Tag Archive Immigration

ByStaff

The H-1B Visa: Are You Eligible?

Certain jobs are eligible for a temporary visa. The H1-B visa limits your stay in the U.S. to 3 years. If you are looking to stay in the U.S. for work long term, you should look into a visa that will transition into a green card for permanent residence. For temporary work, you might be eligible for the H1-B visa.

The H1-B has 2 levels of eligibility, some for the prospective job and others for you, the prospective worker. The job must require at least a bachelor’s degree. If the job does not require a BA or above, it should usually require a degree or entail specialized skills associated with a degree. To qualify to accept an eligible job and receive a visa to work, you should have education or training relevant to the job, a college education, or the foreign equivalent to a degree. You should also have an unrestricted license in your home country.

The H1-B visa is also meant to include researchers or development workers entering to work on a project with the U.S. Department of the Defense. Under this category, your employer does not need to apply for your visa.

Fashion models are also eligible for the H1-B visa if he or she is considered well known or highly regarded in the field.

To apply for the H1-B visa, your employer will need to apply for your certification and petition for your visa. Then, you should apply for your temporary work visa. If you are not living in the U.S., you can apply for your visa with the U.S. Department of State or with your U.S. Embassy.

There is a limit to the number of work visas given every year, so you are not guaranteed a workers visa. There may also be a waiting period for your visa to be approved even after your application has been accepted. This could mean that you will be guaranteed a visa but have to wait before there is one available for your travel.

For more help about getting a visa, contact immigration attorney Phillip Kim

ByStaff

Where to Apply For a Visa if You Have Been Removed, Deported, or Living Undocumented: The I-212 Waiver For Ineligible Immigrants

The I-212 Waiver can be used to let you re-enter the U.S. if you are currently ineligible to do so. Immigration law says that previous removals from the U.S., including at a port of entry or unlawful living in the U.S. makes visa applicants ineligible to re-enter the U.S. and ineligible to re-apply for a new immigrant (permanent, resident) visa. The I-212 can be used to waive your ineligibility regardless of previous removal history or history of illegal presence in the U.S.

If you were turned away at a U.S. port of entry but were not under formal removal proceedings, you do not need to file this form in order to re-apply for your visa. Likewise, if you have been deported previously but have waited the necessary amount of years before re-applying, you do not need to file this form. Applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, border crossing cards, T or U visas, and applicants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) do not need to file this form unless they need special consent for readmission. You should file the I-212 if you are seeking an immigrant visa during a time of ineligibility or are currently ineligible for a non-immigrant visa.

The application for the ineligibility waiver is separate from your application for a visa and has some different procedures. Where you should file this form is different depending on your reason for ineligibility. There are 2 major groups of ineligibility covered by the I-212 waiver: previous removals and unlawful residence in the U.S. These 2 groups have different application procedures, so you should be clear on the grounds of your ineligibility before applying for readmission.

Ineligible applicants who have undergone removal proceedings should file the I-212 at the same time or after they apply for change of status to get their visa. If you are ineligible to readmission to the U.S. because you have been previously removed, you should file the I-212 before you return to the U.S. If your removal is active but pending, you should file the form before leaving the U.S. If you are still in the U.S., you should file your I-212 at the same U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office you file for change of status. Otherwise, file your I-212 at the office where your application is pending. For example, if you applied for your visa at the USCIS office in Ciudad Juarez and are currently residing outside the U.S., you should submit your waiver to the Ciudad Juarez office as well.

If you are currently in removal proceedings, file your waiver with the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR). The immigration court processing your removal will tell you which office to submit your I-212 waiver to and give you further or unique instructions for filing. You can file the I-212 if you are currently undergoing active removal.

If you have previously lived in the U.S. unlawfully, you must depart the U.S. before filing for readmission. There will most likely be a 10 year waiting period before you are granted readmission under the I-212 waiver.

Where you should file the I-212 visa is different. For applicants needing consent for readmission but who are applying for a non-immigrant visa, you should file your waiver with an office of the U.S. consulate. Similarly, you should file with the U.S. consulate if you are applying for an immigrant visa and are required to file the I-601 waiver at the time of your visa application. If you are not required to get a visa before entering the U.S. as a non-immigrant, you can get your border crossing card and file your waiver at the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol office at the site of entry processing your admission.

For more information and help with filing for a visa, contact immigration attorney Phillip Kim.

ByStaff

Want to Come to the U.S. as a Specialized Employee? If Your Company Has a Relationship with a U.S. Office, You May Qualify for L-1B Status!

L-1B classification is for intracompany employees that are transferred to the U.S. for specialized knowledge of a company. L-1B status is used by specialized knowledge employees that are transferred from a company in a foreign country to an affiliated company in the U.S. If an office is not open in the U.S., employees who have specialized knowledge about the company can be transferred to the U.S. to set up an office.

Are you eligible? For starters, the U.S. employer must meet certain qualifications. The employer must have a relationship with the foreign company. This relationship can be one of the following: branch or parent companies (the foreign company created the U.S. office or vice versa), sister companies, or affiliated organizations. Two distinct companies that have nothing to do with each other will not qualify. But a company that spread internationally or is related to another company is qualified.

Also, the employer must be doing business in the U.S. and in at least 1 other country. This business can be direct or through the use of an affiliate business (sort of like a middle-man) while the employee stays in the U.S. “Doing business” means actively producing or supplying good and services. Just the presence of employees or offices abroad does not mean that they are “doing business”.

As an employee, you must meet certain requirements as well. Before coming to the U.S., it must be true that you worked for one whole year, nonstop, in the affiliate company abroad. Nonstop means that you did not take prolonged breaks during that year. For example, if you work at “Company 1” for 5 months, and then work for “Company 2” for a couple months and eventually come back to “Company 1” for the last 7 months does not mean you qualify. The job had to have lasted for one whole, complete year. Certain breaks like vacation might be acceptable. Speak with an attorney for more specific information about your case. Also, the year of employment must have been done within 3 years before coming to the U.S.

If you are the employee, you must also plan to come to the U.S. to provide services to the company or affiliate company. The services you can provide must depend on your specialized knowledge.

What is Specialized Knowledge? As the employee, your knowledge must consist of knowing information about the company you plan to work for. You must have extensive knowledge of the organization’s services or products provided, research or equipment that is used by the company, or the organization’s special techniques or management, AND how this company information is applied to the international market. Or you must have expertise in the company’s procedures or what actions the company takes to reach certain goals. Overall, specialized knowledge is not common in the industry you belong to. You have to be a notch above “skilled”. You need to know more than what the company’s interests are.

If you are sent to set up a new office, you must provide evidence of the area where the office will be located. The area must be sufficiently reserved by you or your company. The employer must be financially able to pay you and start a business.

If you come to set up a new office, you can stay for an initial period of 1 year. If you come as a professional employee, you can stay for 3 years. For both groups, the stay can be extended by 2 years until you reach the maximum of 5 years.

Your family can come to the U.S. too! Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age are eligible for L-2 status. If approved, they can stay for as long as you do. Is your family already here? They can apply for L-2 status with Form I-765 with a fee. Your spouse can apply for and get work authorization while they stay here.

***Don’t meet the criteria of affiliated company? You might still be eligible: If you will be working at an unaffiliated company, your employer has to show…
That you will not be supervised by the unaffiliated organization employer AND
That you will not be considered “labor for hire” for the U.S. company or organization

This is not a full article on L-1B classification. There are a lot of other facts to consider and sometimes exceptions can be made to individual cases. For more information about L-1B status and whether or not you are eligible, contact specialized Immigration Lawyer Phillip Kim today!

ByStaff

Beware of Imitation Immigration Help Sites

 

The Internet provides people worldwide with much needed information and services. When it comes to immigration law, there is no shortage of websites that seem to offer harmless help.

In actuality, some sites are owned by unqualified, private businesses that seek to make a profit from unexpected users. Unlike our web services, some websites provide forms and claim that the cost of filing forms is much more expensive than it already is.

Immigration websites that provide forms and paperwork, but do not end in .gov may not be trustworthy sources. Some sites ask you to pay a fee, but it may not be the fee required by USCIS. So while you are paying for immigration services, the payment is not going to USCIS. Instead it is going to a personal business that is not legally qualified to provide you with information. Additionally, sites might offer incorrect or dated information about immigration processes. This will delay your case and may even result in a denial of your request for a visa or other document.

Particularly, we want our readers to take caution when websites claim to be “official” government sites. Often, these sites attempt to secure payments as “legal fees”. These sites may even gain your trust by charging an amount that USCIS would normally charge for the filing of a certain form. Whenever you are unsure about a website and the services it offers, contact an immigration attorney to ensure that you are on the right track.

When you use fraudulent websites to file claims and seek information about the legal process, you are jeopardizing your chance at being granted U.S. citizenship. Immigration has a lot to do with good timing – you have to apply for certain documents at the right time and if you miss a deadline, you may have missed your chance at becoming a legal resident of the United States (for example, once you have passed the age of 21, applying for a green card through a family member becomes a far lengthier process and sometimes impossible). When time is of the essence, it is very important to make sure that every step of the application process is reviewed by an attorney who has been authorized by the state bar.

While online sites may seem helpful and accommodating, when you are facing an issue as serious as deportation or family immigration, you do not want to make the mistake of trusting sites that are run by unqualified personnel. This blog is designed to give you accurate, up-to-date immigration information.

Rather than risk the use of imitation immigration sites, contact Attorney Phillip Kim for up-to-date and reliable information about immigration laws and reforms!

ByStaff

The Fiancé(e) visa

The fiancé(e) visa was designed to allow couples a window of time to unite in the U.S. for the purpose of getting married. The K-1 non-immigrant visa, or fiancé(e) visa, is for soon-to-be spouses of U.S. citizens who want to travel to the U.S. to join their partner. Because this visa is only intended to give you enough time to travel legally to the U.S. to marry, the fiancé(e) visa is for short-term, non-immigrant purposes. Fiancé(e)s do not qualify as relatives who are eligible for green cards as the family member of a citizen or resident. In order to change your status to permanent U.S. resident, you and your partner must get married.
If you are the fiancé(e) of a current U.S. citizen, the fiancé(e) visa can give you up to 90 days to perform your marriage ceremony in the U.S. After this 90 day period, fiancé(e) visas expire.

Failure to marry or depart the U.S. within this 90 day period may put you in violation of immigration law and could initiate removal proceedings, which could negatively affect your residence applications in the future. To avoid any penalties, you should plan to marry your spouse within 90 days of your petition being approved.
In order for you or your fiancé(e) to qualify for the K-1 visa, the petitioning party must be a U.S. citizen. You and your fiancé(e) must also both be unmarried at the time of petition and must have met at least once in person within the last 2 years.

You can be granted a waiver on the meeting requirement if meeting would have caused either party extreme hardship or if your meeting would violate personal social, religious, or cultural customs. You must submit documentation of your relationship with your visa application and should also submit some sort of documentation if you think you are eligible to be excused from this requirement. If you met your spouse through an international marriage broker, you must include that information in your application and provide documentation of that fact.

 

Traditional religious or cultural matchmaking is not included in the term “marriage broker” and you do not need to disclose that information otherwise.

 
Children of fiancées who will be marrying a U.S. citizen may also be granted visa under K-2 non-immigrant status. You should include the names of any children you wish to travel with on your immigration forms. After your marriage, your children will be able to apply for permanent status in relation to you or your citizen spouse.
Your fiancé(e) visa can also allow you to be eligible to work. If you plan to work when you enter the U.S., file for employment authorization once you are present in the country.

 
If you and your fiancé(e) are eligible to be granted the K-1 non-immigrant visa, you can file with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. After your petition is approved, you may legally travel to the U.S. for your marriage ceremony. When making wedding plans, keep in mind that the application will take some time to process and that further information may be necessary. You can find up-to-date information about the length of the review process with the USCIS.

 
For more information on immigration and help with getting a visa, contact immigration attorney Phillip Kim in Fresno, CA.

ByStaff

Good Moral Character: Does it Apply to You?

If you have been researching immigration laws, you might have come across the terms “good moral character”. Many avenues of applying for citizenship require that the applicant be of good moral character. In fact, the naturalization process requires this of all applicants. The concept of good character is ambiguous and confusing for many people who are hoping to become U.S. citizens. At the Law Offices of Phillip Kim, we have had many clients approach us with questions about their moral character and whether it will prevent them from becoming citizens. We’ve written this article to clear the air on what it means to have good moral character.

First and foremost, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will look at your criminal record. Certain crimes will result in barring you from becoming a U.S. citizen. These crimes include murder and aggravated felonies. Other less serious offenses might result in a short-term ban. During this time, the applicant will not be eligible for citizenship. Form N-400 is the form used to apply for U.S. citizenship. The form asks many questions about your criminal background. We urge you to respond truthfully and do not omit any criminal charges that were filed against you, even if they are no longer on record or expunged. If USCIS finds out about an issue from your past, you can be denied. Even minor events should be reported.

If you fall into the category of those who have a criminal record, you will need to send a copy of all documents pertaining to your case. For most, these documents include arrest warrants, reports, and court documents. You may also want to consider sending statements or examples of evidence that show your side of the story.

Some clients worry about traffic violations. You do not need to send documents for a traffic incident unless alcohol or drugs were involved. If a traffic violation resulted in an arrest, you will not need to send documents if the penalty involved points on your driver’s license or you were only forced to pay a fine less than $500.

An important note to keep in mind is that some serious crimes come with equally serious consequences. You can be removed (deported) for those crimes. In these cases, USCIS suggests that you seek the assistance of an immigration attorney.

While your criminal record is the primary tool used to determine whether or not you have good moral character, another factor will also jeopardize your plan of becoming a U.S. citizen: lying during interviews. Even if you get away with lying during an interview, if USCIS finds out that you lied later on, your citizenship can be taken away.

In addition, certain specific acts may classify you as someone who does not have good moral character. These include but are not limited to:

  • Failure to pay child support
  • Illegal activities such as prostitution or polygamy
  • Crimes that involve fraud
  • Crimes against the government
  • Being in jail or another institution for 180 days or more during the past 5 years (3 years if you are applying through marriage with a U.S. citizen)

For more information about good moral character, contact Attorney Phillip Kim.

ByStaff

Victims of Domestic Abuse and U.S. Citizenship

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a law that protects and aids victims of abuse. Though the law states “women”, it applies to men, women, and children. As a result of the passage of VAWA, programs that protect and provide services to victims have increased and expanded in America.

For immigrants, this law is especially helpful to victims who want to become U.S. citizens, but are worried for their safety. If you’re a victim of violence and the abuser (spouse, child, or parent) is a U.S. citizen or holds a green card, you may be eligible to petition for a visa. More importantly, the process can take place in a way that would be safest for you: all paperwork can be filed without the abuser’s knowledge. The National Domestic Violence website contains more information for victims.

Roughly there are three categories for those who can petition for a visa using VAWA:

1. Spouse: if your spouse has abused you, and he or she is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you can file a petition for yourself. You can also apply for your children, if they are unmarried.

2. Parent: if your spouse has abused your child, you can petition for yourself and your child. In addition, you can petition for your children who were not abused. Sometimes, parents are abused by their children. In this case, if your son or daughter is a U.S. citizen, you can also petition for a visa.

3. Child: you qualify as a child if you are under the age of 21, have not been married, and the parent who abused you is a U.S. citizen. If your parent(s) abused you and you have children of your own, you can petition for them. If you have passed the age of 21, but younger than 25, then you can still apply but you will need to demonstrate that the delay in filing was due to the abuse.

If you belong to one of the categories listed above, you may be eligible to petition. But you must meet another set of requirements. This is a common feature of immigration forms. You must not only meet an initial set of criteria, but your specific case must fall into eligibility requirements as well.

If your spouse abused you but is not a U.S. citizen or green card holder, you might still be able to petition if the marriage ended due to death or separation (divorce) – but you must file within 2 years of the end of the marriage. Or, your spouse lost his citizenship or status as a permanent resident because of a domestic violence issue (again, you must file within 2 years of your spouse losing the status). Another option is that you thought you were legally married but your spouse was married to another person, making your marriage unlawful. These are just some of the conditions that must be met in order to establish that you were a victim of abuse. In addition, several other qualifications must be met. For example, it must be true that you lived with the abuser and that you did not get married just for immigration purposes.

There is a different set of requirements for a child who is petitioning or if you are petitioning for a child. The child must be able to prove his/her relationship to the abuser. If you are older than 14, you have to demonstrate that you have “good moral character”. And again, you had to have lived with the abuser.

For parents, the criteria are quite similar to the facts mentioned above. You had to have been abused, living or lived with the abuser, and have “good moral character”. If the abuser is no longer a U.S. citizen or had their green card revoked, it had to have been because of an action of domestic violence, and you must apply within 2 years of their change in status.

If you believe you are eligible to petition for a visa through VAWA, you will need to file Form I-360 plus all other documents that provide USCIS with evidence. The form comes with other benefits besides granting you a visa. If your form is approved, you might be eligible to apply for a work visa. Victims of abuse often remain with their abuser due to financial constraints. With a work visa, you may be able to finance yourself and your children independently.

An approved I-360 also opens the doors to green card issuance. Additional forms must be filed in order to apply for a permanent residence.

For more information about petitioning through VAWA, contact specialized Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim.

ByPhillip Kim

Green Card (Permanent Residence)

A permanent resident is someone who has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. As proof of that status, a person is granted a permanent resident card, commonly called a “green card.” You can become a permanent resident several different ways. Most individuals are sponsored by a family member or employer in the United States. Other individuals may become permanent residents through refugee or asylee status or other humanitarian programs. In some cases, you may be eligible to file for yourself.

The steps to become a permanent resident are different for each category and will depend on if you are currently living inside or outside the United States. The main categories are listed below. More information is available in the links to the left.

Green Card Through Family
How to apply for permanent residence when a family member petitions for you·
Green Card Through a Job
How to apply for permanent residence based on a job offer or employment.
Green Card Through Refugee or Asylum Status
How to apply for permanent residence when you have been granted refugee or asylum status·
Other Ways to Get a Green Card
Learn about the many other ways that you may qualify for permanent residence
If you are unsure which immigration path best fits your particular situation, see the “Green Card Processes & Procedures” link to the left which includes:·

Green Card Eligibility
Learn who can apply for permanent residence
Adjustment of Status
Learn about the multi-step process for individuals inside the United States that want to get a green card
Consular Processing
Learn about the multi-step process for individuals outside the United States that want to get a green card

For More Information,
Please Call: (559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

ByImmigration News

CRIMINALIZING THE WHOLE NATION

By Michael Cutler October 10, 2009 NewsWithViews.com A news article was published in the Washington Times on Monday, October 5, 2009 and should be of tremendous concern to all Americans. The title “Criminalizing Everyone” sums it up concisely. You may wonder if this article has a nexus with the subject I write about nearly exclusively; immigration. In point of fact there is a nexus but we will get to that momentarily. First I would like to capsulize the facts illuminated by this art

ByImmigration News

Paranoia on the rise

“Hate on the Rise in United States.” “This next generation of hate incorporates elements of the militias, gun advocates, “nativists” opposed to immigration, tax protesters, and “birthers,” who have questioned the place of birth and citizenship of President Obama. The alignment of these groups could provide a dangerous mix that is susceptible to violence given the right combination of encouragement and firearms. ….. The report cites the Fox News Channel’s Glenn Beck and CNN’s Lou Dob