CASE: Fiancé Visa

PETITIONER: US Citizen in Cleveland Ohio

BENEFICIARY: Filipina

PETITION FILED: December 9, 2015

PETITION APPROVED: January 25, 2016

K-1 VISA APPROVED: March 6, 2017

Our client, a US Citizen Petitioner, met his Filipina fiancé in the Philippines in 2012. They started their relationship, and he visited the Philippines. His fiancé became pregnant and their son was born in May 2013 in the Philippines.  He proposed to her in the Philippines. After his proposal, he retained our firm to file a fiancé petition for her and immigrant visa petition for his son.

After retention, we informed our client about the necessary supporting documents to demonstrate the bona fide nature of their relationship. Our client retained our office on November 24, 2015. We helped him and his fiancée draft letters in support of the fiancé petition, and we filed the I-129F petition on December 9, 2015.

On January 25, 2016, after a month of the filing, the I-129F fiancée petition was approved. Our office also prepared and filed I-130 immigrant visa petition on December 23, 2015 and this I-130 petition was approved by the USCIS on June 7, 2016.

On November 17, 2016, our client’s son appeared at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines for his immigrant visa interview. After the interview, our son’s immigrant visa was issued. Later, our client’s fiancée appeared at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines for her K-1 visa interview. The interview went well, and on March 6, 2017, the U.S. Embassy issued her K-1 visa.

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CASE:   I-601A Hardship Waiver of Inadmissibility

APPLICANT / BENEFICIARY: Filipino

LOCATION: California

Our client came to the United States from the Philippines in 2002 on a D-1 visa (Crewman). He remained in the United States after his entry in 2002. He married his U.S. citizen wife in 2009. His U.S. Citizen wife filed an I-130 petition for him in November 2009. This I-130 petition was approved on April 13, 2010.

However, our client cannot file for adjustment of status application due to his ground of inadmissibility (crewman entry and overstay). He needs a waiver of inadmissibility to become a green card holder.

Under current law, immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who are not eligible to adjust status in the United States must travel abroad and obtain an immigrant visa. Individuals who have accrued more than 180 days of unlawful presence while in the United States must obtain a waiver of inadmissibility to overcome the unlawful presence bars under section 212(a)(9)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act before they can return to the United States

In 2013, the USCIS announced of new policy called the provisional unlawful presence waiver. Beginning March 4, 2013, certain immigrant visa applicants who are spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens (immediate relatives) can apply for provisional unlawful presence waivers before they leave the United States. The provisional unlawful presence waiver process allows individuals, who only need a waiver of inadmissibility for unlawful presence, to apply for a waiver in the United States.

The new process is expected to shorten the time U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives while those family members are obtaining immigrant visas to become lawful permanent residents of the United States.

INA § 212(i) provides for a discretionary waiver of the entry without inspection inadmissibility ground. To qualify for the waiver, the alien must establish that his or her US Citizen spouse would suffer extreme hardship if the alien were denied admission. INA § 212(i)(1). In addition to the equities presented, the USCIS may consider the nature of the inadmissibility ground.

There is a seminal BIA case that deals with this waiver.  In Matter of Cervantes, 22 I & N Dec. 560 (BIA 1999), the BIA identified the factors to be considered in determining whether a qualifying relative would suffer extreme hardship if the alien were denied admission.  Those factors include: the presence of LPR or USC family ties both within and outside the United States; the conditions in the country to which the qualifying relative would relocate and the extent of the qualifying relative’s ties to that country; the financial impact of departure from the United States; and significant conditions of health, particularly when tied to the unavailability of suitable medical care in the country to which the qualifying relative would relocate.

In 2013, our client filed his first I-601A application to USCIS. However, USCIS denied it because his case does not demonstrate that his U.S. citizen wife will not suffer “extreme hardship.” He contacted our office in June 2016 and retained our office on July 6, 2016 for the re-file of I-601A application.

Our client’s I-601A application had a good chance since our client’s U.S. Citizen wife suffers from a great degree of hardship. We argued that if he was removed from the United States, extreme hardship to his wife is clearly foreseeable and evident. She would not be able to take care of her own needs and the bulk of their family chores, most importantly taking care of their child. Also, it would be extremely difficult for her to get the same level of economic stability in the Philippines in case she joins our client there.

In our brief, we also argued that our client and his wife have maintained strong family ties in the United States, that his wife will have difficulty in finding the same level of employment in the Philippines, and that his U.S. citizen children and his wife will face extreme emotional difficulties if he is removed.

On October 13, 2016, we filed the I-601A waiver application which included the brief in support, and documents that demonstrated hardship to his wife if he is removed from the United States. Eventually, his I-601A waiver was approved on February 21, 2017. Now, he can file packet 3 and 4 here in the United States, and would go to the Philippines shortly to get his immigrant visa.

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CASE: I-140 (EB-2 Category) / Schedule A / Premium Processing

EMPLOYER: Nursing Care Facility

BENEFICIARY: Filipina

LOCATION: Houston, Texas

Our client is in the United States on an H-4 visa. Her prospective employer-sponsor was willing to petition her for a second-preference employment immigrant visa petition (I-140). Since she has a registered nurse license and the proffered position for her is a nurse manager at the nursing care facility, the petitioner wanted to try going for a “Schedule A” classification. They also wanted to do EB2 (requiring at least a Masters degree or Bachelors degree + 5 yrs experience).

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 having to file a Labor Certification with the Department of Labor. 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. We argued that the position of Health Services Manager should be classified under Schedule A. We argued that it falls under the broad spectrum of “professional nurse” occupations. We also argued that the job description has excerpts that fall under “professional nurse” and that the description justifies the requirements also of Bachelor’s degree in nursing and five years of related experiences.

Our client has a Bachelor’s degree in nursing and 5 years of experience as a staff nurse. She also has a registered nursing license in the state of Texas. Our office was retained and we started on the Prevailing Wage Determination filing and other related matters.

Once the prevailing wage was determined, we filed the I-140 application on February 22, 2017 via premium processing. We included a job offer letter, the notice of filing, employment letter, and other necessary supporting documents. In our cover brief, we included the “ability to pay” argument and why the nurse manager position falls under a Schedule A and EB2 designation.

Eventually, on March 8, 2017, the USCIS Texas Service Center approved her EB-2 I-140 petition. Now, with the approved EB-2 I-140 petition (priority date for EB2 Philippines nationals is current), she can file an adjustment of status application.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Filipina                                                                                                        

LOCATION: Birmingham, AL

Our client is from the Philippines who came to the U.S. on an H-1B visa in October 2009. Since then, she has remained in the United States and worked as a high school teacher in Birmingham, AL.  In July 2016, our client married her current U.S. citizen husband.  She retained our office in July 2016 for her green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on July 22, 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 calls. On February 27, 2017, our client was interviewed at the Atlanta, Georgia USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office also accompanied our clients as well. Eventually, on the same day of the interview, her green card application was approved.

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CASE: Adjustment of Status / Response to RFE

CLIENT: Filipina

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client is from the Philippines with K-1 Fiancée Visa. Once she came to the United States with her K-1 Visa, within 90 days of her entry, she married to her boyfriend (now her U.S. citizen husband). Then, she filed I-485 adjustment of status application by herself in 2016. However, on August 26, 2016, the USCIS issued a Request for Evidence. After the issuance of RFE, our client contacted our office and retained us on October 17, 2016.   

Once retained, we helped our client obtain supporting documents for the adjustment of status and prepared the response brief for RFE. We fully explained the basis of her adjustment of status and her husband’s financial ability through Form I-864. On October 20, 2016, we filed the Response to RFE.

On February 17, 2017, our client’s adjustment of status application was approved. Our client finally becomes a green card holder.

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CASE: I-130 and Consular Processing
CLIENT: LPR Petitioner; Filipina Beneficiary
LOCATION: Petitioner: Chicago, IL; Beneficiary: Manila, Philippines

Our client is a green card holder from the Philippines. She has a daughter who lived in the Philippines. After our client got her green card in 2014, she decided to petition her daughter in the Philippines for an immigrant visa. She contacted our office again in September 2014 and retained our office to help bring her daughter to the States.  It is important to note that an alien cannot adjust his or her status (get a green card) outside the U.S. by filing an I-130 and I-485 simultaneously. Since the client’s daughter was not in the United States, our office promptly filed the I-130 petition to the USCIS first on October 2, 2014.

After the I-130 was filed, everything went smoothly and the receipt notices came on time. The I-130 Petition was approved by the USCIS on March 2, 2015. After the I-130 approval and when the I-130 priority date became current, we filed the immigrant visa packets to the National Visa Center on January 27, 2016, who in turn forwarded the client’s materials to the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines. An interview notice was set for the client’s daughter. On July 20, 2016, the beneficiary went to her interview in Manila. On the same day, the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines approved and issued her immigrant visa.

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CASE: Change of Status / I-539
NATIONALITY: Filipina
LOCATION: North Dakota

Our client is from the Philippines who came to the U.S. on a J-1 exchange visitors visa to work in the United States. She consulted with our firm a few weeks before the expiration of her J-1 status. She wanted to continue her stay in the United States for six more months to spend more time here for her medical treatment.  We explained to her that CIS has been more stringent on Visitor status changes.

Upon retention, we asked her to prepare a statement on her plans if her change of status request is granted. We asked her to provide as much detail as possible as we reviewed her drafts several times. We made sure all addresses, contact information, and dates on her statements were complete and accurate. We made sure all her plans were supported by corroborating evidence as exhibits to the application to avoid a possible Request for Evidence by the CIS.  Our office submitted financial documents as well. We filed the I-539 Change of Status Application on February 1, 2016.

However, on November 29, 2016, the USCIS California Service Center issued Request for Evidence and requested our client to submit more evidence to demonstrate her intention to go home (Philippines), reasons for her change of status, and her financial ability to stay in the United States if her change of status is granted. Our office prepared the Response to RFE and filed the response to USCIS on December 27, 2016. Eventually, on January 9, 2017, her change of status request (from J-1 to B-2) was granted and she can stay in the United States until July 2017.

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CASE: N-400 (Citizenship / Naturalization)

APPLICANT: Filipino

LOCATION: Massachusetts

Our client contacted us in May 2016 to seek legal representation for his naturalization and citizenship N-400 application. He came to the United States from the Philippines and obtained his green card in April 1985.

Once retained, his N-400 application was filed on May 17, 2016 with all supporting documents. Prior to his citizenship interview, our office prepared him via conference calls. On December 16, 2016, our client appeared at the Springfield, MA 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 January 6, 2017. His oath taking is scheduled in which he will become a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

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CASE: Adjustment of Status Based on Approved K-1 Visa

CLIENT: Filipina

LOCATION: Cleveland, OH

Our client came to the United States in July 2016 on a K-1 visa from the Philippines.  Our client is the beneficiary of an approved I-129F petition. She came to the United States as a K-1 Fiancée of a U.S. Citizen whom she married within 90 days of her entry. By law, if you marry your petitioner-fiancé within 90 days of your K-1 visa entry, you are eligible to apply for adjustment of status (green card) in the United States.

Our client contacted our office initially in the middle of August 2016 and consulted with us for her adjustment of status application. After retention, our firm quickly prepared and filed the I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on September 6, 2016.  Things went smoothly and the receipt notices, and the fingerprint appointment all came on time.  

It is not mandatory to have an adjustment of status interview for an applicant who entered on a K-1 visa.  However, the USCIS may require an interview to test the validity and bona fide nature of the marriage between the Petitioner and Beneficiary. The USCIS did not require an adjustment interview for our client. On January 17, 2017, her green card application was finally approved.

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CASE: Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status

NATIONALITY: Filipina                                                                                                        

LOCATION: Ohio

Our client is from the Philippines who came to the U.S. on a B-2 visitor’s visa in October 2009. Since then, she has remained in the United States.  In February 2016, our client married her current U.S. citizen husband.  She retained our office in August 2016 for her green card application.  Our firm prepared and filed the I-130 Petition and I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on September 19, 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 at our office as well. On January 13, 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 January 25, 2017, her green card application was approved.

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