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3250 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1918
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tel: (213)383-3222
Fax: (213)365-9922
Website: www.immigrationguru.com
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BREAKING IMMIGRATION NEWS
7/19/2022 Issue
EXPIRED U.S. PASSPORTS
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           The rule was that if your American passport expired while you were outside of the U.S., you could not use it to return to the U.S. You had to approach the nearest U.S. Consulate and apply for a passport renewal.
           During the past two years, due to all kinds of travel disruptions, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) permitted the use of expired U.S. passports for return to the U.S. But no more.
           As of June 30, 2022, if passport expiration “surprises” you outside the U.S., you must refer to the nearest American Consul for renewal. The problem is that the Consulate may schedule you an appointment several months later.
           Therefore, be careful. Review your passport before you leave. Make better planning.
QUOTA PUZZLE
 
           Every month, between the 10th and the 15th, the U. S. Department of State (DOS), publishes a list known as the VISA BULLETIN.
           The list provides availability of “immigrant numbers”, or Green Cards, for the following month. This is done by stating a CUT-OFF date in each category for every country. Applicants whose PRIORITY DATES are EARLIER than the CUT-OFF date are eligible to receive immigrant visas or Green Cards in the coming month. (PRIORITY DATE is the date on which the Family Petition or the Labor Certification was initially FILED. Not the Approval Date). Applicants whose Priority Dates are later than the cut-off dates, must still wait.
           The cut-off date for the Filipino applicants with Family petitions for the month of August 2022, are: F-1 – 3/1/2012; F2A – C (current); F2B – 10/22/2011; F-3 – 6/8/2002; and F-4 – 8/22/2002.
           The waiting times are long for every category, except F2A (spouses of immigrants and minor, unmarried children of immigrants) whose category is Current, or Open, or no waiting time.
           The PUZZLE about this list of CUT-OFF dates is that it has been the same for the past 13 months. No change since August 2021.
           WHY?
           The same is true with the cut-off dates for other countries. The same question: WHY no movement for a full year?
           But there is hope that things might change as of OCTOBER 2022.

DIVORCES: A WARNING

           In California it takes at least six (6) months from the date a DIVORCE is filed to the date it becomes FINAL. Sometimes, more. (Also, the filing spouse must be a RESIDENT of the same
California county for six months before filing).
Some people who need a divorce for immigration purposes, feel that they cannot wait so long for the divorce. They prefer to get the divorce in the neighboring state of NEVADA. A divorce in Nevada requires only six (6) weeks RESIDENCE in Nevada before filing, and it becomes final shortly upon filing. Then the fresh divorcee can get remarried and file the desired IMMIGRATION application.
But, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) pays attention to details. They want proof that the happy owner of the Nevada divorce actually RESIDED in Nevada for the required six (6) weeks before filing for the divorce.
           Therefore, be warned: if you obtain a Nevada divorce as a preliminary step for an immigration procedure, make sure to have some convincing proof that you actually RESIDED there for the required period. Make doubly sure that you don’t trail CONTRADICTORY proof that you did not reside there.
           So, what is the safe thing? Be patient and get a California divorce.

CLIENTS LAWYERS DON’T WANT TO REPRESENT
           Recently, a newspaper of the legal profession published an article that started like this: “Lawyers in private practice cannot survive without clients. But experience has taught us that it is better to avoid certain types of problematic clients” (so says Attorney Barry M. Wolf).
           This lawyer describes several types of such clients. I would “distill” his list to one: the client who comes into my office and already has a diagnosis of their problem, and also a prescription of what should be done for them, and a prognosis of how long it must take – because a friend had a case exactly like theirs and told them all about it.
           May God have mercy on the lawyers…and the client.
FOR IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS, CALL: (213)383-3222
3250 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1918
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 383-3222