2012 at the Cincinnati USCIS Field Office. Prior to the interview, our office thoroughly prepared our client and his husband for the interview. Attorney Yu also accompanied them at their interview. The interview lasted one hour, our clients were separated, but the I-130 petition was eventually approved on December 8, 2012.

After the I-130 was approved, our office filed a request to join in a Motion to Terminate proceedings with an attached I-485 application and its supporting documents. The DHS counsel in Cleveland agreed to terminate our client’s proceedings. Eventually, the Immigration Judge granted the Motion to terminate without prejudice on February 12, 2013.

After her case was terminated, our office prepared and filed the I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on March 13, 2013, together with other necessary forms and supporting documents. 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 June 21, 2013, our client was interviewed at the Cincinnati CIS office. Our attorney accompanied them as well. Our client was fully prepared and the interview went well.  On July 10, 2013, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status
CLIENT: Korean
LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client came to the United States from South Korea to study piano performance on an F-1 student visa. Later on, she fell in love with and married a U.S. Citizen in January 2013. They retained our office on March 15, 2013 for her adjustment of status application.

Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and Adjustment of Status Application on April 22, 2013.  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 July 8, 2013, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland Ohio USCIS office.  Attorney JP Sarmiento from our office accompanied them as well. On the same day, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: Termination of Removal Proceedings Based on Approved I-130 Petition

CLIENT: Russian

LOCATION OF COURT: New York, NY

LOCATION OF CLIENT: Texas

Our client is from Russia who came to the U.S. on a J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa in June 2005. She then changed her status to F-1 in November 2005, but she failed to maintain her F-1 status after that.  She was thereafter placed in removal proceedings in New York, NY. She applied for asylum.

Our client married her U.S. citizen husband in November 2011 in Brooklyn, NY. Her husband filed an I-130 petition on her behalf after they got married. Eventually, our client’s I-130 petition was approved in April 2013. She applied for adjustment of status by herself with the CIS, but this was denied due to lack of jurisdiction.

She contacted our office around May 2013 to seek legal assistance. She retained our office in May 28, 2013.

After our office was retained, we prepared and filed a request to join in a Motion to Terminate proceedings with an attached I-485 application and its supporting documents to the New York ICE-DHS office. In less than a month, the DHS counsel in New York agreed to terminate our client’s proceedings. Eventually, the Immigration Judge granted the Motion to terminate without prejudice on July 2, 2013. Now, she can file her I-485 adjustment of status application with the CIS.

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