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December 2018 Visa Bulletin
The U.S. Department of State publishes a visa bulletin every month that shows where they are in the process of issuing green cards. This bulletin allows people to see how long it could be before a visa becomes available for them to be able to apply for their green cards. The reason that this bulletin exists is that there is a cap on the number of green cards that are issued each year. This amount has not been increased in decades, and the number of people who have applied to get a green card has far exceeded the number of visas available, which has created a backlog. For certain types…
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What You Need to Know About the Differences Between Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing
If you want to become a lawful permanent resident (aka LPR or green card holder), you will either do it through adjustment of status or consular processing. The way you choose depends on where you are when a visa becomes available, your preferences, and your circumstances. If you are already living in the United States, you can become a lawful permanent resident without leaving the country by applying for adjustment of status. If you are outside of the United States, you can use consular processing to be admitted as a lawful permanent resident. A question I get asked often is if a person can travel to the U.S. on a…
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If You Are A Restaurant Owner, Petitioning for A Specialty Chef Is An Option
The restaurant industry is in dire need of good chefs based on what I hear from restaurant owners. I’ve had the privilege of working with several restaurants who are petitioning for specialty chefs to get their green cards. Every year, the U.S. government gives out a certain number of employment-based visas. For all countries except for China, India, and the Philippines, the category that would correctly be used for specialty chefs is the EB-3 skilled worker category, and there is no waiting period other than processing times. What I mean by waiting period is that for certain countries where a lot of people have applied for that particular category of visas because there aren’t enough visas to give out, there…
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The Takeover of the House of Representatives by the Democrats: What This Could Mean for U.S. Immigration
The results are in and the Democrats have taken control of the House of Representatives while the Republicans still control the Senate. What does this mean for the President’s immigration plans? The Democrats will likely try to thwart the President’s efforts to enact the immigration changes he has promised. What I see happening is more gridlock and immigration reform will be a battle in Congress. Any real reform is yet to be seen. However, Democrats can try to limit the President’s immigration plans through the budgeting process, such as fighting to fund the controversial border wall and also limiting his other immigration plans. Here is an article from USA Today…