Tag Archive Citizenship And Immigration Services

ByPhillip Kim

Immigration from Adoption Eligibility

There are certain procedures for permitting immigration through adoption. Before you decide to seek immigration through adoption, familiarize yourself with certain requirements. In order to be eligible to adopt, you must be a U.S. citizen, habitually reside in the U.S., seek legal agreement with your spouse (if applicable), and you must be 24 years of age or older.

If seeking adoption through the Hague Process, in order for a child to be classified as a Hague Convention Adoptee, the child must meet these criteria: be under 16 at time of filing, reside in a Convention Country, and determined eligible through Central Authority of that country and granted consent.

ByImmigration News

Jun 04, 2010

The Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the Department of State and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security co-hosted a background press briefing on June 3, 2010 on U.S. refugee and asylum-seeker resettlement programs.

ByPhillip Kim

Extend Your Stay by Immigration Attorney in Fresno

If you want to extend your stay in the United States, you must file a request with U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services . Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant

Status before your authorized stay expires. If you remain in the United States longer

than authorized, you may be barred from returning and/or you may be removed

(deported) from the United States. Check the date. Arrival-Departure Record, to

determine the date your authorized stay expires. We recommend that you apply to

extend your stay at least 45 days before your authorized stay expires.

You may apply to extend your stay if:

◆ You were lawfully admitted into the United States with a nonimmigrant visa
◆ Your nonimmigrant visa status remains valid
◆ You have not committed any crimes that make you ineligible for a visa
◆ You have not violated the conditions of your admission
◆ Your passport is valid and will remain valid for the duration of your stay

You may not apply to extend your stay if you were admitted to the United States in the

following categories:

◆ Visa Waiver Program
◆ Crew member (D nonimmigrant visa)
◆ In transit through the United States (C nonimmigrant visa)
◆ In transit through the United States without a visa (TWOV)
◆ Fiancé of a U.S. citizen or dependent of a fiancé (K nonimmigrant visa)
◆ Informant (and accompanying family) on terrorism or organized crime (S nonimmigrant

visa)

For information on how to apply, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

ByPhillip Kim

Citizenship and Integration Program by Immigration Attorney in Fresno

Fiscal year 2010 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program
Introduction
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today the availability of

two different grants designed to help prepare lawful permanent residents (LPRs) for

citizenship and advance integration in the United States. This year’s program will

make nearly $7 million available for citizenship education in communities across the

country.

Citizenship and Integration Direct Services Grant Program
This funding opportunity will focus on local programs currently promoting the rights

and responsibilities of citizenship through citizenship preparation programs for LPRs.

Proposed activities must include a citizenship education component consisting of

citizenship or civics-focused ESL instruction and citizenship instruction (U.S. history

and government) to prepare LPRs for the civics, and English reading, writing and

speaking components of the naturalization test.

In addition to the mandatory education component, grant funds may be used to

provide naturalization application preparation assistance, including legal services

(within the scope of authorized practice of immigration law) and case management

services to support the naturalization application and interview process. Grants will

be awarded to organizations proposing citizenship education services only, as well as

to organizations proposing both citizenship education services and naturalization

application preparation assistance. For More Information, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

ByPhillip Kim

NEW NATURALIZATION TEST by Immigration Attorney in Fresno

On October 1, 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin

administering a new naturalization test. The following guidelines will determine

whether you will take the old test or the new test. If you:
• Filed∗ the Application for Naturalization, BEFORE October 1, 2008,

and are scheduled for your naturalization interview BEFORE October 1, 2008, you will

take the old test.
• Filed* the Application for Naturalization, BEFORE October 1, 2008,

and are scheduled for your naturalization interview ON or AFTER October 1, 2008 up

until October 1, 2009, you can choose to take the old test or the new test.
• Filed* the Application for Naturalization, ON or AFTER October 1,

2008, you will take the new test.
• Are scheduled for your naturalization interview ON or AFTER October 1, 2009,

regardless of when you filed* the Application for Naturalization, you will

take the new test.
Changes to the New Naturalization Test
Changes to the new naturalization test include a revised list of 100 civics (history

and government) questions and answers; a new list of civics-based English reading

and writing vocabulary items; and standardized testing procedures for USCIS

Officers.
The 100 new civics (history and government) questions and answers are available to

the public. The content now follows a basic U.S. history and government curriculum.

For the civics test, an applicant will be asked up to 10 questions from the list of 100

civics questions and answers. Applicants must answer correctly at least six of the 10

questions to pass the civics test.
There are three components of the English test: speaking, reading, and writing. No

changes were made to the speaking portion of the English test. An applicant’s ability

to speak English is determined by the USCIS Officer from the applicant’s answers to

questions normally asked during the eligibility interview on the For More Information, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

ByPhillip Kim

USCIS’ Role in the Visa Process by Immigration Attorney in Fresno

Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the visa process, particularly USCIS

and Department of State (DOS) efforts to maximize visa issuance in accordance with

the law.

In recent years, over 1 million people became Lawful Permanent Residents of the

United States (LPRs). Under the law there are a variety of different categories and

means through which a person may become eligible for permanent residence. A

substantial number of these categories have numerical limitations – annual caps on

how many people can immigrate. There are other aspects to these caps as well,

such as limitations per country.

The Department of State administers the provisions of the Immigration and

Nationality Act (INA) that relate to the numerical limits on immigrant visa issuance.

However, DOS and USCIS must work closely in this respect because visas issued by

DOS and adjustment of status granted by USCIS draw down from the same pool of

limited numbers. Close and careful coordination ensures that annual limitations are

not exceeded, and also helps us jointly strive to use all available visa numbers when

there is sufficient demand.

In concert with DOS, USCIS has made significant changes in recent years to

maximize the use of the limited number of visas available annually. These changes

include increased staffing, enhanced analytical capacity, more detailed and strategic

management of monthly production, and close partnership with DOS to share greater

information. This enhanced information exchange assists DOS in better managing visa

allocations through the monthly visa bulletin and improves USCIS’ ability to target

production for maximum result.For More Information, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

ByImmigration News

Illegals just get a pass, you think?

A New York Times’ story reveals that immigration officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have begun preparations for issuing visas to 11-18 million illegal aliens who would be granted an amnesty if Congress is able to pass immigration reform legislation. “We are under way to prepare for that,” USCIS director Alejandro Mayorkas told the paper. Mayorkas also said that Obama has told the agency that amnesty would be part of an immigration reform bill, so the agency is trying t

ByPhillip Kim

There are many different ways to obtain a green card. This article summarizes the green card process in a nutshell. If you need more information on a particular way of getting a green card, please click on “sitemap” below.

If you would like to become a lawful permanent resident in the United States, you must file the following items with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:

Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

Biographic Data Sheet (Between the ages of 14 and 79)

Medical Examination Sheet (not required if you are applying based on continuous residence since before 1972, or if you have had a medical exam based on a fiancé visa)

Two color photos taken within 30 days (Please see USCIS Form I-485 for more instructions on photos.)

Affidavit of Support (completed by the sponsor). (This requirement may not apply to you if you are adjusting to permanent resident status based on an employment petition.)

In addition:

If you have already been approved for an immigrant petition , you must submit a copy of the approval notice sent to you by the USCIS.

If someone else is or has filed a petition for you that, if approved, will make an immigrant number immediately available to you, you must submit a copy of the completed petition that is being filed for you. Such applications include only immediate relative, special immigrant juvenile or special immigrant military petitions.

If you were admitted into the United States as a fiancé of a U.S. citizen and married that citizen within the required 90 days, you must submit a copy of the fiancé petition approval notice and a copy of your marriage certificate.

If you are an asylee or refugee, you must submit a copy of the letter or Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record) that shows the date you were granted asylum or refuge in the United States.

If your parent became a lawful permanent resident after you were born, you must submit evidence that your parent has been or will be granted permanent residence. You must also submit a copy of your birth certificate, and proof of your relationship with your parent.

For more information:
(559) 761-1040

If you would like to hire an attorney for reasonable and affordable fees, please call to speak DIRECTLY with an attorney:

Immigration Law Offices of Phillip Kim, Inc.
www.PhillipKimLaw.com
(559)761-1040

To find out the attorney’s legal FEES, go to:
www.PhillipKimLaw.com and click on “legal FEES”.

Attorney Phillip Kim represents his clients from the Central Valley, Southern California, and Northern California including Fresno County, Kings County, Kern County, Stanislaus County, Tulare County, Merced County, San Joaquin Valley County, Los Angeles County, and the San Francisco Bay area with cities such as Fresno, Clovis, Sanger, Merced, Tulare, Visalia, Modesto, Stockton, Hanford, Lemoore, San Jose, San Francisco, and San Diego.

ByImmigration News

Feds: OK to keep using old I-9 for now

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has extended the deadline on using the current Form I-9. USCIS has verified that the current version of the I-9 — dated February 2, 2009 — will remain valid beyond what was suppose to be its June 30, 2009, expiration date. USCIS is in the process of reviewing and releasing a new version of the I-9. Until the new form is released, employers must continue to use the current version of the form to confirm employees’ authorization to work in the Un

ByImmigration News

What you need to know about H-1B

Taken from: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services http://www.uscis.gov/h-1b_countWhat is a ‘Cap’?The word ‘cap’ used in this update refers to annual numerical limitations set by Congress oncertain nonimmigrant visa classifications, eg, H-1B and H-2B. Caps control the number of workersthat can be issued a visa in a given fiscal year to enter the United States, pursuant to a