VisaJourney.com News

Bride to miss wedding due to U.S. visa rules

Sunday, September 14th, 2008

EDMONTON - For Christine Tyrrell, Tuesday was supposed to be the beginning of her “new life.”

The 30-year-old was to fly from Edmonton to Houston, where she was to marry her Texan fiance on Sept. 20. As Tyrrell excitedly approached the customs gate at Edmonton International Airport, her only worry was her satin wedding dress might be too big for a carry-on.

The customs officer had no problem with Tyrrell’s dress but he wouldn’t let her board her plane. Nearly six hours later, Tyrrell found herself driving home to Beaumont instead of flying towards the altar.

“I was supposed to have a fiance visa,” she said. “Because I didn’t have the paperwork or what not, it was recommended that they withdraw my application to enter the States.”

Tyrrell’s fiance Joe Marks had already consulted with U.S. immigration officials however, and they advised him not to get a fiance visa. He said he was given two options: either get a fiance visa or marry in the U.S. and then deal with the paperwork later.

At least two officials recommended the latter option, Marks said.

“They said that would be the easiest way to do it because we’d be circumventing the fiance visa,” Marks said. “They said it would be no problem. Obviously, we were under the impression that we were doing the right thing.” (more…)

Share this article:

More »

Posted in Family Immigration | No Comments »

USCIS Moves Lockbox to New Site in Chicago

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) moved the agency Lockbox to a new location in Chicago on May 28. While the Post Office Box address is the same, the move changes the address for deliveries by private couriers (non-USPS).

The new address for deliveries by private courier is:
USCIS:
Attn: Please check Form Instructions for the proper Attn: information
131 South Dearborn, 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517

Express courier services have agreed to forward packages to the new site for 90 days (until Aug. 24, 2008). During this transition period, USCIS will accept and process without delay all cases otherwise properly filed.

Forms processed at the USCIS Chicago Lockbox include those associated with family-based adjustment of status, all Petitions for Alien Relative (Form I-130), and Temporary Protective Status.

Filing instructions for these forms are available in the Immigration Forms section, located at the top of this page.

Share this article:

More »

Posted in Family Immigration, General Immigration | No Comments »

Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (I-751) to be filed with the California or Vermont Service Centers

Sunday, May 25th, 2008

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will soon be revising the filing instructions for the Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (Form I-751) to require filing at the California or Vermont Service Centers, where all Forms I-751 are currently adjudicated. The adjudication functions for these petitions have already been assigned to these locations in anticipation of this change. Therefore, all petitioners filing a Form I-751 are requested to file the petition with the California or Vermont Service Centers, depending on the state in which they reside.

Form I-751 is used by individuals who were granted conditional residential status through marriage to a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident and who desire to petition USCIS to remove the conditions on their residence.

(more…)

Share this article:

More »

Posted in Family Immigration | No Comments »

Foreign-Born Widows Face Deportation

Sunday, September 2nd, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jacqueline Coats’ husband drowned after he dove into a fierce Pacific Ocean riptide to rescue two boys. Now the immigrant from Kenya might be forced to leave the United States because he died before filing her residency application. She is among more than 80 foreign-born widows across the nation who face possible deportation because their husbands died before immigration paperwork was approved.

Some attorneys want to challenge the government’s policy of rejecting green card requests if an immigrant’s American spouse dies before the application is processed. At least one lawyer plans to file a class-action lawsuit.

“This is a wrong that definitely has to be righted,” said immigration attorney Ralph Pineda of Orlando, Fla.

A group of California congressional lawmakers filed a bill in January asking the Congress to grant Coats legal status, but similar measures for other immigrants have seldom passed.

“It is an outrage and an injustice to the memory of this courageous hero that his wife should suffer the loss of family and livelihood once again,” said Democratic Assembly member Mary Hayashi.

The government has also generally denied applications for permanent residence — so-called “green cards” — for surviving spouses of U.S. citizens if the death occurs during the first two years of marriage.

Archive for the ‘Family Immigration’ Category

Bride to miss wedding due to U.S. visa rules

USCIS Moves Lockbox to New Site in Chicago

Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (I-751) to be filed with the California or Vermont Service Centers

Foreign-Born Widows Face Deportation