CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Filipina

LOCATION: Strongsville, OH

Our client contacted us in October 2021 to seek legal representation for her naturalization application. She came to the United States from the Philippines and obtained her green card in November 2012.

Her N-400 application was filed on October 29, 2021 with all supporting documents. Prior to her citizenship interview, our office prepared her via conference calls.  On May 31, 2022, our client appeared at the Cleveland, OH USCIS office for her naturalization interview. Our client answered all questions correctly and passed her naturalization interview. On June 16, 2022, her application was approved. Her oath taking is scheduled in which she will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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Case: I-130/I-485
Applicant/Beneficiary – Italian
Location: Elyria, OH

Our client entered the United States in December 2021 from Italy under the visa waiver program. As a Visa Waiver Entrant, he was only authorized to remain in the United States for 90 days.  He married his U.S. citizen spouse in February 2022. 

In February 2022, they contacted our office and consulted with us regarding adjustment of status. After the consultation, they retained our office.  One main issue in his green card application was the fact that he came to the United States under the visa waiver program.   As our office wrote in our previous success story with a similar issue,  under the visa waiver program, citizens of certain countries can enter the U.S. for 90 days without a visa with the condition that the visitor waives his or her right to contest removal (other than on the basis of asylum).  The “no-contest” provision of the Visa Waiver Program is fundamental; if someone could enter under the VWP and then contest removability, it would defeat the whole purpose of the Program which is to make it easy for certain nationals to come to the United States to visit and then leave without all the red-tape involved in visa issuance.

Nevertheless, our office filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 16, 2022.  Our office requested the CIS to exercise favorable discretion in granting adjustment of status. Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices and fingerprint appointment all came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients via conference calls. On June 8, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS Field Office.  Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu, Esq. accompanied our clients. The interview went well, and the USCIS approved his adjustment of status application on June 10, 2022.  Now, our client is a green card holder.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Serbian

LOCATION: Willoughby, OH

Our client came to the United States from Serbia on a F-1 student visa. She married a U.S. Citizen in October 2021. She retained our office on February 22, 2022 for her green card application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 28, 2022. Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices and fingerprint appointment all came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients via conference calls. On June 10, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu, Esq. from our office also accompanied our clients. On June 11, 2022, our client’s green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Honduran

LOCATION: Orrville, OH

Our client came to the United States from Honduras in April 2013. Since then, she has remained in the United States. She married a U.S. Citizen in October 2021. She retained our office on October 26, 2021 for her green card application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on December 3, 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 June 8, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu, Esq. from our office also accompanied our clients. Eventually, on June 10, 2022, our client’s green card application was approved.

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CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Indian

LOCATION: Avon, OH

Our client contacted us in August 2021 to seek legal representation for his naturalization application. He came to the United States from India and obtained his green card in August 2014. 

Once retained, his N-400 application was filed on August 10, 2021 with all supporting documents. Prior to his citizenship interview, our office prepared him via conference calls.  On May 26, 2022, our client appeared at the Cleveland, OH USCIS office for his naturalization interview. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu, Esq. from our office accompanied our client. Our client answered all questions correctly and passed his naturalization interview. On June 7, 2022, his application was approved. His oath taking is scheduled in which he will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Venezuelan

LOCATION: North Royalton, OH

Our client is from Venezuela who came to the U.S. on a B-2 visitor’s visa in August 2016. Since then, he has remained in the United States.  In March 2021, our client married his U.S. citizen wife. He retained our office on May 31, 2021 for his green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on June 10, 2021.  Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices, fingerprint appointment, and employment authorization document all came on time. Prior to the interview, we prepared our clients at our office via conference calls. On June 6, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, OH USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu, Esq. accompanied our clients as well. On June 10, 2022, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Kenyan

LOCATION: Columbus, OH

Our client contacted us in September 2020 to seek legal representation for her naturalization application. She came to the United States from Kenya and obtained her green card in October 2013.

Her N-400 application was filed on September 15, 2020 with all supporting documents. Prior to her citizenship interview, our office prepared her via conference calls.  On April 4, 2022, our client appeared at the Columbus, OH USCIS office for her naturalization interview. Our client answered all questions correctly and passed her naturalization interview. On June 2, 2022, her application was approved. Her oath taking is scheduled in which she will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Filipina

LOCATION: Parma Heights, OH

Our client came to the United States from the Philippines in December 2020. Since then, she has remained in the United States. She married a U.S. Citizen in December 2021. She retained our office on January 24, 2022 for her green card application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 16, 2022. 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 May 31, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu, Esq. from our office accompanied our clients. Eventually, on June 1, 2022, our client’s green card application was approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

CLIENT: Vietnamese

LOCATION: Youngstown, OH

Our client came to the United States from Vietnam in April 2018 with her B-2 visitor’s visa. Since then, she has remained in the United States. She married a U.S. Citizen in November 2021. She retained our office on February 7, 2022 for her green card application. Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on February 14, 2022. Everything went smoothly and the receipt notices and fingerprint appointment all came on time. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients via conference calls. On May 17, 2022, our client was interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee Yu, Esq. from our office also accompanied our clients. On May 18, 2022, our client’s green card application was approved.

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CASE: I-485/ National Interest Waiver

CLIENT: Korean

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client contacted us about the possibility of doing a National Interest Waiver self-petition. He is a researcher from South Korea in the field of Biomedical Engineering. 

Our client’s significant contributions have placed him at the pinnacle of his field. Our client’s research include advanced medical image processing, machine/deep learning techniques, and its medical applications. Throughout his career, he has made important and innovative contributions to the field of biomedical engineering and his research successfully demonstrated in various cardiovascular imaging modalities, such as echocardiogram, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and intravascular optical coherence tomogram (IVOCT). Because of his innovative research, our client’s works were highly evaluated by reviewers of various journals and by colleagues and experts in the field.

Upon review of his credentials and qualifications, our office determined that he was qualified for the National Interest Waiver (NIW) category. Being qualified for NIW is beneficial since you would not need an employer nor family member to petition for you for green card purposes. You’d be eligible for a self-petition and unless you are from China or India, in which case you’d still have to wait for priority dates to be current, you would be eligible to apply for adjustment of status (green card) immediately without any lag in priority dates.

As a primer, NIW applicants must have a master’s or higher degree. While we prepared his case, the AAO set the new standards for NIW cases in Matter of Dhanasar, 26 I&N Dec. 884 (AAO 2016). Under the new standard, the petitioner must demonstrate that the foreign national’s proposed endeavor has both substantial merit and national importance. Next, it must be shown that he or she is well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor. Finally, the petitioner seeking the waiver needs to demonstrate that, on balance, it would be beneficial to the United States to waive the job offer and labor certification requirements. Id. 

Our office prepared a 26-page brief for our client’s NIW filing. Our client also obtained 7 letters of recommendation from his colleagues and internationally-recognized researchers. Our office also included his publication record, presentation record, and conference materials in the NIW application. We demonstrated that our client is one of the few elite researchers who have made significant and substantial contributions to his field of endeavor, that he is well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor, and it would be beneficial to the United States to waive the requirements of a job offer and thus of a labor certification for our client. 

Our office filed his I-140(NIW) petition to the USCIS Nebraska Service Center on December 29, 2020. On March 3, 2022, the USCIS approved his I-140 petition without any Request for Evidence.  

When we filed his I-140, he concurrently filed his I-485 adjustment of status application. Eventually, on May 17, 2022, our client and his immediate family members’ adjustment of status applications were approved by the USCIS without any Request for Evidence (RFE).  

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