Real Life Stories

Crewman Gets Visa Approval Through Provisional Waiver

Crewman Gets Visa Approval Through Provisional Waiver

When Julie completed her contract as a crew member in 2004, she planned on returning to the Philippines to her eight-year-old daughter. However, she unknowingly overstayed while visiting family and then could not leave due to the 10-year bar. She consulted with Atty. Gurfinkel on several occasions, until President Obama created the Provisional Waiver program. This was the answer to ...
Family Can Petition Family for Working Green Card

Family Can Petition Family for Working Green Card

This has three lessons and victories: Family can petition other family members for a green card through an employment-based petition. Patrick was able to get his green card in the U.S. without having to return to the U.S. Embassy in Manila. His green card was approved even without an interview ...
A CSPA Victory for an Aged-Out Child

A CSPA Victory for an Aged-Out Child

After previously consulting with about three or four other lawyers, who all said that there was no hope for Florjan (2nd from left) to come to the U.S. because he had already aged-out, his sister, Florida (3rd from left), had almost given up. Fortunately, Florida’s husband, Ricky (left), was the building superintendent at the New York City office of the ...
An 8-Peso Traffic Violation Almost Cost His Visa

An 8-Peso Traffic Violation Almost Cost His Visa

When U.S. citizen Allen (4th from left) petitioned her parents, Nanay (2nd from left) had no problems, but Tatay Florentino (left) had several problems when the family tried to handle it themselves. His NBI records showed a criminal matter from over 40 years ago, a traffic violation for a broken taillight, to which he pled guilty and paid the P8.00 ...
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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 ...
A Father's Dying Wish is Fulfilled photo

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 ...