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Green Card Holders Denied US Citizenship for Marijuana Jobs
Marijuana laws are in a state of flux. According to information from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), recreational marijuana is legal, in some form, in approximately a dozen U.S. states, including in California. However, marijuana remains strictly illegal under federal law. While the cannabis industry is growing rapidly, the federal prohibition on marijuana…
Immigration to the United States vs. Other Countries
The ‘New Colossus’, a poem by Emma Lazarus, is engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty. Its most famous line, declaring to the world that America is ready to accept the “huddled masses” who are “yearning to breathe free”, has long been referenced to show America’s appreciation of immigrants. There is no doubt…
Applying for Citizenship? 9 Things You Need to Know
If you’re a green card holder and you’ve been living in the Los Angeles area for a few years, you may be thinking about applying to become a U.S. citizen. As you start to look into it, you may be thinking to yourself, what does the process look like? What are the common problems people…
Five Resume Tips for U.S. Immigrants
One of the first things you will probably do once you are in the United States is look for work. The job search process differs from country to country and once you begin your search in the United States, you might find that you are not receiving calls back or job offers. This could be…
An Overview of the Different Types of Immigrant Visas
If you are an individual who is hoping to apply and be approved for a U.S. immigrant visa, it is important that you understand the multiple types of visas that are available, and which one you may qualify for. For help filing your visa application in an accurate and proficient manner, an immigration attorney is…
Armenian Immigration in Boston
For the past century, Boston has been a sanctuary for Armenian immigrants as demonstrated in the American Community Survey in 2013. It states that over 25,000 Armenians have migrated to Massachusetts, making it the second largest state where Armenian immigrants reside. The first being California. After the death of 1.5 million Armenians during the genocide…
Listing trips abroad on your N-400 citizenship application
Citizenship Lawyer Tip: How to handle the N-400 question regarding trips abroad As an immigration lawyer, my job is to deal with immigration problems. Naturalization, the process by which a permanent resident becomes a U.S. citizen, offers the perfect fix. Trade your green card for U.S citizenship and U.S. immigration laws will no longer apply…
“What is the phone number for Immigration in Boston?” An immigration lawyer answers
As an immigration lawyer in Boston, I’m often asked if I know the phone number for Immigration in Boston, Massachusetts? If you have a pending green card application or citizenship cases and you live in the Boston, Massachusetts-area, surely U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has a local phone number that you could call to inquire…
“My brother filed a visa petition for me. Is there a way to speed up the process of obtain a green card?” A Boston immigration lawyer responds
Boston deportation defense lawyer In a recent immigration consultation, I faced the following situation: A young man entered the United States on a visitor visa and then fell out of status after overstaying. His brother gained U.S. citizenship and then filed an immigrant visa petition, Form I-130, on his behalf. The young man suffered from…
Filing an I-539 to Extend Your Stay as a Visitor
As an immigration lawyer, I often come across this problem. Someone enters the U.S. with a B-1/B-2 visitor visa. At the airport, they are given a 6 month stay in the U.S. But they want to stay in the U.S. longer than that. So they go on the internet, come across Form I-539, Application to…