Month: February 2024

Good times were had by all at last month’s Potrero Hill Festival in San Francisco. It was the first time I had a booth anywhere. Normally, I give talks or volunteer at events. I shared the space with my friend Rocio Guzman of Aesthetica Spa (she’s a fantastic aesthetician, by the way).  I think we confused one woman, who thought maybe she could…

  I was recently a guest on Chuck Finney’s radio show, “Your Legal Rights,” on San Francisco station KALW.  Mr. Finney is the Deputy District Attorney for San Mateo. He has a weekly radio show with various legal topics.  Our week’s topic was an update of immigration laws and issues. Other guests included J. Antonio “Tony” Nierras, who also practices…

I was in Los Angeles for a client’s marriage-based green card interview and stumbled upon the Chiune Sugihara Memorial while walking through Little Tokyo, which is near the USCIS office. My daily work involves visas, consulates, passports, and refugees, so I had to stop when I peeked at what the memorial was about. Sugihara was the Vice Consul of Japan…

Last weekend after the election I attended the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) California Chapters Conference. I was able to speak with other experts and listen to a government interagency panel about what changes may happen in immigration. I did a Facebook Live post to share the information with the public, as I was getting lots of calls from worried…

Of course, that is provided that they meet all other requirements. TPS does not provide blanket eligibility. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers the Western States, including California, ruled in Ramirez v. Brown that a grant of TPS to a noncitizen qualifies as an “inspection and admission.” TPS stands for Temporary Protected Status and is a humanitarian program.…

“Along with 1.370 others at the Paramount Theater, I did it!! Thanks for all your help Grace!” Applications for U.S. citizenship have been on the rise this year, with many people hoping to be sworn in before election day so they can vote.  Many of my clients here in San Francisco applied for citizenship because it was finally their time,…

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, effective May 26, 2015, it will extend employment authorization to H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders who are seeking lawful permanent residence based on their employment.  The H-1B is a nonimmigrant visa for employees working in a “specialty occupation” that requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a certain…

Underwater Dreams airs on Mun2 and KSTS Telemundo today and tomorrow.  Watch this movie!  You won’t regret it. It is on at 1:00 p.m. on Telemundo today. This is a condensed version of the documentary film about undocumented high school teens in Arizona who give a team from MIT a run for their money in an underwater robotics competition. It’s…

Supreme Court victory for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)! The Supreme Court reversed the rescission of the program by the Trump administration and ruled that it must return to the original program, allowing new applications and advance parole. The decision stems from a legal challenge filed by the Regents of the University of California and allows DACA to remain…

Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Windsor v. U.S. ruling on Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) holding it unconstitutional, many same sex couples have been able to marry and petition their spouses and fiancés. One cause for concern, however, is fear for the safety of the spouse or fiancé when applying for a visa based on…