Helping You Turn Your American Dream Into A Reality
October is Filipino American History Month. The San Francisco celebrations kicked off with a concert by Tony Award winner Lea Salonga. She is regarded as a “national treasure” by Filipinos and Filipino Americans. The same night, Parangal Dance Company hosted their fifth anniversary show. The following day, the Asian Art Museum celebrated its annual festival with art displays, food, music…
Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver information from USCIS and AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers Association): “Beginning March 4, certain immigrant visa applicants who are the spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens (immediate relatives), and have been unlawfully present in the United States, can start applying for provisional unlawful presence waivers through a new process. The new provisional unlawful presence waiver process is for…
I have created a new niche or companion website, www.mymarriagevisas.com. I enjoy working with couples in love and this companion website is focused on clients with marriage and fiancée-based visa and green card cases. This website is an extension of a “fun” area of my practice. I am also continuing with my traditional immigration law practice, which is my passion,…
Last week, my colleagues and I got to speak at a community event for DACA held at St. Paul’s Church in San Pablo. St. Paul’s has special significance to me because my husband went to grade school there. The event was hosted by CLOUD (Community Leaders Organizing Undocumented DREAMers). Community organizer Marilyn, fellow immigration attorney, Tala Hartsough, and I at…
Today, President Obama spoke from Las Vegas regarding the need for change in U.S. immigration policy and his pledge to push comprehensive immigration reform through. President Obama urged Congress to “move forward in a timely fashion,” or he would send them a bill based on his proposal and insist they vote on it right away. The White House’s proposal on…
Last weekend, I had the honor and privilege of dancing with Barangay Dance Company. They are a Filipino-American dance company based in San Francisco. I used to dance with them in the mid-90’s and early 2000’s and am a member of their Board of Directors. I am truly lucky to live in a city as culturally diverse as San Francisco,…
Today is inauguration day and Martin Luther King, Jr. day, and I had the pleasure of catching up on reading President Kennedy’s “A Nation of Immigrants.” It is a forgotten treasure that I recently discovered on Amazon. The issue of immigration reform is hardly new, and President Kennedy was passionate about it. He had revised and expanded his book before…
USCIS has updated its DACA FAQ page. The updates are in red. I have not read through them entirely yet, but wanted to note two things. This part is not new but I noticed it for the first time since the FAQs are probably being continually updated: 1) If applying before age 18, the applicant can toll the accrual of…
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced an expanded list of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) designated-degree programs that qualify eligible graduates on student visas for an optional practical training (OPT) extension. This announcement builds on a series of administrative reforms designed to further the Department’s commitment to attracting international students. ‘Attracting the best and brightest international talent…