Berardi Blog

Obtaining permanent residency through a family member is a multi-step process.  First, an immigrant visa petition must be filed.  Form I-130 is a Petition for Alien Relative.  It is filed by the sponsoring relative for the immigrating beneficiary. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will either approve or deny the petition. If the I-130 petition is […]

OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING As an international student, you may be able to work in the U.S. in conjunction with your studies. Work authorization for international students is known as Optional Practical Training (“OPT”). OPT is intended to enhance a student’s academic experience with practical, on-the-job training. You may be eligible for OPT if: OPT can […]

Who is Allowed to Study in the United States ? A nonimmigrant is someone admitted to the U.S. temporarily for a specific purpose. People who are coming to the United States to pursue full-time academic or vocational studies are usually admitted in one of two nonimmigrant categories. The F-1 category includes academic students in colleges, […]

  Information for Citizens If you are a U.S. citizen, your spouse is considered an immediate relative and is immediately eligible for an immigrant visa if your petition is approved. Generally, if your spouse is in the U.S. (through a lawful admission or parole) at the time you file the Form I-130, Petition for Alien […]

 . Who is Eligible U.S. citizens who will be getting married to a foreign national in the United States may petition for a fiancé(e) classification (K-1) for their fiancé(e). You and your fiancé(e) must be free to marry. This means that both of you are unmarried, or that any previous marriages have ended through divorce, […]

The K-1 visa permits the fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen to enter the United States for a 90-day admission period in which the couple must marry and then apply for adjustment of status to permanent residence. The K-1 is actually a nonimmigrant visa classification designed to facilitate the admission of intending immigrants to the U.S. […]

Obtaining an Exchange Visitor Visa According to the U.S. Department of State, the Exchange Visitor Program aims to: “Increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges.” Through the program, the U.S. government provides an unlimited number of exchange visitor visas, called […]

P-1 Athlete The P-1 classification applies to an alien coming to the U.S. temporarily to perform at a specific athletic competition as an athlete , individually or as part of a group or team, at an internationally recognized level of performance. Petition Document Requirements A U.S. employer should file the I-129 petition with: A written […]

The R-1 classification applies to a religious worker . This is an alien coming to the U.S. temporarily to work: As a minister of religion, As a professional in a religious vocation or occupation, or For a bona fide nonprofit religious organization at the request of the organization, in a religious occupation which relates to […]

The E nonimmigrant visa category is intended for business owners, managers, and employees who seek to enter or remain in the U.S. to work for an enterprise engaged in trade between the U.S. and a foreign country. The E nonimmigrant category is only available if a “treaty of commerce and navigation” or a “bilateral investment […]