Citizen Able To Petition Stepchild Without Adopting
Magoy (center) had been separated from her first husband for over 17 years, and was lonely and guilty for having left her children behind in the Philippines, when she arrived in the U.S. She found love at a random stop in a coffee shop, where she met U.S. citizen Daniel. Magoy was able to get a divorce from her first ...
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A Father’s Dying Wish is Fulfilled
Mother Cece (center) petitioned her son Vince in 2001. Because he was out-of-status, and had no section 245(i), he was not eligible to adjust status (apply for his green card) in the U.S. The family went through several attorneys who applied for political asylum, and later obtained an approved provisional waiver, after the regulations came out in 2016. Vince returned ...
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Crewman son helps legalize his mother
Did you know that family members can “spread the love” by helping each other legalize their status? Mommy Emi (left) came to the U.S. on a visitor’s visa and overstayed. Upon consulting leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right), she was advised to wait for her son to legalize his status in the U.S. first. But Emi’s son, Jerome, ...
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Humanitarian Revalidation or Survivor Law
Allain (left) was petitioned by his mother in 1997. He came to the U.S. as a tourist with his wife, Lorraine (center), in 2002 and overstayed. His mother passed away in 2006, which, at that point, Allain thought his mother’s petition for him was gone. What would now happen to Allain and his petition? Leading U.S. Immigration Atty. Michael J ...
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Niece Petitions her Aunt for Green Card
Many people believe the only way to bring relatives to the U.S. is through a family petition. This is not true. Family can petition other family members through an employment-based visa, which can be much faster and is perfectly legal. This is exactly what Ana (center) did when she petitioned her aunt Susan (left) as her housekeeper, through the help ...
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Old Priority Date on New Employer’s Petition
Husband and wife, Jon (left) and Jen (center), were working for an employer who agreed to sponsor their employment petition. However, the work became increasingly difficult that their quality of life suffered, making the couple quit their jobs. Faced without a sponsor, no jobs, and two deaths in the family that they could not go home for, was a tremendous ...
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Admitting Drug Use: Lifetime Ban Lifted
Joyce (center) petitioned her fiancé, Ronald (left), in 2006. However, while the K-1 petition was approved in 2007, his visa was denied due to Ronald’s admitting to drug use to the doctors at St. Luke’s. He was then banned for life from entering the U.S. In 2011, leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) was able to convince the ...
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Domicile: Children’s Visas Issued When Father Moves Back to U.S.
Cathlene (left) and Corinne (2nd from left) were petitioned by their U.S. citizen father while he was living in the Philippines in 2017. By law, a petitioner must be “domiciled” or living in the U.S. in order for family members to be issued immigrant visas. Since the father was still residing in the Philippines, the Embassy refused to issue the ...
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Humanitarian Revalidation
Green Card Approved Despite Petitioner’s Death Ismael (left) was petitioned by his father back in 1996. He patiently waited for his petition to be current. However, when their mother passed away in 2009, their father’s health started to deteriorate, too. Tatay Samuel died in 2014, and his petition for his son Ismael “died” with him. Ester (3rd from left) promised ...
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