As a recent New York [...]]]> Many foreign nationals enter the United States and marry their U.S. citizen sweetheart without much forethought about the specific immigration details involved.  Many believe that it is simple for a foreign national to obtain a green card once he or she is married to a U.S. citizen.  It is not.

As a recent New York Times article shows, paying attention to the specific immigration laws is important  and becoming more important everyday.  In the article a U.S. citizen whose husband was detained by ICE states:

“We tried to do everything right, We made a mistake, but if two Ph.D. students can’t figure it out, it shows the paperwork is really confusing.”

If you are thinking of getting married, or have recently been married, and want to obtain a green card – please do yourself a favor and consult with an immigration lawyer.

The I-485 form allows foreign nationals to “adjust status” and become lawful permanent residents in the United States [...]]]> The USCIS recently announced new procedures for the filing of the I-485 form.  Additionally, the USCIS has created a new I-485 form that must be used by all applicants who need to adjust status to permanent residency.

The I-485 form allows foreign nationals to “adjust status” and become lawful permanent residents in the United States and is very widely used.  Failure to adhere to the new procedures, or to use the new form, will result in the rejection of the application and may have lasting consequences on individuals who are nearing the end of their lawful presence in the United States.

The new procedures in the I-485 generally represent a change in filing locations for the forms.  Additionally, the new form itself has many changes including a question about whether a foreign national has received any military training, and whether the foreign national has understood every question asked on the form.

If you are contemplating using the I-485, please contact a New York City immigration attorney to assist you.