The dos and don’ts of becoming a U.S. lawful permanent resident

The process of becoming a U.S. lawful permanent resident is long and often complicated. Only an expert in the laws of a country such as best immigration lawyer, NY can help the immigrants get their green card. However, not all immigrants are eligible to work in the country. It is necessary for the immigrants to know the necessary dos and don'ts of getting their green card. 

 

Here is the comprehensive list of dos and don’t assembled by the best immigration attorney in New York that can help an immigrant get understanding of the green card process.

The Dos

• It is crucial that you follow the instructions present on the Bureau of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) forms. Failure to follow and provide the information can lead to significant delays in the green card process.
• Remember to attach the documents that are asked for and provide appropriate translations where required. If the documents are missing, the USCIS will not process the forms
• USCIS requires the green card applicant to get photographed. Check your local USCIS office to check if they have onsite photographer; if not check the protograph instructions provided.
• English is the non native language of the majority of immigrants. The USCIS offices have interpreters present if need arises. Green card applicant can also get their own interpreters.
• If as an immigrant you have been denied entry to the country, convicted of crime, overstayed a visa, deported or are in the country illegally, make sure you hire best immigration attorney in New York.
• Make sure that you tell your attorney in depth about the previously denied entries and any problems with USCIS. An experienced attorney would be able to find a solution for your problem.
• It is necessary that you hire an attorney, if you are accepting any public benefits, you can lose your green card. 
  
  
  

The Don’ts

Here are a few things that you shouldn’t do when you have applied for green card:

• Do not commit any crime. You will be deported.
• Do not engage in any kind of politically subversive activities
• Do not give legal advice for money. Your experience as a green card holder does not make you an expert.
• Do not smuggle any illegal immigrants in the country.
• Do not create an impression that you are not living in the country.
• Do not lie on any USCIS form.
• Do not lie to any USCIS officers.

The process of getting a green card in United States takes time and patience. Make sure you hire best immigration lawyer, NY to help you out. Contact Wildes & Weinberg. They are leading immigration attorneys with offices in five cities.

Becoming a U.S. citizen via neutralization

If you’re already a permanent resident of the United States, you may be eligible to become a U.S. citizen with a neutralization process. However, you need to fulfill the visa requirements created by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act. With the best immigration attorney in NYC, you can remain carefree about the required documents and the entire process.

The following are the steps of becoming a citizen of the United States through neutralization.

Complete and submit the U.S. citizenship application form - In order to become eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship through neutralization, you need to fulfill the below requirements.

• You must be 18 years old and above
• Should legally hold a green card for five years
• Need to possess a good moral character
• Must be physically present in the U.S. for at least five years.
• Possess basic knowledge of the English language.
• Must be familiar with the U.S. history and government.
  

Fulfill the biometric services

• Once you receive the application receipt notice provided by the USCIS, make a visit to the local Application Support Center as addressed in the USCIS letter to get your fingerprint.
• Meanwhile, the USCIS conducts a proper background check according to the information that you’ve given in the application form.
• In some cases, the USCIS may also ask for other supporting documents from your side.

Appear for the interview and exam conducted by the USCIS

• If the USCIS has analyzed your background check and found no discrepancies, you will be sent an interview appointment letter.
• When it comes to appearing for the interview make sure you reach half an hour before your interview time. Also, don’t forget to bring the USCIS letter with you.
• Bring your photo and copies of the photo that you submitted with your application.
• Try giving simple and honest answers to your interviewer.
• Appear for the English and history tests.

• If you clear your interview and test, you will get to know on the same day, or you may have to wait for a few days.

Become a part of the oath-taking ceremony - If you pass the interview and exam, you will get another letter from the USCIS with the time, date and location of the oath-taking ceremony.

• Make sure you arrive 30 minutes to one hour before the specified time on the invitation letter.
• For this occasion, you must dress formally.

• Return your permanent resident to the USCIS.
• Become a part of the oath ceremony along with other applicants.
• Receive your neutralization certificate, which confirms that you are now a citizen of the U.S.

It is necessary to meet all the requirements given to you by the USCIS to become a U.S. citizen via neutralization. Are you searching for the best immigration attorney in NYC? Contact Wildes & Weinberg P.C.They have the experienced and reliable immigration lawyers in New York.

Top green card alternatives to the EB-5 investor visa

When it comes to the U.S. immigration system, the U.S. immigration system, it is all about uncertainties and complexities. Although there are several routes an overseas investor can take to alter EB-5 investor visa to a green card, even the most well-known ways are not easy. If you’re considering to become a permanent residence in the United States, you should be aware of the taxation on international income. For this reason, make sure you hire the best immigration attorney in New York to better assistance throughout the process.

As per the EB-5 program, immigrant entrepreneurs and their families become U.S. citizens by investing $500,000 to $1,000,000 in a commercial business within the U.S. and should create ten permanent jobs for U.S. citizens. However, during the scrutiny period, either the business may fail, or the funds could be limited to keep the company running. Therefore, we have come up with top green car alternatives to the EB-5 investor visa.

Extraordinary ability - The EB-1A extraordinary ability petition is an excellent option for people who have experienced backlogs with EB-5 investor visa. To be eligible for this category, an applicant needs to possess extraordinary abilities in their respective fields from being pro researchers to professors. Most permanent residence paths have significant backlogs, but EB-1A extraordinary ability petition usually doesn’t have any backlog. Besides this, extraordinary ability category is also eligible for premium processing service, which means USCIS will give a decision within as much as 15 days. The applicant must meet three out of ten criteria determined by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to be eligible for extraordinary ability.

EB-1C multinational manager - The EB-1C multinational executives or manager category is another excellent alternative for foreign entrepreneurs. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an applicant requires employment in a U.S. company for at least a year. The USCIS also requires the foreign national to hold the position of executive or manager.

Do you want to apply for citizenship in EB-1C multinational manager category? Keep in mind that the affiliate, subsidiary or corporation should be based in the United States and should in the field for more than a year. There are several immigration lawyers in NYC offering proper assistance throughout the application process.

EB-2 national interest waiver - This category is an option for entrepreneurs who possess exceptional skills, which can have an impact on the U.S. If you’re choosing EB-2 national interest waiver category, make sure you hold ten years of experience in your respective field, take home a high salary, have licenses, are a member of professional associations, and have recognitions for your achievements.

The high investment and backlogs for individuals in countries such as China and India make the EB-5 program to lose its credibility. Are you looking for the best immigration attorney in New York? Contact Wildes & Weinberg

Requirements for an EB-5 investor visa

With EB-5 visa, foreign investors can get immigrated to the United States by investing a minimum of 1 million US$ in a commercial business and create at least 10 full-time jobs for the U.S. citizens. However, to become eligible for the EB-5 visa program, each candidate has to fulfill certain criteria established by the USCIS. In most of the cases, people hire an immigration lawyer for better assistance from the application process to the interview. Although there are many immigration lawyers, you have to choose the best immigration lawyer in New York. 

If you’re planning to apply for the US investor visa, you must know the basic eligibility criteria and requirements. The following are the important requirements for an EB-5 investor visa.

USCIS requirements:

• Job creation requirement
• Investment requirement
• Business entity requirement
• Benefits to the U.S. economy requirement

Initial investor requirements and documents

While applying for an EB-5 visa, there are many documents an applicant has to submit. But, the document checklist varies from one investor to another. Generally, an investor and the family members have to submit the following documents.

Personal documents

Here are the documents candidates and their family members such as spouse and unmarried children under 21 years have to provide.

• The applicant and family members have to submit a complete personal bio.
• Identification documents such as passports, birth certificates, driver’s license, social security cards and national identity cards of the applicant and family members.
• If the investor is married, the candidate and spouse have to provide their marriage certificate.
• Employment and business history.
• An immigrant investor has to submit certified copies of education diplomas and degrees.
• If the applicant  was convicted for a crime, the court and prison records have to be provided.
• Each member of the family has to submit two passport size color photographs and passport.

Financial documents

The following are the financial documents foreign investors have to submit to the USCIS.

• Documents proving source of income.
• Proof of capital funds.
• Ownership and tax documents.
• Other financial documents such as bank statements, security agreements, loan and mortgage documents, stock certificates and promissory notes.

Application forms required for EB-5 investor visa

Given below are the application forms an immigrant and his family members need to fill and submit.

• Form I-526 - As a proof of required investment.
• Form DS-230 - For foreign investors who want to apply for conditional permanent residency.
• Form I-485 - Required for investors who are already living in the US and want to apply for conditional permanent residency.
• Form I-829 - This form is for removing the conditions required for an EB-5 visa.

Do you want to know your eligibility for EB-5 investor visa? You must hire the best immigration lawyer in New York. Need an immigration lawyer in NYC? Contact Wildes & Weinberg P.C.  They employee some of the best immigration lawyers in NYC.

E2 visa: How to convert it into a green card

The E-2 is the primary investor visa that allows a foreign national to set their business in the United States by investing a substantial amount of investment in a U.S. business. If you’re the one holding a U.S. E-2 visa, we’ll brief you with top ways of converting your investor visa into a green card to get the permanent residence of the U.S. However it is always recommended to hire an expert for better assistance. There are various well-qualified and experienced immigration lawyers in New Jersey who can help you in getting a green card. Here are the tops ways to convert your E-2 visa into a green card.

Invest more capital and obtain EB-5 green card — Typically, every foreign national entering into the US to set a business by obtaining an E-2 work visa is obliged to invest a substantial amount of money. They need to invest at least $200, 000 USD and their business should create a minimum of five jobs for US citizens in five years. However, if you have more money, you could also apply for an EB-5 green card while continuing to operate your business in the U.S. under the E-2 investor visa. To apply for an EB-5 visa, you have to invest $1 million dollars and create 10 new jobs to qualify your company. It’s mandatory that the money you invest is traceable.

• Invest in a regional project and obtain a EB-5 visa — Instead of directly investing $1 million in your own business, you could also invest $500, 000 into a regional center project while continuing to run your own E-2 visa business. The requirement to create 10 jobs can be fulfilled indirectly by the regional center project. Well, this is a comparatively less expensive way to obtain an EB-5 visa. You can always get the assistance of experts by hiring the best immigration attorney in NJ.
• Find an employer to sponsor you — Another way is to find an employer who would sponsor you, or maybe your spouse, for a permanent residency. In some cases, if someone is hired for the right position and possesses enough qualifications to be exceptionally capable, they can even get an exemption from a PERM labor certification.
• Get sponsorship by a family member — If you have a close relative in the U.S. who is holding a U.S. green card or citizen, that relative can sponsor you EB-5 green card while you continue to manage and your business under the E-2 vis

One thing, you should always remember while converting E-2 visa into a green card is that lots of requirements need to be fulfilled for a green card which is not required for E-2 visa. If you’re searching for reliable and qualified immigration lawyers in New Jersey, contact Wildes & Weinberg. They have the best immigration attorney in NJ.

Is open borders solution to America’s immigration problem?

The days in the life of immigrants are tough. Recently a news has surfaced of a man being detained while he was driving his wife to the hospital for the birth of their child. The wife was left stranded at the fuel station and had to driver herself to the hospital. While the ICE agents say that the Mexican man was an undocumented immigrant who was wanted by the Mexican government on the homicide charges, the wife denies it. The wife says that while it is true that she is an undocumented immigrant, her husband is not and they have been living in the country for past 10 years. Variety of immigration lawyers in New York are still calling the policies of the Trump administration cruel and are calling them out on their inability to reunite the children that were taken away from their immigrants parents.

What are open borders?
More and more immigrants are asking to make the borders of the country more open rather than making the immigration policies stricter. While the Trump and his strict immigration advocates talk about the national security and low crime rates to make their policies more liked. However, what people cannot see is the loss of talented workforce, taxpayers money and the Trump’s willingness “to 'shut down' government" unless Congress approves funding for a border wall with Mexico.”

If government agrees about the open borders, there would be no problem of the legal or illegal immigration. All the current residents of the country can be granted the rights to live and work in the country. This would remove any immigration problem. Many countries such as European union, East African Community, Gulf cooperation council and more use open borders to create more opportunities and economic gain.

According to an 2013 report, the cost of enforcement of immigration laws was $18 billion annually. $18 billion dollars of the taxpayers money that can be used to make the country more developed and life of the residents more easier. The money can be used in the healthcare, technology, education, tourism and other sectors. However, the plan is just a theory can would not be applied by the US government practically.

If you are an immigrant and want to have the best immigration attorney in Miami to have a look at your case, contact Wildes & Weinberg. They are the leading immigration firm with expert team and offices in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and New Jersey.

I-Visa: What you should know about it?

The current administration has made numerous changes to the immigration process. The parameters of majority of visas are changed and the immigrants have to understand how to make the immigration system work for them. From filling of the forms to their submission, the I-visa has become complex for a layman immigrant to understand. The immigration attorney in Los Angeles advice the immigrants (present and potential) to consult the experts.

What is I-visa?

The I-visa is specifically for the representative of the foreign media. Currently, it is a nonimmigrant visa. You can only fall under this visa if you represent any foreign media such as film, radio, press etc. Any immigrants who fall under this category need to be working as reporters, film crew, editors and any other similar occupations.

Eligibility Parameters:

To be eligible under I visa, the individual needs to:

• Be coming to the country to only engage in the profession of foreign media.
• Have the home office or headquarters in the home country
• Be an individual who is under 21 and he should be accompanied by or should join an I-visa nonimmigrant already present in the country.

It is extremely important that you should be able to demonstrate the reasons behind your visit and your job activities should be necessary to your organization. A consular at the embassy will determine if you have qualified to obtain the visa.

Application Process:

To apply for the I-visa, the applying individual needs to visit the America embassy or consulate present in their home country. The application will be processed to the Department of State where the visa application process will be established along with the issuance fee.

To engage in your profession in US, you need to have I-visa. Without the visa, anything you do will do professionally would be considered illegal. This applies to you even if your country is part of U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Any attempt to travel and work in the country without proper visa would result in non-admission and deportation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

If you are still searching for the best immigration lawyers in Los Angeles, consult Wildes & Weinberg. They have leading immigration lawyers specializing in family-based immigration cases.

Has scaled back on the “zero tolerance” policy worked?

While the administration has scaled back on the “zero tolerance” policy, it is still difficult for the families to be united with their children. The president tweeted last Sunday that the zero tolerance policy is fair and the system should give preference to those who are “legally waiting their turn.”

While Trump and his followers are pro zero tolerance policy, the other side of the coin are the people who are protesting the policy. The majority of best immigration attorneys of Los Angeles are behind the immigrants. They are protesting for a better life that the US has provided in the past. The best immigration lawyers in Los Angeles are advising the immigrants to immediately hire or contact their respective immigration attorneys.

There might be several pros of zero tolerance policy that Republicans can see or visualize, but the separation of the families, and the wrong implementation of the policy has made the several zero tolerance policy defenders and supporters go against it.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that any individual crossing the border for illegal immigration will be prosecuted immediately.

"We're going to continue to prosecute those adults who enter here illegally. We're going to do everything in our power, however, to avoid separating families. All federal agencies are working hard to accomplish this goal," Sessions said.

Although, the Trump administration might have started back pedaling from the policy, the children who are separated from their parents are yet to be united. However, President Trump is still hoping to apply the policy in near future. He tweeted: "Our Immigration policy, laughed at all over the world, is very unfair to all of those people who have gone through the system legally and are waiting on line for years!" he said. "Immigration must be based on merit - we need people who will help to Make America Great Again!" Hoping to make immigration an issue in the upcoming elections, Trump might  be planning to put the issue of “strong borders, no crime” in front of the GOP Congress.

With such future of US immigration, the immigration attorneys around the country are working together to help the immigrants build a secure future. Want to hire best immigration attorney for your case? Contact Wildes & Weinberg. They are best immigration law firm in Los Angeles with expertise in all kinds of immigration formalities.

Why immigrants need a best immigration attorney in NYC?

Right now there are about 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country and majority are those who came as minors with their parents. These immigrants only recognize America as their country. About 8,00,000 individuals among the illegal immigrants opted for the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program allowed the immigrants to stay in the country, study and work and receive immunity from the deportation. However, DACA did not make the immigrants eligible for the benefits such as medicare, food stamps, social security and even the American Health Care Act. This was a temporary way for the immigrants to build their way for the citizenship.

However, the DACA program has been scrapped by the current government which means that these immigrants have no place to be. With no security, the immigrants are looking at the best immigration lawyers in New York to understand and find a way they can secure their future. DREAMers, the young immigrants who were brought as immigrants by their parents could be deported as the Homeland security is already given their lists. If you are one of the immigrants, here are a few reasons why you should hire an immigration attorney immediately:

Better decision makers

The immigration lawyers know the law and understand and thus are the only people who can help you through the immigration crisis in America. It is important that the procedure is done right in the first try and the process is not made a lifelong thing. With right attorney, you get an expert on your case and have the ability to plan your future the right way.

Stay ahead of the crisis

Wit country going through an immigration crisis, it is for the best to select the immigration lawyer that can help you navigate through it. Help from the best immigration attorney in NYC will ensure that you have a stable future that you can see and live with your loved ones.

If you want to hire one of the best immigration Attorneys in NYC, you can visit the offices of Wildes and Weinberg. They are a leading law firm specializing in all kinds of immigration laws.

Revocation of Guidance Concerning Tenant-Occupancy Methodology

The current administration of the United States has become a harsh face towards the immigration process, especially the immigrant investor (EB-5). The USCIS is now revising the guidelines of the investor visa cases which involves the tenant occupancy. Earlier, the tenant-occupancy methodologies were allowed by the USCIS Policy Manual. It is often used to show the investments and the jobs that were created to employ ten people indirectly.  But now the policymakers have determined that this particular visa is not achieving the results well or as per the prediction. Now, the USCIS will not entertain the tenant-occupancy models for filings on or after May 15, 2018. According to the recent news, the USCIS will entertain

• Form I-526- Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur, and
• Form I-829- Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status
• Applications related to-

• Absent material change
• When directly related to previously approved projects
• Fraud or misrepresentation, or legal deficiency of the prior determination.

It is important to mention here that this EB-5 visa was formed in the year 1990 by the Immigration Act of 1990. This was fifth most favorite visa category that was used by many people to immigrate with families lawfully. In this visa category, investors invested at least one million dollars and got the direct PR to the country. From the 1990 till now there were certain changes that were made to improve and increase the transparency in the visa. It helped US greatly in becoming financially and economically stronger.

What is the need of hiring an immigration attorney?

Choosing the best immigration attorney in New Jersey is necessary because they are the professionals who know each and everything. They know the details of each clause of each visa category. The attorneys have the in-depth knowledge of the immigration laws. A normal person doesn't know the small tricks and importance of the information that we don't want to disclose to the immigration firms. Hiring the best immigration lawyer can reduce the chances of rejection or denial the visa. Before applying for the specific visa, the immigration firms check each and every point of the form. As they have an experienced and expert team to check file the case in the proper manner. 

If you are the one who is planning to immigrate to the NJ under this EB-5 investor visa category, then you must hire the best immigration law firm in NJ.

Is It Worth Hiring A Los Angeles Immigration Attorney?

Immigration is a lengthy and complicated process, especially if you are looking to immigrate to the United States of America. Anyone who needs any kind of visa or is dealing with any kind of immigration aspect, needs the best immigration attorney. Choosing the best lawyer with enough experience in several immigration issues is a plus point. There are so many options to find the best immigration lawyer in Los Angeles. You can check online, in newspapers, phone book or through advertisements on the TV.

Immigration attorneys are important for sought issues related to immigration as there are many aspects to look after if you are looking to move to another country for study basis or to establish your business. For business visa, there are several formalities and forms that needs to be filled in the given time. Moreover, the other criteria is that you need to fill the formsl exactly as described by the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Service). This immigration department of US is very strict with their rules and regulations.

Strict rules and prolonged waiting time is tougher for a common man to handle and have made immigration issue a bit daunting. This is one of the reasons some people who file for the United States find themselves depressed while dealing with all paperwork and fees required to acquire the permanent legal status. Whereas the immigration attorneys are the professionals of legal works who not only help you but also correct the things that are not filled or filled wrong.

These small details are important as if the department finds any contradictory thing they may cancel your application and even deport an individual. So, it's better that you must hire the best immigration lawyers before taking any step towards to the immigration application.

Immigration attorneys assist you in every aspect of the immigration. From filling a form to preparing for any kind of interviews at the immigration office immigration attorneys may be needed. They prepare their applicants to face all kind of questions. Are you looking for best immigration attorneys in Los Angeles? Consult- Wildes & Weinberg, P.C. It is a well-known law firm concentrating on all the immigration-related issues. For more information, visit- https://www.wildeslaw.com/

President Trump's 'four pillars of immigration reform'

With Congress deciding which way to move forward regarding the DACA and dreamers, this era of immigration policies is reminding us of a time when there were quota system and the policies were based on racism. The current changes in the immigration laws are making the head of the Americans hang in shame.


The Trump Administration wants to change the basic four pillars of immigration law. This would mean end of chain migration, end of DACA, extreme border security and end of diversity visa lottery. The best immigration attorneys in NJ have explained below the four reforms that President Trump wants in immigration policy and how it would affect the thousands of immigrants present in the country:

DREAMers and DACA
In early 2012, former President Obama began DACA program. This program authorized the undocumented immigrants who were brought as small children in the country to be able to work an live legally. Through DACA, about 7,00,000 DREAMers (its recipients) were able to live peacefully and had chance to fulfil their aspirations. However, after being elected the president, Trump announced to end the program. Since then, the immigration attorneys, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and other officials have been fighting and appealing against the decision. This resulted in softening of the decision and President Trump agreeing on a bipartisan decision to support the DREAMers who fulfil the criteria.


Border Security
The second pillar of immigration reform that the Trump administration is not budging from is the investing $25 billion in border security. This would mean construction of a southern border wall, securing of all borders of US, increase in personnel count in immigration departments, implementation and investment in high tech gadgets such as drones, cameras, sensors and more to prevent illegal immigration.


End of diversity visa lottery system
The third pillar is the end of diversity visa lottery system and implementation of merit based system. The administration has criticized the diversity visa lottery system for issuing the green card without taking in regard the merits. White House is advocating the reallocation of diversity visas in other immigration visa categories.


Restrictions on family-based or chain immigration
The last pillar of immigration reform that Trump administration wants is extreme restrictions on chain migration. Under the current law, the sponsorship is extended to the spouse and children of the immigrant. Under the new immigration system, an immigrant won’t be able to sponsor his family unless the have the required merit.


Are you an immigrant looking for advise? Consult Wildes & Weinberg, one of the best immigration firms with best immigration attorneys in NJ.

5 tips to find the right immigration attorney

An extremely complex procedure, US immigration procedure requires a full in-depth check in the background of the immigrant. There are numerous visa types that can be applied and with the current administration’s bias for the immigrants - legal as well as illegal - it is necessary that you opt for best immigration lawyers in New York City. A right immigration attorney will help you navigate through the red tape.

Here are tips to find the right immigration attorney:

Peer rating
There are numerous websites that help you by giving ratings on various immigration attorney across the country. These peer ratings websites have numerous data that can help in selecting the right immigration lawyer. While these places are amazing, these are not only places to look and you should not only depend on these to select the right lawyer.

Client Reviews
Google is the great way to go, you might want to check the law association and various portals where clients can rate the lawyers. It can help you select the right attorney. Read through the reviews. The reviews will give you an insight in the law firm and the best lawyers.

AILA
AILA or American Immigration Lawyers Association is a national association of attorneys who teach and practice immigration law. The website offers the names and addresses of all attorneys in your area. While there were some lawyers who might not be members of the association, you can even find them on the website. Remember, it is not necessary to be part of the association.

Credential Check
After short listing the attorneys, the next thing you do is perform a credential check. You have to check for the license along with lawyer’s good standing. You should do an in-depth credential check and make sure that they are right lawyer for you.

Interview the attorneys
Last thing you should do is interview the eligible lawyers. From asking the questions about the experience to the type of immigration they have handles, you have to know everything about your immigration attorney.

The best immigration lawyers in New York City will make sure that you have the best chance of staying in the country and of obtaining green card. Remember to stay clear of the visa consultants or lawyers who might give you unlawful advice. You can contact the leading immigration firm, Wildes & Weinberg for a consultation and review.

Newest asylum cases to be first taken care of by the immigration department

With more than a year in the Trump administration, the latest immigration policies have put the  undocumented immigrants in more problem. The change in the handling of the asylum cases might be a bit of relief for the immigration department but is no relief for the immigrants. The immigrants who have applied for the asylum visa usually wait about five years or more for their cases to be heard. The immigration department has the backlog of 311,000 pending asylum cases as of 21st January 2018.

The immigration department has decided to work first on the newest visa cases to make sure there is no fraud is happening. They believe by taking care of the newest cases the officials can work through the backlog and clear the system. The leading and best immigration lawyers in New York agree with the officials that this step will help the immigrants who are seeking protection from the violence in their own country, but will also result in a bit of more wait. This change will affect both legal as well as illegal immigrants. This decision will affect the country both economically and security-wise.

There are a few people who don't understand the working of asylum visa. Here is what it is all about:

What is asylum visa for?
The asylum visa is only for the individuals who cannot return to their country. This can only be due to following reasons:

1. They fear persecution in their country.
2. They need to prove that the persecution is based on race, religion, political opinion, nationality and association with a certain group.
3. They need to establish that the government is involved in the persecution or cannot do anything.

Applying for asylum
When applying for asylum, you need to prove the eligibility and file Form I-589, the form for Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. This needs to be done within one year of your arrival in the country. You can also include your spouse and minor children in the application. There is no fee for applying for asylum visa. During the process of interview make sure that the people named on the form are present with you in the country.

If you are looking for legal advice on the issue of asylum, consult lawyers at Wildes & Weinberg to discuss the case in strictest confidence.

Family-based vs Merit Immigration

The Trump administration has been very vocal about the stance regarding the family based immigration. Calling it “Chain Migration” they want it to end as soon as it can. The rally call of the country grow more louder after a terrorist detonated the bomb inside the New York subway. As the federal officials confirmed that the terrorist came in the country through the family -based immigration system, the Trump administration decided it was the time to end it and give more focus on the merit-based immigration system.

What is family based immigration?

The family based immigration system began with the aim of family unification. Under this type of immigration the US citizens are allowed to obtain green cards for their children (under 21 age), spouses and parents (over 21 years). It is a quicker option to obtain the green card.

The citizens can also put petition for other family members for the green card. Depending upon the country of origin there is a different waiting period. Some people have to wait decades before they are legally allowed to enter the country.

People against the family immigration consider it the reason behind various attacks on the democracy of the country. They believe that this type of immigration leads to chain migration and multiple immigrants enter the country whether they are worth it or not.

What is merit based immigration?

The merit based immigration is the system which President Trump is supporting himself. He along with two other congressmen introduced the RAISE Act. Under the act, the population of the immigrants will be reduced by 41%. This would result in reduction of immigrants in the country by 50% in a decade.

Under this act, the people with the specific points will be allowed to enter the country. The points would be awarded for various categories such as education, age, language skills, salary and more. More points would be awarded for the people with extraordinary skills. This would eliminate any entrance of immigrants through their immediate or extended family.

When will the change happen?

While there is no way to say when the change would happen, the future of the current as well as potential immigrants hangs in the balance. This law change will have to be signed by the congress and the President.

Get second opinion on your case, consult Wildes & Weinberg. Their immigration lawyers in New York City are renowned for their skill and knowledge.