CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Ghanaian

LOCATION: Allentown, PA

Our client came to the United States from Ghana with a F-1 student’s visa. He married his US citizen wife in July 2021. He retained our office on October 4, 2021 for his green card application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on October 20, 2021. Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices and fingerprint appointment all came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our client via conference call. On April 12, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Philadelphia, PA USCIS office. On April 13, 2022, our client’s green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Ghanaian

LOCATION: Uniontown, OH

Our client came to the United States from Ghana on a F-1 student visa. She married a U.S. Citizen in February 2020 and retained our office on September 2, 202, for her green card application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on October 29, 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 calls. On March 28, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu, Esq. from our office accompanied our clients. On March 29, 2022, our client’s green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Ghanaian                                                                          

LOCATION: Columbus, OH

Our client is from Ghana who came to the U.S. on a J-2 visa in February 2012. In February 2020, our client married his U.S. citizen wife. He retained our office on November 5, 2020 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on December 4, 2020.  Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices, fingerprint appointment notices, and the employment authorization document all came on time. Prior to the interview, we prepared our clients at our office via conference calls. On November 10, 2021, our client was interviewed at the Columbus, OH USCIS office. 

However, the USCIS office issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) after the interview. The USCIS office specifically requested our client to submit more bona fide marital documents between him and his wife. Our office filed the Response to RFE on January 10, 2022. On February 1, 2022, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Ghanaian

LOCATION: Akron, OH 

Our client is from Ghana who came to the U.S. on a F-1 student visa. In December 2018, our client married his U.S. citizen wife.  He retained our office on March 2, 2021 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on March 16, 2021.  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 October 22, 2021, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, OH USCIS office. Attorney JP Sarmiento accompanied our clients. On the same day of his interview, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Ghanaian                                                                                             

LOCATION: Canal Winchester, OH 

Our client is from Ghana who came to the U.S. on a B-2 visitor’s visa in November 2019. Since then, she has remained in the United States. In April 2020, our client married her U.S. citizen husband.  She retained our office on October 6, 2020 for her green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on December 18, 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 at our office via conference calls. On August 16, 2021, our client was interviewed at the Columbus, OH USCIS office. On August 20, 2021, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: J-1 Waiver of the Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement, Hardship

 NATIONALITY:  Ghanaian

 LOCATION: St. Louis, MO

Our client came from Ghana as a J-1 scholar in 2008.  His J-1 status made him subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement. Our client would like to file his adjustment of status application along with his U.S. citizen wife’s I-130 petition; however, due to the two-year foreign residency requirement, he had to obtain a waiver first.

Unlike our other J-1 clients, our client could not pursue his waiver under the No Objection Statement or Interest Government Agency (IGA). Our client also received government funding for his research programs which made his case tougher for the No Objection Statement or IGA waiver route. Our client though would like to pursue his J-1 waiver based on the exceptional hardship standard. 

According to 8 C.F.R. Section 212.7(c)(5), “an alien who is subject to the foreign residence requirement and who believes that compliance therewith would impose exceptional hardship upon her spouse or child who is a citizen of the United States… may apply for a waiver on Form I-612.” 

Some of the factors in analyzing extreme hardship are as follows: age of the subject, family ties in the U.S. and abroad, length and residency in the U.S., health / medical conditions, conditions in the country of removal – economic and political, financial status – business and occupation, position in / ties to the community. Matter of Anderson, 16 I&N Dec. 596 (BIA 1978). 

After he retained our firm, we prepared and filed a waiver request through the exceptional hardship basis. On April 1, 2019, the J-1 Waiver (Form DS-3035) Application was filed to the Department of State.  Thereafter, our office prepared an affidavit of our client, an extensive brief in support of our client’s J-1 waiver application, and other supporting documents. Our client provided us with extensive medical documents and doctor’s reports for his U.S. citizen wife’s medical conditions.  On April 2, 2019, our office filed an I-612 application to the USCIS and asked for them to issue and recommend this waiver based on the fact that our client’s wife would experience exceptional hardship if our client needs to go back to Ghana for two years. 

On November 7, 2019, the USCIS issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) for our client’s I-612 case. The USCIS asked our client to submit more evidence to demonstrate the exception hardship to his U.S. citizen wife if he has to go back to Ghana for 2 years.  On January 27, 2020, our office filed a Response to RFE to the USCIS along with additional documents to support the claim of financial and medical hardship including income and expenses, plus more recent medical documents of his U.S. citizen wife evidencing the hardship.

Eventually, the USCIS approved his I-612 waiver on July 29, 2021. Now that our client’s two-year foreign residency requirement is waived, he can file his adjustment of status application along with his wife’s I-130 petition. 

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CASE: I-751 / Waiver of the Joint Waiver Requirement

APPLICANT: Ghanaian

LOCATION: Akron, OH

Our client contacted our office in early May of 2019 regarding his I-751 filing. He came to the United States from Ghana with an immigrant visa which was petitioned by his U.S. citizen ex-wife.  

Through his marriage, he was able to obtain a 2-year conditional green card in November of 2016. Thus, his conditional residency terminated in November 2018. Our client and his ex-wife were able to file joint I-751 application to the USCIS in August 2018. 

Unfortunately, during the pendency of this application, divorce proceedings were commenced between them. Our client experienced a lot of difficulties during his marriage with his ex-wife. Thus, our client could not proceed with the I-751 application jointly with his ex-wife.

Once retained, we filed an amendment request for his I-751 and 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. We focused on the supporting documents that he can show and helped him draft an extensive affidavit about their marriage, and why it ended the way it did.

On June 7, 2019, our office filed the amendment request application with various supporting documents to demonstrate our client’s bona fide marriage with his ex-wife.   

In October 2019, the USCIS scheduled an I-751 interview for our client. Prior to the interview, our office thoroughly prepared our client at our office and informed him of potential issues at the interview.

On November 21, 2019, our client was interviewed for his I-751 application at the USCIS Cleveland, OH Field Office.  Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office accompanied our client. The interview was very extensive. Nevertheless, the USCIS approved our client’s I-751 application on the same day of his interview. Now, he has her ten-year green card.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Ghanaian

LOCATION: Akron, OH

Our client came to the United States from Ghana on a F-1 student’s visa in May 2017. He married a U.S. Citizen in August 2018 and retained our office on November 12, 2018 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on November 28, 2018. 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 June 7, 2019, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney JP Sarmiento from our office 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: Ghanaian

LOCATION: Fairfax, VA

Our client came to the United States from Ghana on a F-1 student visa to pursue her Master’s degree in the United States. She married a U.S. Citizen in April 2016 in Ohio and they have lived together in Ohio until August 2017.  In August 2017, our client started her new job in Washington DC so she had to move to DC area. However, her husband was still in school, so he had to stay in Ohio. Nevertheless, our client maintained her bona fide marital relationship with her husband.

She retained our office on May 4, 2018 for her green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and Adjustment of Status Application on June 12, 2018.  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 January 8, 2019, our client was interviewed at Fairfax, Virginia USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office accompanied our clients as well. Our client’s interview was very intense and the USCIS officer separated our client and her husband during the interview. Nevertheless, the couple was able to answer a majority of the questions in the two-hour interview.

Nonetheless, the USCIS office issued Request for Evidence on January 9, 2019 regarding our client’s husband’s child-support documents and school records. Our office filed the Response for RFE on January 28, 2019.  Eventually, on March 4, 2019, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Ghanaian

LOCATION: Columbus, OH

Our client contacted us in August 2018 to seek legal representation for his naturalization and citizenship N-400 application. He came to the United States from Ghana and he obtained his green card in May 2012.

After retention, his N-400 application was filed on August 24, 2018 with all supporting documents. Prior to his citizenship interview, our office prepared him via conference calls.  On November 28, 2018, our client appeared at the Columbus, 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 February 4, 2019. His oath taking is scheduled in which he will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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