Applying for a change to your immigration status in the U.S. typically involves a process of completing applications, submitting them to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and possibly attending interviews. For nearly every immigration status change, applicants will also have to pay the required USCIS application fees, which can range from a few to […]
When applying for an immigration status change with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), applicants will generally have to pay a filing fee in order for their application to be reviewed and process. With USCIS filing fees: The following table highlights some of the most common filing fees for USCIS services: Requested Change (Form) Fee […]
When preparing to resolve your important immigration issues, meeting with a lawyer to discuss your options for proceeding can be the best way to figure out how to move forward. While you may have a lot of questions specific to your situation, making a point to ask the following questions as well can shed some […]
Consular processing is one pathway to obtaining permanent resident status in the U.S. Generally available to those who have an approved immigration petition and an available immigrant visa number, consular processing is an alternative to the adjustment of status process for individuals who are not already in the U.S. Below is a simplified overview of […]
Visa retrogression refers to situations when there are more visa applicants for a certain category or countries than there are available visas for that month. Typically occurring near the end of the fiscal year, visa retrogression can end up meaning that visa applicant’s priority dates shift around the set cut-off date, meeting it one month […]
Visa priority dates refer to visa applicants’ place in queue when the demand for the visa they are seeking exceeds the number of available visas. When visa applicants’ priority dates become “current” or available, these applicants will typically be eligible to obtain permanent resident status in the U.S. Below, we have pointed out some more […]
Concurrent filing refers to situations in which an immigrant petition and an adjustment of status application are filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at the same time. This essentially means that petition and application, along with all of the necessary supporting documents and application fees, are mailed at the same time to the […]
With Nepal recently having been designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, eligible nationals of Nepal can now apply for TPS that, if granted, would allow them to remain in the U.S. with the right to work here for the term of the designated period. Here is how Nepal […]
In what might have been his last opportunity to pass important immigration legislation, President Clinton signed S. 2045 and H.R. 5362 into law on Tuesday, October 17, 2000. The two bills raise the H-1B cap to 195,000 among other improvements, and raise the INS filing fee by $500.00. While most of the new provisions are […]
The USCIS has finally issued a rule allowing holders of “T” and “U” visa status to apply for “adjustment of status” to green card. Based on the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act Congress passed in 2000, the new rule will work to further protect the humanitarian interests of victims of trafficking and serious […]
