I-485 Checklist for Family-Based Applications

I-485 Checklist: Getting Ready to Fill Out the Application • Alien registration number (if applicable) • Passport (even if expired) • I-94 Arrival/Departure Record • Receipt number (if you have a pending or approved I-130 petition) • Address history for the most recent 5 years • Employment history for the most recent 5 years • […]

Ways to Afford a Green Card Application

Budget for The Application Fees Budget for higher fees when applying for a green card, and get your application in sooner to avoid higher prices. For instance, a marriage green card applicant applying from within the U.S. could pay more than double in fees, from $1,760 to $3,640 Consider Getting Help with Your Application Immigration […]

Green Card Application Fees To SkyRocket Under New Proposal

The public comment period for USCIS’ proposed fee increase they ended on March 13, 2023, with more than 6,000 comments. The fee increases will not go into effect until the final rule is published. What’s happening? USCIS released a proposal in January that would raise application fees for almost every immigrant category to the US, […]

USCIS Redesigned Green Card and EAD

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today new designs to improve the security of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). USCIS will begin issuing the redesigned cards on Jan. 30, 2023. The new Green Card and EAD designs contain state-of-the-art technology that continues to safeguard national security […]

How to Prepare for the US Citizenship Test and Interview

1. How to Prepare for the English Test During your interview, a USCIS officer will test your ability to read, write, and speak English (unless you are exempt from the English requirements). Your English skills will be tested in the following ways: Reading: To test your ability to read in English, you must read one […]

7 Steps to Apply for a Green Card from Outside the United States

Step 1: Submit Form I-130 The consular process starts with filing a petition with the U.S. government on behalf of a foreign relative who wants to apply for a green card. Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, establishes a qualifying relationship with the relative. If the petition is properly filed with the correct supporting documents, […]

Important Information for Every Noncitizen Before Departing the US

In most cases, you’ll need two documents when traveling abroad. You’ll need documentation that authorizes you to enter another country. You also need documents to re-enter the U.S. upon your return. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may need a variety of noncitizen travel documents Noncitizen travel documents are not a guarantee of […]

US Naturalizations Rise To Highest Level In Decade

After a drop during the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of immigrants choosing to become U.S. citizens is increasing. The annual total is the third-highest on record. It’s the highest since the fiscal year 2008 when more than one million immigrants naturalized. The previous eight years had seen an average of about 190,000 naturalizations each three-month […]