Having some trouble with Immigration topics and can't find a source to help you?
Below is a sample list of Immigration How-to Article topics that may help you with U.S. Immigration Questions and Issues.
Some covered topics available are the ff:
• How To Apply for a Fiance(e) Visa
• How To Attain US Citizenship
• How To Extend a Visitor Visa
• How To Get a Certificate of Citizenship• How To Get a Family Based Green Card
• How To Get a Green Card through Marriage
• How To Get a Student Visa
• How To Get a US Passport
• How To Get an H-1B Visa
• How To Get Proof of U.S. Citizenship
• How To Know which Affidavit of Support You Need
• How To Renew an Expired Green Card
• How To Replace Your Green Card
• How To Start the Green Card Renewal Process
• Preparing for the Marriage Based Green Card Interview
• What do I do if my Green Card was lost or stolen?
Check out the link for more details.
Immigration “How To” articles
Immigration Direct
Showing posts with label us immigration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label us immigration. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
EAD and Certificate of Citizenship Update
EAD and Certificate of Citizenship Update
The new EAD design feature will provide workers, employers and law enforcement a better way to identify the EAD card as well as providing proof of authorization to work in the U.S. The new Certificate of Citizenship will make it impossible to alter the information on the certificate.
More at:
The new EAD design feature will provide workers, employers and law enforcement a better way to identify the EAD card as well as providing proof of authorization to work in the U.S. The new Certificate of Citizenship will make it impossible to alter the information on the certificate.
More at:
Thursday, September 22, 2011
How To Replace Your Green Card
The Green Card (USCIS Form I-551), also known as Permanent Resident Card, is a proof of permanent resident status in the United States. Without a valid card, it may be difficult for you to prove that you are a permanent resident, and it might affect your ability to travel or to prove your eligibility to work in the United States.
When do you need to replace your Green Card?
You are required to apply for a replacement Green Card in the following reasons and situations:
*If any information on your card needs to be changed, for example, if your name has legally changed due to marriage or divorce;
*If your card has been lost, stolen, or damaged;
*If you became a permanent resident before you turned 14 years old. You are required to replace your card when you become 14 years old;
*If your card is about to expire. This does not apply to you if you are a conditional permanent resident whose green card is about to expire (see below);
*If your Permanent Resident Card was issued with incorrect information because of an administrative error made by the USCIS;
*If you never received the previous card that was issued to you by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS);
*If you have a previous version of the alien registration card which is no longer valid (e.g., USCIS Form AR-3, Form AR-103 or Form I-151)
When do you need to replace your Green Card?
You are required to apply for a replacement Green Card in the following reasons and situations:
*If any information on your card needs to be changed, for example, if your name has legally changed due to marriage or divorce;
*If your card has been lost, stolen, or damaged;
*If you became a permanent resident before you turned 14 years old. You are required to replace your card when you become 14 years old;
*If your card is about to expire. This does not apply to you if you are a conditional permanent resident whose green card is about to expire (see below);
*If your Permanent Resident Card was issued with incorrect information because of an administrative error made by the USCIS;
*If you never received the previous card that was issued to you by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS);
*If you have a previous version of the alien registration card which is no longer valid (e.g., USCIS Form AR-3, Form AR-103 or Form I-151)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Claiming U.S. Child Citizenship at Birth
Becoming a US citizen is the ultimate dream of many immigrants. It is not an easy process and cannot be achieved in a short period of time. One has to first become a permanent resident and satisfy several eligibility criteria in order to get the citizenship status. However, people who are born in the US are lucky in this aspect as they automatically become US citizens by being born in the US.
How to acquire US citizenship by birth?
When a child falls under any of the below mentioned category, then it indicates that the child has become a US citizen by birth.
- The child should have been born in the US or the outlying US territories
- In case the child is born outside the US, it should have one parent or both the parents as US citizens at the time of its birth.
In order to document their citizenship they need to file in Form N400 (Naturalization certificate) if they were born in the US and Form N-565 – Certificate of citizenship if they were born outside the US to US citizen parent/ parents. The latter type is referred to as derived or acquired citizenship.
What happens when a child is born abroad to US citizen parents?
This kind of a birth should be immediately reported to the nearest US embassy so that an official record of the child’s birth can be issued in the form of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. This can be obtained overseas when the child is still under 18 yrs of age. Both the Consular Report of Birth and the Certificate of Citizenship are equally acceptable as proof of the US citizenship status.
Process of claiming US citizenship
Using N-600
When a person has been born outside the US to US citizen parent/parents, then he/she automatically becomes a US citizen if
- At least one parent is a US Citizen by birth or through the process of naturalization process
- The child currently resides in the U.S. with his/her US citizen parent
- The child is still under 18yrs of age
- The child is the biological offspring who is now in the legal custody of the U.S. citizen parent prior before reaching his/her 16th birthday
- The child is the biological offspring who was born out of wedlock without having been legitimated and whose mother has become US citizen through the process of naturalization process.
- The child has been living consistently in the US after becoming a permanent resident
- Of both the child’s parents, the parent who has been awarded both the legal and physical custody of the child should be a US citizen
- The only surviving parent should be a US citizen by naturalization.
- If both the child’s parents are US Citizens and one of them has resided in the US prior to the child’s birth.
- If one of the child’s parent is a foreign national and the other is a US citizen who had been physically present in the US for a period not less than five years before the child’s birth. At least two of those years should have been after the parent’s 14th year
If the child who is claiming for citizenship is below 18 yrs of age on February 27, 2001, but does not meet up with all the above mentioned criteria, then the child can file in Form N-400 to get naturalized as a US citizen. For that he/she needs to become 18 years or older than that and become a permanent resident besides satisfying several other criteria and qualify for it.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The DREAM Act
The DREAM Act: Important Immigration Legislation
The idea behind the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, also known as the DREAM Act, is to provide these young men and women, who meet certain requirements, the opportunity to obtain conditional permanent residency.
What are the specific eligibility requirements to qualify for the DREAM Act?
* The individual entered the United States before the age of 16
* The individual must have lived in the United States for at least five (5) consecutive years prior to enactment of the DREAM Act
* The individual must have graduated from high school in the United States, or
have obtained a GED, or have been accepted into an institution of higher
education, such as a college or university
* The individual must be between 12 and 35 years of age when they apply for conditional permanent residency
* The individual must be someone who has good moral character
The idea behind the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, also known as the DREAM Act, is to provide these young men and women, who meet certain requirements, the opportunity to obtain conditional permanent residency.
What are the specific eligibility requirements to qualify for the DREAM Act?
* The individual entered the United States before the age of 16
* The individual must have lived in the United States for at least five (5) consecutive years prior to enactment of the DREAM Act
* The individual must have graduated from high school in the United States, or
have obtained a GED, or have been accepted into an institution of higher
education, such as a college or university
* The individual must be between 12 and 35 years of age when they apply for conditional permanent residency
* The individual must be someone who has good moral character
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The U.S. Citizenship Form N400
Want to become a US citizen and enjoy the advantages? As a US citizen, you have the right to vote in the US federal elections. You can also petition your family members for permanent stay in the US. You can also obtain citizenship for your children born abroad. Additionally, you have the right to enter and exit the US without any restrictions. These are a few of the many advantages you can enjoy as a US citizen. Having so many advantages of being a US citizen, it's time to know the citizenship process.
You can become a US citizen either by birth or through Naturalization. Persons born in the US are automatically citizens of the US and persons born to US citizens can also claim citizenship subject to certain conditions. Naturalization is a process where a person not born in the US becomes a citizen voluntarily. To get naturalized, you need to file form N400, Application for Naturalization.
Citizenship application Form N400:
As mentioned earlier, N 400 is the citizenship form that needs to be filed for Naturalization. All the eligibility requirements for filing the citizenship form has to be met before applying. You need to be a permanent resident for at least five years or three years if married to a US citizen and living with the citizen spouse for the past three years. You need to meet other requirements too. You need to be 18years or above.Additionally, you have to fulfill the Continuous residence and Physical Residence Requirement. A prolonged absence from the U.S. will break the continuity of your residence in the U.S. for naturalization purposes, although it may not affect your ability to return to the U.S. as a permanent resident. You should have resided in your current state for at least 3 months. Your current state is the state where you are submitting the citizenship form for naturalization.
The N-400 citizenship form can be downloaded from the USCIS website for free. But considering the sophisticated process involved, many private websites help applicants in preparing the citizenship form by charging a nominal fee.
After you submit the citizenship form to the USCIS, within 30 days, you will get an Application Receipt Notice with a 13-character Application Receipt number. This Receipt Notice is the proof that USCIS has received your completed citizenship form and that it is being processed. With this number, you will be able to check the status of your case. You will be then notified about the date you need to appear for fingerprinting. Meanwhile , national security background checks are conducted and finally you need to appear for an interview. In the interview, your English knowledge will be tested, so will the civics related to the US. If the US immigration officials are fully satisfied, your case will be approved. If rejected, you will be notified as how soon you can reapply using the same N-400 citizenship application form. Approving or rejecting your case depends on the transparency and truthfulness of your case. So in the best interest of the applicant, it is strongly advised to be honest in all your disclosures.
You can become a US citizen either by birth or through Naturalization. Persons born in the US are automatically citizens of the US and persons born to US citizens can also claim citizenship subject to certain conditions. Naturalization is a process where a person not born in the US becomes a citizen voluntarily. To get naturalized, you need to file form N400, Application for Naturalization.
Citizenship application Form N400:
As mentioned earlier, N 400 is the citizenship form that needs to be filed for Naturalization. All the eligibility requirements for filing the citizenship form has to be met before applying. You need to be a permanent resident for at least five years or three years if married to a US citizen and living with the citizen spouse for the past three years. You need to meet other requirements too. You need to be 18years or above.Additionally, you have to fulfill the Continuous residence and Physical Residence Requirement. A prolonged absence from the U.S. will break the continuity of your residence in the U.S. for naturalization purposes, although it may not affect your ability to return to the U.S. as a permanent resident. You should have resided in your current state for at least 3 months. Your current state is the state where you are submitting the citizenship form for naturalization.
The N-400 citizenship form can be downloaded from the USCIS website for free. But considering the sophisticated process involved, many private websites help applicants in preparing the citizenship form by charging a nominal fee.
After you submit the citizenship form to the USCIS, within 30 days, you will get an Application Receipt Notice with a 13-character Application Receipt number. This Receipt Notice is the proof that USCIS has received your completed citizenship form and that it is being processed. With this number, you will be able to check the status of your case. You will be then notified about the date you need to appear for fingerprinting. Meanwhile , national security background checks are conducted and finally you need to appear for an interview. In the interview, your English knowledge will be tested, so will the civics related to the US. If the US immigration officials are fully satisfied, your case will be approved. If rejected, you will be notified as how soon you can reapply using the same N-400 citizenship application form. Approving or rejecting your case depends on the transparency and truthfulness of your case. So in the best interest of the applicant, it is strongly advised to be honest in all your disclosures.
Friday, February 25, 2011
U.S. Citizenship Test & Interview
This friendly guide makes it easier to understand US immigration and citizenship application process with up-to-date information on the various USCIS forms, the rights of permanent residents (green card holders) and much more. You'll learn about the English and civics test, about preparing for the interview process, and gain a deeper understanding of U.S. history and government.
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