Integrity Legal

The administration of this blog routinely posts the estimated processing times of the various service centers of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). The following was quoted directly from the official USCIS website:

Those reading these estimates should bear in mind that these estimates do not necessarily provide an accurate estimate of the overall US visa process. Those seeking a United States visa from outside the United States will likely be required to undergo Consular Processing at a US Embassy or US Consulate abroad. Furthermore, before an immigration petition even reaches a US Embassy overseas the file must first be processed by the National Visa Center. All of these facts are likely to cause the overall US visa process to be significantly longer than the time it takes for USCIS to merely adjudicate an immigration petition.

Tags: Consular Processing, CR-1 Visa, CR-2 visa, CR1 Visa, CR2 visa, I-129f, I-130, I129f, I130, IR-1 Visa, IR-2 visa, IR1 Visa, IR2 visa, K-1 Visa, K-2 Visa, K-3 Visa, K-4 visa, K1 Visa, K2 Visa, K3 Visa, K4 Visa, National Visa Center, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, US Consulate, US Embassy, US Visa Process, USCIS
Posted in USCIS | No Comments »

It has come to this blogger’s attention that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has issued a new set of answers to frequently asked questions stemming from the recent decision by the United States Supreme Court which overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In previous postings on this blog the fact that lawful permanent residents and American Citizens with same-sex spouses can now file for immigration benefits for their same sex spouse has been discussed at length. That said, USCIS discussed this issue in their recently issued FAQ release, to quote directly from the USCIS website:

Q1: I am a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident in a same-sex marriage to a foreign national. Can I now sponsor my spouse for a family-based immigrant visa?
A1: Yes, you can file the petition. You may file a Form I-130 (and any applicable accompanying application). Your eligibility to petition for your spouse, and your spouse’s admissibility as an immigrant at the immigration visa application or adjustment of status stage, will be determined according to applicable immigration law and will not be automatically denied as a result of the same-sex nature of your marriage. [italics added]

As previously pointed out on this blog, the ability of American Citizens to file for immigration benefits for a same-sex foreign spouse is a fairly clear cut result of the recent Supreme Court decision finding Section 3 of DOMA unConstituional. It should be noted that the USCIS seems to also imply that a K3 visa would also now be a possibility for same sex couples as it could be construed to be an “applicable accompanying application”. However, an issue that was not so clearly dealt with by the Supreme Court’s decision pertains to the K-1 visa (US fiance visa). As Fiance visas are, by  definition, not based upon a marriage, but an intended marriage; further clarification from USCIS on these types of visas post-DOMA is considered by some to be quite helpful. To quote further from the aforementioned USCIS FAQ section:

Q2. I am a U.S. citizen who is engaged to be married to a foreign national of the same sex.  Can I file a fiancé or fiancée petition for him or her?
A2. Yes.  You may file a Form I-129F.  As long as all other immigration requirements are met, a same-sex engagement may allow your fiancé to enter the United States for marriage. [italics added]

This clarification from USCIS regarding the fiance visa in the context of same sex marriage, while helpful, is slightly qualified by the next section of the same FAQ page:

Q3: My spouse and I were married in a U.S. state that recognizes same-sex marriage, but we live in a state that does not. Can I file an immigrant visa petition for my spouse?
A3: Yes, you can file the petition. In evaluating the petition, as a general matter, USCIS looks to the law of the place where the marriage took place when determining whether it is valid for immigration law purposes. That general rule is subject to some limited exceptions under which federal immigration agencies historically have considered the law of the state of residence in addition to the law of the state of celebration of the marriage. Whether those exceptions apply may depend on individual, fact-specific circumstances. If necessary, we may provide further guidance on this question going forward. [italics added]

Clearly, the US fiance visa is now a viable option for same sex couples with a bona fide intention to marry in those jurisdictions of the United States which recognize same sex marriage. Since the jurisdiction of the celebration of the intended marriage is USCIS’s primary concern it would appear that a K1 visa itself will be a possibility for same sex couples in the future. However, it would appear that some ancillary immigration benefits may or may not be available at this time for some same sex bi-national couples depending upon the unique residency circumstances of those couples.

Of further interest to some same sex couples will likely be the fact that there are benefits for the foreign same sex spouse of an American Citizen with respect to naturalization:

Q8. Can same-sex marriages, like opposite-sex marriages, reduce the residence period required for naturalization?
A8. Yes.  As a general matter, naturalization requires five years of residence in the United States following admission as a lawful permanent resident.  But, according to the immigration laws, naturalization is available after a required residence period of three years, if during that three year period you have been living in “marital union” with a U.S. citizen “spouse” and your spouse has been a United States citizen.  For this purpose, same-sex marriages will be treated exactly the same as opposite-sex marriages. [italics added]

Therefore, the same sex spouse of an American Citizen will be treated the same way as the opposite sex spouse of an American for purposes of obtaining US Citizenship based upon the couple’s marriage and lawful permanent residence obtained thereby. Finally, of further note in this recently issued USCIS FAQ page relates to the I-601 waiver process:

Q9. I know that the immigration laws allow discretionary waivers of certain inadmissibility grounds under certain circumstances.  For some of those waivers, the person has to be the “spouse” or other family member of a U.S. citizen or of a lawful permanent resident.  In cases where the required family relationship depends on whether the individual or the individual’s parents meet the definition of “spouse,” will same-sex marriages count for that purpose?
A9.Yes.   Whenever the immigration laws condition eligibility for a waiver on the existence of a “marriage” or status as a “spouse,” same-sex marriages will be treated exactly the same as opposite-sex marriages. [italics added]

Waivers of inadmissibility can be difficult to obtain under certain circumstances as they are, by definition, a discretionary waiver. However, one major hurdle for many same-sex bi-national couples in the US immigration sphere has been cast aside by the comendable decision of the United States Supreme Court. USCIS deserves comendation as well for their efforts to quickly and decisively implement policies which bring immigration regulations in line with changes in the law.

Readers are encouraged to read the USCIS website and the FAQ section quoted above to find out further details regarding immigration regulations pertaining to same sex couples.

For related information please see: US Visa Thailand.

Tags: Adjustment of Status, American naturalization, celebration of marriage, Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA, Fiance Visas, Fiancee visas, I-129f, I-130, I-601 Waiver, I-601 waiver process, I129f, I130, I601 Waiver, immigration law, K-1 Visa, K-1 visas, K-3 Visa, K1 Visa, K1 visas, K3 Visa, LGBT fiance, lgbt fiancee, marital union, Naturalization, Same Sex Bi-National Couple, Same Sex Bi-National Couples, same sex fiance, same sex fiancee, Same Sex Marriage, same sex spouse, same-sex engagement, Section 3 DOMA, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, United States Supreme Court, US Fiance Visa, US Fiance visas, US Fiancee Visa, US Fiancee visas, US Naturalization, USA naturalization, USCIS, USCIS FAQ, waiver of inadmissibility
Posted in Fiance Visa Thailand, I-601 Waiver, K-3 Visa Thailand, K1 Visa, K1 Visa Thailand, K3 Visa, same sex visa, US Visa, US Visa and Immigration, US Visa Thailand, USCIS, Visa Waiver | No Comments »

นอกจากนี้ ภาษากฎหมายที่นักกฎหมายฝ่ายรัฐบาลใช้ในศาลในการที่จะแบ่งแยกคำตัดสินที่เกี่ยวกับการค้นหาข้อเท็จจริงโดยอัยการเป็นไปด้วยความระมัดระวังและลบล้างคำวินิจฉัยทั้งหมดจากความเห็นทางกฎหมาย นั่นเป็นการแปลความที่ไม่สมเหตุสมผลตามพระราชบัญญัติคนเข้าเมืองและสัญชาติซึ่งมองไปข้างหน้าถึงมาตรฐานของข้อเท็จจริงการพิจารณากระบวนการเพิกถอน

จากการรวบรวมข้างต้น สถานะของรัฐบาลสหรัฐอเมริกาในการที่จะปฏิเสธคำขอ I-130 คือ ในพฤติการณ์ที่ศาลไม่สามารถที่จะทบทวนคำวินิจฉัยที่วินิจฉัยโดยผู้มีอำนาจในหน่วยบริการคนเข้าเมืองและพลเมืองของสหรัฐอเมริกา (USCIS) เป็นประเด็นที่น่าสนใจว่า ศาลไม่ถูกชักจูงโดยข้อโต้เถียงและการทบทวนคำวินิจฉัย แม้แต่คำคัดค้านของรัฐบาล

สำหรับผู้ที่ไม่คุ้นเคยกับกระบวนการทำวีซ่าสหรัฐอเมริกา คำขอ I-130 นั้นเป็นขั้นตอนแรกที่จะทำให้คนต่างด้าวมีความเกี่ยวพันนกับสหรัฐอเมริกา คำขอนั้นใช้เพื่อผู้ที่ประสงค์จะพาคู่หมั้นชาวต่างชาติไปสหรัฐอเมริกา ในกรณีที่คำขอ I-130 ได้รับการอนุมัติ เรื่องที่ได้รับการอนุมัตินั้นจะถูกส่งต่อไปยังศูนย์บริการทางวีซ่า (NVC)ซึ่งเป็นตัวแทนภายใต้กงสุลสหรัฐอเมริกาในโฮจิมินห์ซิตี้ทาง NVC ในขณะเดียวกัน คู่หมั้นชาวไทยมีแนวโน้มที่จะดำเนินการในการขอวีซ่าโดยติดต่อทางสถานทูตสหรัฐอเมริกาในกรุงเทพฯโดยทางศูนย์บริการวีซ่า คู่หมั้นชาวจีนอาจจะดำเนินการในสถางกงสุลสหรัฐอเมริกาในจีนหรือสถานทูตสหรัฐอเมริกาในปักกิ่ง เช่นเดียวกันกับอินเดีย ภารกิจของสหรัฐอเมริกาในทั้งสองประเทศมีการเปลี่ยนแปปลงที่สำคัญเพื่อที่จะอำนวยความสะดวกสำหรับผู้ที่จะทำวีซ่าหลังจากกระบวนการของ NVC

ประเด็นเกี่ยวกับความเห็นทางกฎหมายในทางกฎหมายคนเข้าเมืองเป็นเรื่องที่ซับซ้อนเรื่องหนึ่ง ดังนั้นองค์ประกอบต่างๆของกระบวนการทำวีซ่าอาจจะมีความหลากหลายในประเด็นทางกฎหมายขึ้นอยู่กับพฤติการณ์ในแต่ละเรื่อง สำหรับเหตุผลนี้คู่สองสัญชาตินั้นควรเลือกที่จะให้ทนายความช่วยจัดการในการขอยื่นคำขอวีซ่าและผู้เชี่ยวชาญที่ได้รับอนุญาตนั้นสามารถที่จะดำเนินการทุกขั้นตอนและจัดการให้เป็นไปตามกระบวนการขอวีซ่าได้อย่างครบถ้วน

To see this information in English please refer to the previous blog posting.

Tags: CR-1 Visa, CR1 Visa, I-130, I130, IR-1 Visa, IR1 Visa, K-1 Visa, K-3 Visa, K1 Visa, K3 Visa, NVC, USCIS, กฎหมายคนเข้าเมืองอเมริกา, ขอวีซ่าอเมริกันในไทย, คนเข้าเมืองอเมริกัน, คำขอ I-130, วีซ่าถาวรในไทย
Posted in สถานทูตสหรัฐอเมริกาประจำประเทศไทย, ้วีซ่าอเมริกาจากประเทศไทย | No Comments »

In an interesting recent decision by the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit the Court found that they indeed have the prerogative to review and rescind an I-130 denial. The following is a direct quotation from the Court’s opinion which was distributed by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA):

In addition, interpreting the statutory language as the government advocates would force this court to classify every decision involving fact-finding by the Attorney General as discretionary and would remove all such decisions from judicial review. That is not a reasonable interpretation in light of the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act itself setting forth our standard of review for factual determinations in removal proceedings.

As one could likely gather from the above cited quote, the United States government’s position regarding denial of I-130 petitions basically could have created a situation in which Courts would not be able to review the decisions made by adjudicators at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). It was interesting that the Court was not persuaded by this argument and reviewed the decision notwithstanding government objection.

For those who are unaccustomed to the US visa process, the I-130 petition is generally the first step in bringing an alien immediate relative to the USA. This petition is often utilized by those wishing to bring a foreign spouse to the United States. In cases where the I-130 petition is approved, the case file is usually forwarded on to the United States National Visa Center (NVC) which is an agency under the jurisdiction of the American State Department. The NVC acts as a sort of clearinghouse for visa applications. Therefore a Vietnamese spouse will likely process his or her visa application at the United States Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City via the NVC. Meanwhile, a Thai spouse will likely process his or her visa application through the US Embassy in Bangkok by way of the National Visa Center. Chinese spouses may process through one of the many US Consulates in China or the US Embassy in Beijing. The same can be said for India as the US Missions in both countries have dramatically changes Consular Processing procedures to provide more convenient options to American visa seekers after NVC processing.

The issue of judicial review in matters pertaining to United States immigration is a complicated one. Therefore, differing aspects of the US visa process may be subject to varying levels of judicial review depending upon the circumstances of a given case. For this reason some bi-national couples opt to retain attorney assistance in processing visa petitions and applications as a licensed professional can provide significant insight into overall processing procedures and provide strategies for streamlining the visa process.

Fore related information please see: K1 Visa Thailand, IR1 Visa Thailand, or CR1 Visa Thailand.

Tags: American Immigration Denial, American Visa Denial, CR-1 Visa Thailand, CR1 Visa Thailand, I-130, I-130 USCIS, I130, Immigrant Visa, IR-1 Visa Thailand, IR1 Visa Thailand, K-1 Visa Thailand, K1 Visa Thailand, US Immigration Denial, us visa denial, US Visa Process, US Visa Processing, USCIS Appeal, USCIS Denial, visa denial
Posted in American Institute Taiwan, CR1 Visa, Fiance Visa Thailand, IR1 Visa, K-3 Visa Thailand, K1 Visa, K1 Visa Thailand, K2 Visa, K2 Visa Thailand, K3 Visa, National Visa Center, US Consulate ChengDu, US Consulate Chennai, US Consulate Guangzhou, US Consulate HCMC, US Consulate Hong Kong, US Consulate Hyderabad, US Consulate Kolkata, US Consulate Macau, US Consulate Mumbai, US Consulate Shanghai, US Consulate Shenyang, US Consulate Singapore, US Consulate Wuhan, US Embassy Australia, us embassy bangkok, US Embassy Bangladesh, US Embassy Beijing, US Embassy Burma, US Embassy Cambodia, US Embassy China, US Embassy Dhaka, US Embassy Fiji, US Embassy Hanoi, US Embassy India, US Embassy Indonesia, US Embassy Iraq, US Embassy Islamabad, US Embassy Jakarta, US Embassy Japan, US Embassy Kathmandu, US Embassy Kiribati, US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, US Embassy Laos, US Embassy Malaysia, US Embassy Maldives, US Embassy Manila, US Embassy Mauritius, US Embassy Mongolia, US Embassy Myanmar, US Embassy Nauru, US Embassy Nepal, US Embassy New Dehli, US Embassy New Zealand, US Embassy Pakistan, US Embassy Papua New Guinea, US Embassy Philippines, US Embassy Phnom Phen, US Embassy Port Moresby, US Embassy Rangoon, US Embassy Singapore, US Embassy South Korea, US Embassy Sri Lanka, US Embassy Suva, US Embassy Tokyo, US Embassy Tonga, US Embassy Tuvalu, US Embassy Vietnam, US Embassy Yangon, US State Department, US Visa, US Visa and Immigration, US Visa Thailand, USCIS | No Comments »

One of the more confusing aspects of US Immigration from the perspective of laypeople is deciphering all of the legalese that US Immigration attorneys use when writing about US visas. To clear up some of the confusion, this post defines some of the most used jargon so that the average reader researching American Immigration can better understand the subject matter.

USCIS: The Acronym for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. The government entity formerly known as the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service). USCIS is the office that adjudicates petitions for immigration benefits.

K1 Visa: The K1 Visa is a Fiance Visa in that it allows the unmarried fiance of a US Citizen entry into the United States for 90 days for the sole purpose of marrying the US Citizen (who filed the petition for the visa) and adjusting status in the United States.

I-129f: The K1 visa application filed and adjudicated at a USCIS service center.

Immigrant Visas: Visas that confer permanent residence upon entry (in the context of this blog this term is used interchangeably with the terms IR-1 and CR-1)

IR-1 Visa: a visa that confers permanent residence upon entry to the USA of an immediate relative of a US Citizen (for the purpose of this blog the IR-1 is generally used to refer to a visa for Thai-American married couples who have been married for more than 2 years.)

CR-1 Visa: Conditional Resident Visa, a visa that confers conditional permanent residence to the visa holder (for the purposes of this blog this term is generally used for marriage visas in which the underlying marriage has lasted less than 2 years in duration).

I-130 petition: the application form for obtaining an Immigrant Visa. It is filed and adjudicated at USCIS.

K-3 Visa: a K-3 Visa is a non-immigrant marriage visa originally designed as an expedited marriage visa when the I-130 petition was taking as long as 3 years to process. It requires a dual filing, and underlying I-130 petition as well as a subsequent I-129f petition in order to obtain the expedited visa.

Direct Consular Filing: refers to the method of directly filing a visa petition with a consulate or Embassy in a foreign country. Sometimes the term “Direct Consular Filing” is used interchangeably with the term “local filing.”

Local Filing: Generally, for the purposes of this blog this term is used when describing the method of filing an immigration petition at the USCIS district office overseas (Specifically the USCIS Bangkok District Office).

Adjustment of Status: Adjustment of status or AOS is the procedure of converting a non-immigrant visa holder into Lawful permanent residence (Green Card holder).

Advance Parole: An immigration travel document that allows an alien, with an adjustment of status application pending, to leave the USA and still keep their status from being canceled upon departure from the USA. Advance parole is necessary where a fiance has entered the United States on a K1 Visa and subsequently leaves before an adjustment of status is complete.

Green Card: A colloquial term for the document proving lawful permanent residence.

United States: According to the Immigration and Nationality Act of the United States, the definition of United States, “when used in a geographical sense, means the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.“

Reentry Permit: A permit needed for a Lawful Permanent Resident who wishes to remain outside of the USA for a prolonged period of time. The reentry permit is necessary in order to mitigate against the presumption of abandonment of adjustment of status when a permanent resident leaves the United States.

I-134 affidavit of support: the affidavit of support necessary for the K1 Fiance visa, this affidavit shows that the US Citizen will be able to support the fiancee at the statutorily prescribed level.

I-864 affidavit of support: the affidavit of support used in conjunction with the Immigrant Visas for showing that a US Citizen can support his wife at the statutorily prescribed level.

Joint Sponsor: A person who jointly sponsors a visa beneficiary should the US Citizen petitioner not meet the statutory requirements to sponsor a beneficiary on his own.

For more information on US Visas Generally please see USA Visa Thailand

Note: None of the above should be used in lieu of legal advice from a competent licensed attorney in the readers jurisdiction

Tags: Adjustment of Status, advance parole, CR-1 Visa, Green Card, I129f, I130, IR-1 Visa, K1 Visa, K3 Visa, US Visa Thailand, USCIS
Posted in US Embassy Thailand, US Visa and Immigration, US Visa Thailand | 2 Comments »