Category: Green Cards

Marriage to a U.S. citizen is one of the quickest and easiest paths to becoming a green card holder.  Understanding how “marriage” is defined by USCIS is important if you wish to become a permanent resident through marriage.  Read on to see how USCIS goes about defining marriage under immigration law: What is a bona […]

Every month U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provides a visa bulletin indicating the availability of immigrant numbers during that specific month.  Since each visa category has a numerical limitation, this bulletin provides Consular officers the priority date for the qualified applicants.   Only applicants who have a priority date earlier than the cut-off date may be allotted […]

A recent warning published by the U.S. Department of State urged U.S. citizens to be aware of internet dating and romance scams directed towards them. Scammers will fake friendships, profess romantic interest, or express marriage intentions over the internet in order to steal money or get a marriage based green card. We represent many couples […]

When you are petitioning for your foreign national family member, one of the requirements you must prove to the government is that your family member will not become a public charge after admission into the U.S.  This means that once granted permanent resident status, your foreign national family member will not need public assistance.  This […]

Living so close to one of the busiest U.S.-Canadian land borders, our practice sees significant business in the marriage based green card category.  Today’s blog focuses on the marriage green card.  If you are a Canadian, or foreign national of any country,  who marries a U.S. Citizen (“USC”), you are eligible to immediately apply for […]

Earlier this month, USCIS announced that they are moving the existing online payment for the “USCIS Immigrant Fee” to its Electronic Immigration System (USCIS ELIS).  Green card holders pay this fee as part of their initial entry to the U.S. USCIS began collecting the $165 fee of from foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the […]

Berardi Immigration Law is closely following the bipartisan plans for comprehensive immigration reform.   The proposed bill aims to protect family immigration while simultaneously shifting towards a system that will provide opportunities for foreigners who can bring work-skills to the United States. The bill has been reported to include the following provisions, among many others: A […]

**Please note: The purpose of this series is to provide general information on immigration tax issues commonly raised by our Canadian clients. Berardi Immigration Law does not practice U.S. tax law. Any information herein is for general informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal or tax advice. To ensure compliance with […]

Here’s a point-by-point look at everything you need to know about the new Immigrant Visa (IV) fee that takes effect tomorrow: Who Pays? Fee Amount: $165.00 Applies to MOST individuals who receive an Immigrant Visa (IV) package from a U.S. Consulate/Embassy (including Canada and Mexico). Children who enter the United States under the Orphan or […]

President Obama is scheduled to speak at 2:55 ET today from Del Sol High School in Las Vegas. The speech will focus on the President’s plan for comprehensive immigration reform. White House officials stated they are not going to make the President’s specific plan public at this point because they are encouraged by the plan […]