About dangers of a "free legal consultation": article in Russian from my Moscow colleagues.

Article from my Moscow colleague in Russian below: how to avoid making mistakes when choosing and retaining an attorney, lawyer, immigration attorney; or when deciding whether to file anything, and what steps should be taken to protect and secure your legal rights. 

Why an offer of a "free first consultation" or "free chat with our representative through our website" is usually an indication of a scam and an unqualified lawyer (or even a non-lawyer who pretends to be an attorney) who is ready to "promise" and "guarantee" success to anyone as long as the client is paying, no matter the consequences to a client.

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Как известно, нередко недобросовестные юристы и юрфирмы клиентов привлекают через интернет, где обещают провести бесплатную консультацию (заманивают бесплатными консультациями). 

Например, человек заходит на юридические сайты, где пытается найти ответы на свои вопросы бесплатно. Всплывает окошко чата, где виртуальный оператор предлагает его проконсультировать. Человек излагает проблему. Но будьте уверены, что исчерпывающе и пошагово никто его консультировать не собирается. Его попросят оставить номер телефона. Когда ему перезвонят, то вся суть разговора сведется к тому, что ему пообещают, что *обязательно помогут* и *гарантирую успех* за определенную сумму денег.

Не секрет, что многие предпочитают слышать то, что лишь хотят услышать. Так происходит и при обращении к юристам. Некоторые люди, как им кажется, "знают все сами", а иногда и больше специалистов. Так вот, если некоторым людям добросовестный юрист говорит, что шансов мало или их нет вовсе, они уверенно отправляются к тем юристам, из уст которых они услышат слова поддержки и гарантию успеха.

Следует помнить: 1) бесплатный сыр бывает только в мышеловке, 2) добросовестный адвокат не имеет право гарантировать успех, 3) хороший адвокат не предоставляет бесплатных консультаций, так как зачем ему/ей это нужно, и на это просто нет времени, к тому же хороший адвокат понимает, что самое главное, это предварительно изучить дело клиента и дать ему правильный совет, а только затем переходить к действиям и заключать договор.

Очень полезная статья по-русски от моих московских коллег тут.
Here is this article on my website.
To schedule a consultation with an immigration attorney, please email us first in English or Russian.

LIST OF USEFUL LINKS: USCIS, Processing Times, Visa Bulletin, Priority Dates, Case Status, Case Inquiry.

USCIS or DHS where you can find USCIS contact number, webforms and download all applications and forms for free is here.

USCIS Case Status: you can check status of your pending case online here.

USCIS Processing Times: you can see how fast cases are being adjudicated or decided by different USCIS / DHS offices around the United States here.

USCIS Change of Address Form Online: you can submit your change of address form online here.

USCIS Case Inquiry Webforms: you can submit your questions or case inquiry directly to USCIS by using one of the webforms here.

US Department of State Monthly Visa Bulletin: you can find monthly visa bulletin and check how fast your priority date is progressing here.

You can find out current Visa Fees for various visas to USA here.

To schedule a consultation with an experienced immigration attorney who speaks English and Russian, please email to schedule.

How to bring your newborn child to USA, if you are a permanent resident or an immigrant visa holder?

How to bring your newborn child to USA, if you are a permanent resident or an immigrant visa holder? 

Sometimes in my practice as an immigration attorney, I see people make wrong decisions affecting their lives for many years, result in separation from family and children; can be a cause of severe depression; and loss of the permanent resident status (aka "green card").

Situation #1:

Child born abroad to Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) may be allowed to board the plane to the United States, if the child was born during temporary visit abroad of a mother who is a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States, provided that the child’s application for admission to the United States is made within two years of birth and the child is accompanied by the parent who is applying for readmission as a permanent resident upon the first return of the parent.

Situation #2: 

Child born abroad to an accompanying parent after issuance of an immigrant visa to the parent but prior to the parent’s initial admission as an immigrant may be boarded as long as the child has a passport or is listed in a parent’s passport and is in possession of the birth certificate.

Read at our blog here.

http://law-visa-usa.com/1/post/2015/10/how-to-bring-your-newborn-child-to-usa-if-you-are-a-permanent-resident-or-an-immigrant-visa-holder.html

DV 2017 Program or Green Card Lottery registration period from October 01, 2015 to November 03, 2015. Период регистрации в лотерею грин карт на 2017 год с 1 октября по 3 ноября 2015.

DV-2017 Program: Online Registration DV 2017 Program begins on Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and concludes on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-4).

DV-2017 lottery entries can be submitted online at only one official US Department of State website.

On September 30th 2015, US Department of State published the official DV-2017 Program Instructions in English - DV-2017 Program Instructions in PDF format. The English language version of the DV-2017 Program Instructions is the only official version. 

Unofficial translations in additional languages will be added as they become available.

Note: If you do not see instructions in your native language, please see the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website to find out whether your country may have additional Diversity Visa information.

You can find official US Department of State DV-2017 lottery instructions here: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/diversity-visa/instructions.html

For DV-2017, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years: 

Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam. 

Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible. 



I would like to highlight several important requirements:

12. Highest level of education you have achieved, as of today: (1) Primary school only, (2) Some high school, no diploma, (3) High school diploma, (4) Vocational school, (5) Some university courses, (6) University degree, (7) Some graduate-level courses, (8) Master’s degree, (9) Some doctoral level courses, and (10) Doctorate. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about educational requirements. 

13. Current marital status – Unmarried, married and my spouse is NOT a U.S. citizen or U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), married and my spouse IS a U.S. citizen or U.S. LPR, divorced, widowed, or legally separated. Enter the name, date of birth, gender, city/town of birth, and country of birth of your spouse, and a photograph of your spouse meeting the same technical specifications as your photo. Failure to list your eligible spouse will result in your disqualification as the Diversity Visa principal applicant and refusal of all visa applications in your case at the time of the visa interview. You must list your spouse even if you plan to be divorced before you apply for a visa. A spouse who is already a U.S. citizen or LPR will not require or be issued a visa, though you will not be penalized if you list them on your entry form. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about family members. 

14. Number of children – List the name, date of birth, gender, city/town of birth, and country of birth for all living unmarried children under 21 years of age, regardless of whether they are living with you or intend to accompany or follow to join you, should you immigrate to the United States. Submit individual photographs of each of your children using the same technical specifications as your own photograph. 

Be sure to include: 
*all living natural children;  
*all living children legally adopted by you; and, 
*all living step-children who are unmarried and under the age of 21 on the date of your electronic entry, even if you are no longer legally married to the child’s parent, and even if the child does not currently reside with you and/or will not immigrate with you. 

Married children and children who are already aged 21 or older when you submit your entry are not eligible for the DV program. However, the Child Status Protection Act protects children from “aging out” in certain circumstances. If your DV entry is made before your unmarried child turns 21, and the child turns 21 before visa issuance, he/she may be treated as though he/she were under 21 for visa-processing purposes. 

A child who is already a U.S. citizen or LPR is not eligible for a Diversity Visa; you will not be penalized for either including or omitting such family members from your entry. Failure to list all children who are eligible will result in disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visa applications in the case at the time of the visa interview. 

After May 01, 2016, you will be able to check your status online at another US Department of State website to see if you have been selected a winner.

We would be glad to help you to submit your DV-2017 entries properly and timely. After submitting an entry, we always save and forward to our clients confirmation pages. Please email us first and we will forward to you our brief instructions.

In Russian:

Сегодня Госдеп США наконец-то опубликовал официальные инструкции для подачи заявок в Лотерею Грин Карт на 2017 год. Прием заявок осуществляется онлайн только на одномофициальном вебсайте Госдепа США.

Подача заявок через какие-то другие вебсайты не допускается. Таких "неофициальных, но выглядящих вполне легитимно" вебсайтов множество, и они выдают себя за организации как-то связанные с Госдепом, и прикрываются официальными эмблемами США, но это обычное мошенничество.

Если вам помогает адвокат или другой профессионал правильно подать заявку в лотерею, после подачи заявки они должны предоставить вам конфирмационный номер, а еще лучше сохранить и выслать по электронной почте саму конфирмационную страницу с номером и вашей биографической информацией. 

Повторные заявки в течение одного периода подачи не допускаются. Ошибки не исправить после подачи заявки. Требования к фото строгие.

Начало приема заявок 01 октября 2015, и заканчивается подача заявок 03 ноября 2015.

Вы сможете узнать выбрали ли вас победителем только после 01 мая 2016, когда на особом вебсайте Госдепа США вы сможете ввести свои данные и получить ответ на вопрос: являетесь ли вы победителем.

Затем, вы перейдете на следующий этап: подача заявления на визу для себя и членов вашей семьи. На этом этапе рекомендуется пользоваться услугами квалифицированного американского иммиграционного адвоката, чтобы избежать ошибок или отказа из-за "глупости". Кстати, очень частоотказывают в грин картах по лотерее именно из-за "глупостей", которые не прощаются (например, "забыл" указать ребенка жены от первого брака, решил не указывать новорожденного ребенка рожденного вне брака "как же его сфотографируешь?" и т.п.). Поэтому может быть полезна помощь адвоката и при подаче заявки в лотерею.

Если вам нужна помощь, мы будем рады помочь правильно подать заявки на всех членов семьи, и позже с получением грин карты если вас выбрали победителем лотереи. Обращайтесь к нам по электронной почте, и мы вам вышлем список попросов и условия оплаты.

How to expedite renewal of your expired U.S. passport.

You've been asked to travel to a foreign country on business the next day, but your passport has expired. Don't panic.

It's surprisingly easy to get a US passport renewed in 24 hours.

Here's how.

The Expedited Fee is required for each application submitted in person at a Passport Agency or Center. Some Passport Agencies and Centers require proof of international travel within two weeks, or proof of need to obtain a foreign visa within four weeks. Check the individual agency/center pages for additional details.

An appointment is required to apply at a Passport Agency or Center. Call the National Passport Information Center 24/7 at 1-877-487-2778 to schedule an appointment.

1. Find the closest Passport Agency to you. Don't make the mistake of using special, non-government agencies that charge up to $500, and ultimately just go through the Passport Agency. Not near an agency? Check whether there’s a Passport Acceptance Facility nearby, or call the National Passport Information Center to see what else can be done.
2. Have imminent travel plans and be able to prove it. Most (though not all) agencies will need proof that your trip is scheduled within two weeks in order to make an appointment, or that you need to submit your passport for a visa within 28 days.
3. Call to make an appointment, or just walk in to the agency, but be ready to wait in long lines with a number, DMV style.
4. If your passport was lost, have a copy of your birth certificate with you. In some cases, an iPhone photo of it will suffice.
5. Bring a new passport-size photo with you to the agency. Surprisingly, passport agencies will not have an area in which to do this.
6. Fill out the DS-11 application for a U.S. passport, or the DS-82 to renew it.
7. Be ready to pay a $60 expediting fee, as well as the standard $135  application fee for a new passport, or $110 if you're renewing an expired one.
8. Wait. It will will take around three to five hours to actually make a passport, so take that into consideration when making your appointment. You can either sit tight at the agency, or leave and come back — they will give you an estimated window of time they're expecting your passport to be ready.
9. Pick up your passport. as seen at http://www.businessinsider.com/

List of Passport Agencies. 

New Redesigned ESTA Website for Visa Waiver Program Visitors VWP.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched today the redesigned website for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) visitors to apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to traveling to the United States. The new website makes the process of applying for an ESTA more user-friendly and will improve and better facilitate the experience for VWP travelers wishing to visit the United States. 

Some of the new and updated features include:

• Access to frequently asked questions at any time during the application process.
• Mobile-friendly design allows VWP visitors to apply and check the status of their ESTA using their smartphones.
• Users will be able to translate the page into a different language at any point in the application by choosing one of the 23 languages in the language selector.
• The Group feature has been moved to the beginning of the application process making it easier for families and groups to submit their applications at once.

VWP visitors who have already applied for an ESTA using the old site will be able to access their ESTA on the new site. Travelers with a valid ESTA will not have to reapply for a new ESTA until their current ESTA expires or they receive a new passport.

CBP reminds VWP visitors that ESTA applications can only be submitted through the official website. ESTA is not affiliated with any third-party sites. CBP recommends ESTA applications be submitted as soon as an applicant begins making travel plans.

The VWP enables nationals of 38 designated countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes for stays of 90 days or less without first obtaining a visa. All nationals or citizens of VWP countries are required to have an approved ESTA prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the United States under the VWP. ESTA applications should be submitted at least 72 hours before travel, and once approved, will generally be valid for up to two years or until the applicant’s passport expires, whichever comes first. Authorizations will be valid for multiple entries into the United States.

New redesigned VWP ESTA website at: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

USCIS Announces Revised Procedures for Determining Visa Availability for Applicants Filing for Adjustment of Status, I-485. Two Charts in Monthly DOS Visa Bulletin.

On September 09 2015, USCIS Announces Revised Procedures for Determining Visa Availability for Applicants Waiting to File for Adjustment of Status.

USCIS, in coordination with Department of State (DOS), is revising the procedures for determining visa availability for applicants waiting to file for employment-based or family-sponsored preference adjustment of status. The revised process will better connect USCIS procedures with the US Department of State (DOS) procedures, which are used for foreign nationals who seek to become U.S. permanent residents by applying for immigrant visas at U.S. consulates and embassies abroad.

The Visa Bulletin revisions implement November 2014 executive actions on immigration announced by President Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security Johnson, as detailed in the White House report, Modernizing and Streamlining Our Legal Immigration System for the 21st century, issued in July 2015. 

What is Changing.

Two charts per visa preference category will be posted in the DOS Visa Bulletin:

• Application Final Action Dates (dates when visas may finally be issued); and
• Dates for Filing Applications (earliest dates when applicants may be able to apply).

Each month, in coordination with DOS, USCIS will monitor visa numbers and post the relevant DOS Visa Bulletin chart. Applicants can use the charts to determine when to file their Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.

To determine whether additional visas are available, USCIS will compare the number of visas available for the remainder of the fiscal year with:

• Documentarily qualified visa applicants reported by DOS;
• Pending adjustment of status applications reported by USCIS; and
• Historical drop off rate (for example, denials, withdrawals, abandonments).

DOS publishes current immigrant visa availability information in a monthly Visa Bulletin. 

See here. 

New L-1B Specialized Knowledge Intracompany Transferee Memo - August 17, 2015.

A new USCIS August 17 2015 L-1B policy memorandum issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), provides guidance on the adjudication of the L-1B classification, which permits multinational companies to transfer employees who possess "specialized knowledge" from their foreign operations to their operations in the United States. It provides consolidated and authoritative guidance on the L-1B program, superseding and rescinding certain prior L-1B memoranda. Some practitioners expressed concerns that the memo still gives adjudicators broad discretion to issue requests for evidence (RFEs) and denials.

The memo notes the following "non-exhaustive" list of factors USCIS may consider when determining whether a beneficiary’s knowledge is specialized:

• The beneficiary possesses knowledge of foreign operating conditions that is of significant value to the petitioning organization's U.S. operations.
• The beneficiary has been employed abroad in a capacity involving assignments that have significantly enhanced the employer's productivity, competitiveness, image, or financial position.
• The beneficiary's claimed specialized knowledge normally can be gained only through prior experience with the petitioning organization.
• The beneficiary possesses knowledge of a product or process that cannot be easily transferred or taught to another individual without significant economic cost or inconvenience (because, for example, such knowledge may require substantial training, work experience, or education).
• The beneficiary has knowledge of a process or a product that either is sophisticated or complex, or of a highly technical nature, although not necessarily unique to the petitioning organization.
• The beneficiary possesses knowledge that is particularly beneficial to the petitioning organization's competitiveness in the marketplace.

>>Specialized knowledge generally cannot be commonly held, lacking in complexity, or easily imparted to other individuals. 

>>Specialized knowledge need not be proprietary or unique to the petitioning organization. 

>>The L-1B classification does not involve a test of the U.S. labor market.

>>Specialized knowledge workers need not occupy managerial or similar positions or command higher compensation than their peers.

See August 17, 2015 memo at http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Laws/Memoranda/2015/L-1B_Memorandum_8_14_15_draft_for_FINAL_4pmAPPROVED.pdf

What to do and how to return to USCIS your erroneously issued 3-year DACA EAD or work permit. USCIS promises to use even home visits.

Practice Alert: USCIS Taking Extreme Measures to Retrieve Erroneously Issued 3-Year DACA EAD

AILA Doc No. 15070802 | Dated July 14, 2015

As a result of the judge's July 7, 2015 order threatening contempt citations in the ongoing litigation in Texas v. United States, USCIS advised stakeholders in a telephone call on the evening of July 13, 2015, that it is implementing additional, and in some cases extreme, steps to retrieve approximately 2,500 3-year EAD cards and DACA approvals that were erroneously issued after the court's February 16, 2015 injunction temporarily halting implementation of expanded DACA.

Following is a summary of the steps to date, and the steps now being implemented

Group 1: 2,000 3-year EADs that were erroneously mailed after the injunction:

·        First Letter: In May 2015, USCIS began sending letters to these 3-year EAD recipients. This first letter instructed the recipient to return the 3-year EAD and made it clear that only 3-year EADs issued after February 16, 2015, need to be returned to USCIS. Recipients were provided a postage paid envelope and were instructed to return the 3-year EAD and all approval notices to a designated USCIS service center address. No deadline was provided. USCIS received approximately 1,100 EADs from this first letter.

·        Second Letter: During the week of July 6, 2015, USCIS sent a second letter to those who had not yet returned the EAD. This letter was similar to the first letter, but stated "USCIS must receive your EAD by 7/17/15. Failure to return the invalid EAD without good cause may affect your deferred action and employment authorization." Recipients were again provided a postage-paid envelope and were instructed to return the 3-year EAD and all approval notices to a designated USCIS service center address.

·        Phone Calls: Also during the week of July 6, USCIS customer service representatives began calling affected individuals and/or their representatives providing instructions for returning erroneously issued EADs.

·        Third Letter (New): On July 13, 2015, USCIS sent a third letter to the remaining individuals for whom an erroneously issued 3-year EAD has not yet been received. These individuals are directed to appear at a USCIS field office to return their 3-year EAD, or certify that it has been returned or that it has been lost by July 27, 2015. This notice indicates that the DACA grant will be terminated, and the EAD declared invalid, effective July 31, 2015, if the recipient does not comply. Even if the individual mails the card or certification back, USCIS indicated that it will still require appearance at the field office.

·        Home Visits: USCIS also described a plan to have plain-clothed USCIS officers begin visiting individual homes to retrieve erroneously issued 3-year EADs. Initially, home visits are planned to be concentrated in Chicago, and Los Angeles, and possibly Dallas and Houston, and will focus on individuals for whom USCIS does not have a working phone number. Other areas that will be focused on include: areas where a zip code analysis shows a large concentration of recipients, and areas which are not in close proximity to a USCIS field office.

Group 2: 500 3-Year EADs that were approved and mailed prior to the injunction, returned to USCIS as undeliverable, and subsequently re-mailed after the injunction:

More recently, USCIS discovered that approximately 500 3-year EADs were approved and mailed prior to the injunction, returned to USCIS as undeliverable, and subsequently re-mailed in error after the injunction. These EADs will also be retrieved by USCIS but due to the fact that they were only recently discovered, they will be dealt with on a compressed timeline:

·        First (and Only) Letter: On July 14, 2015, this group of 3-year EAD recipients will be sent a letter asking them to return their 3-year EAD, or certify that it has been returned or lost, by July 27, 2015. This letter includes language that if they fail to comply with the letter, their deferred action and employment authorizations will be terminated "at some future date."

·        Phone Calls: Toward the end of the week of July 13, 2015, USCIS customer service representatives will call affected individuals and/or their representatives and provide instructions for returning erroneously issued EADs.

·        Home Visits: Starting the week of July 20, 2015, plain-clothed USCIS officers will begin visiting individual homes to retrieve erroneously-issued 3-year EADs.

Miscellaneous Notes:

·        As soon as an erroneously-issued three-year EAD card is received, USCIS states that the recipient's name will be removed from the home visit list.

·        Recipients who have returned their three-year EADs by mail but who still receive the letter requiring them to report to a USCIS field office must still go to the field office to certify that the three-year EAD has been returned.

·        There is no need to make an InfoPass appointment to return a 3-year EAD card at a field office. Recipients may appear at any USCIS field office during the hours stated in the letter to return their card. Recipients should bring the letter to the field office to facilitate entry into the building.

·        Most of the 2,000 individuals in Group 1 should have already received their 2-year EAD replacement card. The 500 individuals in Group 2 should receive their 2-year card during the weeks of July 13 and July 20.

·        Individuals who fail to comply with the return policy, whose DACA is terminated, have no recourse for reinstating DACA at this time.

Background:

On February 16, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued an injunction in Texas v. United States, temporarily halting the implementation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and the expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), as announced by DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson on November 21, 2014. Prior to the injunction, between November 24, 2014 and February 16, 2015, USCIS granted and mailed three-year employment authorization documents (EADs) to approximately 100,000 individuals seeking an extension of their initial DACA grant, in accordance with the terms of the DACA expansion guidance. Though USCIS intended to halt mailings of all three-year EADs as of the date of the injunction, approximately 2,500 three-year EADs were erroneously mailed or re-mailed after the injunction.

On July 7, 2015, the district court ordered the government to demonstrate that it has come into compliance with the court injunction by July 31, 2015, and include a summary of compliance in a report to the court. If the court is not satisfied with USCIS's efforts, it will move forward with a hearing on August 19, 2015, and require the individual senior government officials to show cause as to why they should not be held in contempt. Toward this end, USCIS was advised to:

·        Update all necessary databases to reflect a two-year period of deferred action and employment authorization; and

·        Retrieve the erroneously issued three-year EAD cards; or

·        Demonstrate that "substantial effort" was undertaken to retrieve the erroneously issued 3-year cards, including home visits.

If you have a client who you believe received a letter, phone call, home visit, or other instruction to return a 3-year EAD card in error, please send an e-mail setting forth the facts to reports@aila.org, subject line: "DACA 3-Year EAD." Please upload any helpful supporting documentation, such as approval notices, letters, etc.

Cite as AILA Doc. No. 15070802.