Fiancé Visa Evidence
We look at all of the evidence that we might have for a couple and that really is tailored to that specific couple. There is nothing that is definitive. There can be receipts, engagement photos, engagement ceremony, or engagement rings. Many couples may not have those things and so, we really tailor the evidence that…
Who Completes the Public Charge Section
The new public charge rule came out and will be in effect on December 2023. They have switched to all new forms and the forms for the I-485, which is the adjustment of status and have an additional section on the form that addresses the public charge ground of inadmissibility. See: DHS’s Public Charge Final…
Consular/Embassy Interview – What to Expect
Are you nervous and wondering what to expect at your consular interview appointment? Part of the fiancé visa and spouse visa process involves an interview at a US embassy or consulate abroad in a country abroad, depending on where the immigrant lives. That interview is in front of an immigration officer and going to an…
Are Joint Bank Statements Required by USCIS
Are bank statements required to prove your relationship for your immigration case? The answer is it depends. That’s a famous attorney go-to but it really does depend. Part of the immigration process if you’re married to a United States citizen is showing immigration that you have a real relationship based on love and not just…
Traveling While Fiancé Visa is Pending
Traveling while a fiancé visa is pending is a question we get a lot because with the processing time delays for a fiancé visa or any visa for that matter, those delays are so lengthy and people just want to be together in the US. By this time, they’ve made that commitment to be with…
Top AOS Immigration Interview Questions 2023
What are the questions that happen at the interview as it relates to your relationship? There are five common questions that we see in USCIS interviews across the country for the adjustment of status process, the process that happens here in the United States where a United States citizen is petitioning his or her spouse.…
Important Update – I751 Conditional Green Card Extensions
On January 23rd, USCIS announced that they have extended the validity period of conditional green cards to 48 months for those who have filed removable conditions. See: 1-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence For some individuals who go through the green card process based on marriage, you’ll receive a two-year conditional green card and…
Common Questions: Affidavit of Support – Joint Sponsorship and Living Abroad & Redesigned Green Card
Affidavit of Support This is one of the areas that we see the most issues that people have during their petitioning process and the Affidavit of Support would come sometimes at different stages but it’s along with some type of a petition for an immigrant to come and stay in the United States and the…
Religious versus Civil Wedding Ceremonies
Let’s discuss the difference between civil ceremonies and religious ceremonies, mostly describing the wedding ceremony process and how that impacts how immigration views that. Those two things are very different. A civil ceremony would be basically making that wedding legal in the eyes of the law. You usually have some type of a designated civil…
USCIS Backlogs – How Your Congressional Representative May Help
Recently, USCIS issued its progress report for 2022 and they’ve discussed the issue of backlogs. Obviously, there are many factors that went into why we have such a backlog. The time frames that we see with USCIS currently that have to do with COVID, global conditions such as the war in Ukraine and even Afghanistan.…
3 Reasons Why You Should Use An Immigration Attorney, Such as Immigration for Couples
1. Attorneys understand the immigration process Here at Immigration for Couples, we help couples navigate the immigration process. From step one, an attorney can help you obviously understand the nuances of the immigration process. We see tons of clients who during initial consults have questions even over the forms, much less the 200 to 300-page…
I-601A Processing Times (2023)
Are you wondering why provisional waivers are currently taking three to four years for immigration to make a decision? Wait times have increased by 600% since the provisional waiver program or application was released which was in 2013. It used to take only six to eight months to get a decision and now, we’re looking…
Proposed Fee Increases and Consulate in Cuba
You may have heard about the proposed rule changes, mostly with regard to filing fees for USCIS. That came out January 4th of this year and any proposed fee increases or rule changes first come out as a proposal for a notice-and-comment period so the public knows that these things are coming or being thought…
What Evidence You MUST Include – K1 Visa
What are the top three pieces or types of evidence that you should include with your fiancé visa application to give you the best chance of winning your case? When they’re starting out on their immigration journey, a lot of couples want to know what are the documents that they need to provide. While the…
Taxes and Immigration 2023 – What are Your Questions?
At the start of every year, it’s tax filing season time and how does that impact individuals who are going through an immigration process? It is a really important thing to be aware of to make sure you’re filing on time and there are a lot of intersections between tax filing and immigration that you…
Are Engagement Rings Required? K1 Visa
Are you wondering if engagement rings or wedding rings are required by immigration? Hi, I’m Attorney Megan Pastrana of Immigration for Couples and my firm is dedicated exclusively to assisting couples across the nation and across the world in navigating the US immigration process. We receive this question a lot recently from our clients who…
When Should I Start My Immigration Case?
When should you start your immigration case? When should you file your immigration case? If you have a relationship and if you’re not yet married, part of starting your immigration case is getting to that point in your relationship where you want to spend forever together. Some couples are very meticulous and really like to…
Immigration Interview Scheduling – Cambodia Embassy
My petition is already approved and is in the process of being sent to the Cambodia embassy. How long before I get an interview date? We’re seeing wait times anywhere from a few months to upwards. Typically, the embassy would schedule that interview for you. For the individuals we’ve helped from Cambodia, we’ve seen interviews…
Employment Based Visa vs K1 Visa
Would an employment-based visa be faster than a fiancé or spouse visa? The answer is going to depend on whether you are needing to find a company to sponsor you and what logistics you already have in place for an employment-based visa. Sometimes couples wonder if the employment-based options in the US immigration system are…
Which is Faster? K1 or CR1? (2023)
This is such a common question for couples. Is it better to do the K1 fiancé visa or the CR1 spouse visa? There are so many opinions on this from couples who were in the process or who have already completed the process. Everyone will have their opinion on which they think is faster. Prior…
Important Update – Automatic Green Card Extensions
What exactly is this announcement from USCIS about automatic extensions of green cards? See: USCIS Updates Policy to Automatically Extend Green Cards for Naturalization Applicants While the automatic extension will occur in the context of individuals who are going from lawful permanent resident status, also known as having a green card, to becoming a US…
Top 3 Tips – Preparing for Your USCIS Interview
1. Review your application, forms, and evidence. Make sure that you review your application, all of the forms that you filled out, and the evidence that was submitted. Oftentimes, immigration has a very long wait time before you receive your interview. It’s really important to go through that application and see if there are any…
Pet Passports and Traveling With Pets to the US
There is a special podcast episode with Dr. Gary Richter. He’s a doctor of veterinary medicine and the author of The Ultimate Pet Health Guide and The Ultimate Pet Nutrition. He is always looking for ways to help individuals to give their furry family members their best life. Why would we have a veterinarian on…
Top 3 Reasons for a Green Card Denial
1. Mistakes in Application or Ineligibility The adjustment of status or green card application can be applied for either in the United States or through a consular post. Both of those will have the same requirements but it’s a little bit different in the processing nature. One of the most common things that we see…
Affidavit of Support, When Income May Be an Issue
Are you concerned that you do not make enough to petition for your spouse who lives in another country? Are you worried about supporting them when they come to the US and how the government will view that? One of the things that we hear quite frequently from our clients is that they are either…
TPS Explained
Have you wondered what the designation TPS stands for? TPS stands for Temporary Protected Status. This is a status that is granted by USCIS to a few designated countries that allow people to not be removable while they’re in the US. It is a temporary status and we use this status at our firm as…
Can I Expedite My Case?
When we talk about expediting your case, this happens after a filing has been completed or submitted with USCIS and several different steps along the way. It is a multi-faceted response, as with everything in immigration. An expedite is possible in most cases that would be relevant for us within couples-based immigration. The cases where…
Recent Court Decision: Will This Help My Case?
The Muñoz versus US Department of State was a court of appeals review of a ninth circuit ruling and we’re going to discuss two avenues. One, why it’s important, and two, if that helps your case. This was an I-130 filing so it was a marriage-based relationship. There was a US citizen spouse and children…
Processing Times 2022 for a Travel Document and Work Permit
When people are coming to the US after receiving their fiancé visa or they’ve applied for that work authorization concurrently with their adjustment of status, they are kind of in this limbo of waiting for their ability to travel home and the ability to work. This is probably the most frequent hardship that we hear…
Consular Post Interview – The Officer’s Perspective
Have you ever wondered what your interview at a consular post is going to look like? In consular interviews, officers are tasked with three major things. The first one is to verify your identity and review all of your documents. Make sure that you’ve brought everything that you are supposed to have brought and that…