𝑈𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑝𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠, 𝑓𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒́ 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced significant fee increases for immigration applications, effective April 1, 2024. This major fee revision, the first since 2016, aims to address the financial challenges faced by the agency. All applications submitted after […]
Category Archives: Blog
13
May
May
A reentry permit is essential for U.S. permanent residents who plan to travel outside the United States for extended periods. It serves as proof that the resident does not intend to abandon their permanent status, allowing reentry without a returning resident visa, even after absences longer than a year.This permit is particularly useful for residents […]
24
Apr
Apr
The Big Picture – Immigrating Through a Fiancé The K-1 visa process involves three main components: petitioning the fiancé, applying for the visa, and applying for permanent residence. The petition establishes a qualifying relationship, while the visa application is straightforward unless the beneficiary has a criminal history. After 90 days of marriage, the beneficiary can […]
31
Mar
Mar
𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒏? The naturalization process typically takes 8-12 months after filing Form N-400, involves three major appointments: biometrics appointment, citizenship interview, and oath ceremony. Permanent residents filing the N-400 application at least six months before their green card expires receive a no-cost extension, ensuring their green card’s validity. […]
16
Mar
Mar
Looking to become a U.S. citizen? There are benefits aplenty, from rights to retirement savings. Most Americans are citizens by birth, but if you’re looking to naturalize, you generally have four paths: birth in the U.S., derivation, acquisition, or naturalization. The naturalization process is the most traveled, with a million green card holders applying yearly. […]
29
Feb
Feb
If you’re outside the U.S. and realize your green card is expiring or missing, it’s impossible to renew or replace it. However, there are ways to return to the U.S. after temporary travel abroad, as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) doesn’t support renewals from outside the U.S. 𝑴𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 […]
15
Feb
Feb
A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) certifies American citizenship for a child born outside the US, typically under 18 years old, and is similar to a US passport, Certificate of Naturalization, or Certificate of Citizenship. 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑫𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝑩𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 1: 𝐺𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐸𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 To acquire a child’s citizenship, gather birth evidence, […]
12
Jan
Jan
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬? A conditional resident is a U.S. citizen who obtains a green card through marriage to a U.S. citizen. This status is valid for two years and expires after two years. The couple must file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions […]
27
Dec
Dec
The K-1 fiancé visa is a popular U.S. visa for foreign national fiancés entering the U.S. for marriage and adjustment to permanent resident status. Common mistakes in the process can delay or cause long-term immigration issues. Before preparing Form I-129F, review these avoidable issues. Summiting a Poorly Prepared Petition Small errors in Form I-129F can […]
17
Dec
Dec
1️⃣Less Expensive Becoming a U.S. citizen is more cost-effective than maintaining permanent resident status, as USCIS filing fees for naturalization are significantly less expensive in the long term. The current USCIS fee for replacing or renewing a green card is $540, while the one-time fee for the naturalization application is $725. While the short-term costs […]