Last week, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its policy manual to clarify acts that may prevent a naturalization applicant from meeting the good moral character requirement. A successful naturalization applicant must show that they have been, and continue to be a person of good moral character…
Articles Posted in Crimes of Moral Turpitude
Denaturalization Task Force Coming Next Year
Beginning next year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will launch a task force located in Los Angeles, designed to identify, detect, and prosecute individuals who have fraudulently gained United States Citizenship, for example by entering into a ‘sham’ marriage to obtain permanent residence, or engaging in other…
The Top 5 Things You Need to Know Before Applying for Citizenship
In this post, we share with our readers the top five things you need to know before filing for citizenship. You must be a lawful permanent resident of the United States for a required period of time to apply for citizenship In order to apply for citizenship, you must be…
Top Reasons Applicants are Denied at their Citizenship Interview
In this post, we discuss the top five reasons applicants are denied at their citizenship interview. First let’s go over some basics: In order to become a United States Citizen, you must meet the following general requirements at the time of filing your N-400 Application for Naturalization: You must…
Trump Administration Ends Automatic Release of Pregnant Women in Federal Custody
The Trump administration has ended an Obama-era policy that required immigration officials to release pregnant women in detention from federal custody. As of at least December, the Trump administration has directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to treat pregnant detainees as they would any other, except for women who have…
The Harsh Immigration Consequences of an Aggravated Felony Conviction
One of the most common questions we often receive during in person and telephonic consultations is whether an aggravated felony may decrease a person’s chances to legalize their status in the United States. The harsh reality is that the immigration options for noncitizen aliens convicted of an “aggravated felony” are…
Massachussets State Police to Facilitate Detention of Criminals with Immigration Violations
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has proposed a new policy that will allow State Police to contact federal immigration authorities for the purposes of verifying the immigration status of suspects already in custody on state criminal charges. In taking this step, Governor Baker, a Republican, is undoing the actions of his…
5 Frequently Asked Questions
In this blog we are answering 5 of your most frequently asked questions received on our social media platforms and our website. Please remember that every case is different and every immigration journey is unique. You should not compare your situation to anyone else’s. We hope that our answers will…
Staff Spotlight: Lupe Lopez, Operations Manager and Paralegal
It is our pleasure to introduce our incredibly skilled operations manager and immigration consultant, Lupe Lopez. If you have called or stopped by our San Diego office for a consultation, chances are you have already met with her to discuss your needs. Throughout her immigration career, Ms. Lopez has assisted…
Discretionary Waivers: Draft Policy Manual on Extreme Hardship Released for Comment
Yesterday, USCIS released a draft version of what will eventually be used as the policy manual guide of extreme hardship. The policy manual has been created for the purpose of assisting adjudicating officers in making final determinations on the merits of waivers of inadmissibility. Certain aliens, who are found to…