Berd and Klauss, PLLC

  Green card holders by marriage may sponsor a foreign-born family member. But this can be a lengthy process that requires a good start to ensure success. Consulting with a green card lawyer NYC is a good idea if you want more information on the matter. Keep in mind that you can only sponsor immediate family members, not distant relatives.   Who is qualified to apply?    As a US citizen, you can file an immediate relative petition for a spouse (IR-1), an orphan adopted abroad (IR-3), a parent who is at least 21 years old (IR-5), or an unmarried child under 21 years of age (IR-2). You also need to show proof of your relationship with the people you’re filing for. This can be a marriage or birth certificate, or any documentation about the intent of adoption or adoption.   What to do if you’re not currently in the US?   If you’re currently living abroad and you’ve been a resident there for the past six months or you’re permitted to live in th...

  On June 25, 2022, the Biden administration halted its immigration arrest limits to comply with a court decision that went into effect over the weekend, leaving deportation agents across the United States without clear directives on whom they should and should not detain. The guidelines, which are a part of a broader Biden administration plan to restructure ICE's immigration enforcement operations, generally prohibited the arrest and deportation of unauthorized immigrants who had not committed serious offenses before November 2020 if they had arrived in the United States before that date.   In September 2021, Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, directed the US ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents to arrest (1) immigrants believed to be threats to national security or public safety and (2) migrants who unlawfully cross a US border.   However, Republican officials in Louisiana and Texas convinced federal judge Drew Tipton early in June 202...