An individual applying for naturalization is required to show that she has good moral character – referred to by immigration attorneys as “GMC.” This is a technical legal term that includes much more than just criminal conduct. Let’s look at…
You will be required to provide the following documents with your Form I-864. It is acceptable to send photocopies, rather than originals of these documents. Proof of U.S. Citizenship or Residency. You must submit one of the following based on…
You need to complete this section of the form only if your reported income in Part 6 was less than 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size. Here are those Guidelines for 2015 (they are adjusted each…
Part 6 is an extremely important section of the Form I-864. Most problems we observe with the Form I-864 come from incorrect answers on this section. Household versus individual income. This section asks you to report both your individual income…
The I-864 is a binding legal contract between you and the United States government. Too often, people sign the Form I-864 without understanding the serious consequences of doing so. This post offers a detailed explanation of the legal ramifications of…
U.S. immigration law is an invitation-based system. For someone wishing to move permanently to the country there is no general “line” to get in. Rather, the path to permanent residency (a “green card”) usually begins with a U.S. business or…
As you have probably heard, an N-400 applicant must pass two tests at the time she is interviewed for her application: an English language test and a test about the United States government (“Civics”). If you are able to read…
Prepared as material for 7 Keys to Managing the 21st Century Practice Washington State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education January 22, 2016 (Seattle) Digital form tools can be really useful for lawyers Let’s stop doing data entry whenever possible. That’s…
In this piece we explore the ethics of whether attorneys should draft the Form I-864 for a co-sponsor, where the attorney represents the petitioner and/or beneficiary in the family immigration case. Because the new I-864 requires an attorney-client relationship with…
In this piece in the Tacoma News Tribune I argue that Americans will be hurt if the fiancé visa program becomes more difficult. Following the violence in San Bernardino there has been talk of ratcheting down on fiancé(e) visas, but…