Carl Shusterman Immigration Lawyer Blog

Green Card Marriage Interview
Tips on How to Prepare

If you entered the United States with a visa (or ESTA) and got married after 90 days to a U.S. citizen, you are probably eligible to submit an application to adjust your status to lawful permanent resident without having to leave the U.S.  Approximately one year after you submit your application, you and your spouse […]

Read More

Essential Steps to Avoid RFEs on H1B Petitions

Between January 1 and August 31 2017, USCIS issued 85,000 requests for evidence (RFEs) for H1B petitions. This was a 45% increase over the same period in 2016. We are now in H1B cap season and there are some important factors to take note of in preparing H1B petitions: Timing: H1B cap-subject petitions must be […]

Read More

Green Card Marriage Questions
How to Prepare for Your Interview

 The following green card marriage questions are commonly asked by USCIS examiners to determine whether your marriage is real, or if you just got married in order to get a green card. Although the vast majority of marriages between U.S. citizens and immigrants are bona fide, some are not. It is the job of […]

Read More

STEM OPT Program

On January 21, 2022, President Biden expanded the STEM OPT program to include persons with degrees in the following fields of study: Bioenergy; Forestry, General; Forest Resources Production and Management; Human Centered Technology Design; Cloud Computing; Anthrozoology; Climate Science; Earth Systems Science; Economics and Computer Science; Environmental Geosciences; Geobiology; Geography and Environmental Studies; Mathematical Economics; […]

Read More

Section 245k Adjustment of Status

 Section 245k of the immigration law allows most employment-based applicants to adjust status in the US even if they overstayed or violated their status for a certain period of time. For persons in the family-based categories and some of the employment-based categories, in order to adjust their status in the US, persons must maintain […]

Read More

Naturalization – How to Become a US Citizen

Once you have a green card, how and when can you become a US citizen through naturalization? The process of becoming a citizen of the United States is becoming increasingly complex, lengthy and expensive. When Attorney Carl Shusterman worked for the INS as a Naturalization Attorney, the N-400 citizenship application was just 4 pages long […]

Read More

Denaturalization Task Force

 The USCIS has established an office in Los Angeles to focus on denaturalization. It will refer potential cases to the US Department of Justice. The USCIS cannot assure compliance with the law because old paper-based records containing fingerprint information from the FBI and DHS can’t be searched electronically. All such records need to be […]

Read More

Asylum Case – How to Increase Your Chances of Winning

It would seem logical that an immigrant fleeing persecution in his country of origin would have as good a chance to have his asylum case granted in one part of the U.S. as in another. The law and regulations governing asylum are do not vary from state to state.  However, this is far from […]

Read More

Niz-Chavez Decision
Could Save You From Deportation

 On April 29, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Niz-Chavez v. Garland that could save thousands of immigrants from deportation. Justice Gorsuch wrote the 6 to 3 majority decision. The Court held that the charging document for a removal proceeding, the Notice to Appear (NTA), is invalid if it does not […]

Read More

Tired of Waiting for the USCIS? Think Mandamus!

If you have been waiting too long for USCIS to approve your case, you should consider filing a Petition for a Writ of Mandamus in Federal Court. What’s the most common complaint of people who have applied for immigration benefits? And for those who have been interviewed by the USCIS? Take a wild guess or […]

Read More

Load More