visaroot's blog

U.S. immigration is a complex body of law that involves several federal agencies. Your decision of whether or not to hire a U.S. visa lawyer is a very important one. Hiring the attorney who is best suited to your needs is essential in ensuring a smooth immigration process. In immigration law, as in other areas of law, timing of when you hire an attorney plays an integral part in the outcome of the case. I have seen many clients who come to an attorney after they get a scary letter from USCIS with a caption that says “Notice of Intent to Deny”. Upon consultation, the client informs me that he/she filed the application themselves. I wish that obtaining an immigration benefit would be as easy as filling out a form, but it's not. Every question on those forms has been designed with a purpose in mind. A U.S. Visa Lawyer’s sole job responsibility is to understand the nuances and policy considerations that led to the construction of those questions and answer them accurately. U.S. visa lawyers who practice exclusive immigration law immerse themselves in the field. A competent immigration lawyer will have read or have access to every pertinent memo, briefing and case that deals with immigration law and policies. Immigration law is always a hot political issue and changes can be made to immigration policies in a moments notice. An average applicant just doesn’t have the time to sit and do the research. A U.S. visa lawyer will have the time, patience and resources to research even the miniscule details of your case to ensure the best possible outcome. Bottom line, if you choose to hire an attorney the best to time to do so is at the beginning. Hiring a qualified U.S. visa lawyer before filing for an immigration benefit will ensure that you experience a smoother immigration process.

At the Visa Lawyer Group, our attorneys understand their roles and responsibilities of an advocate. We bring our years of knowledge and experience to every case. Our attorneys also stay current on the changing laws through memberships in various organizations including the American Immigration Lawyers Association. To learn more about our services, please visit our About Us page or schedule a free consultation and speak to a U.S. Visa Lawyer today. Visa Lawyer Group is based in New York with offices in Nyack, New York and Manhattan, New York City.

Earlier this week, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook Haiti to it core. The epicenter of the earthquake was located just 10 miles away from Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The devastation and destruction of the tiny island has been shown around the world in horrifying details. The Red Cross estimates that over 50,000 people have died as result of this catastrophe. Over the past few days, nations around the world have mobilized in an effort to provide aid to the grief-stricken nation. The Department of Homeland Security has halted all deportations to Haiti until further notice. In an effort to help Haitian nationals here, Senators, Congressmen, immigration advocates and visa lawyers are pushing President Obama to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The designation would allow thousands of Haitians, many of them undocumented, currently residing in the United States to live and work in the United States until conditions in Haiti improve and the status is revoked. Opponents argue that TPS for Haitians will exacerbate and overwhelm the already burden immigration system. TPS designation has been reserved for countries that have been devastated with civil and political unrest, natural disasters or extraordinary situations where the country in unable to handle the return of its citizens. Hopefully, the Obama administration will issue a statement granting temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitian Americans in the next few days or weeks.

Happy New Year to all the readers!!! It was a dramatic year for individuals across the globe. Here in the United States, the very first African American man took office and became the President of the United States. The U.S. economy continued its downward spiral and the never ending debate over U.S. health care reform took off. Pepsi changed its logo and noted celebrities like Britney Murphy, Farah Fawcett, Patrick Swayze and Michael Jackson, to name a few, left this world. But the past is behind us and a new future awaits us all. Here’s hoping that 2010 is filled with much love, happiness, health, beauty and prosperity. Here’s a toast to a great new year.

As if holiday travel isn't a hassle enough; air travel turned into a real nightmare for hundreds of passengers aboard a Northwest Airliner on Christmas day. It is being alleged that, Umar Faruk Abdulutallab, a 23 year old Nigerian man, attempted to blow up a Northwest passenger airliner traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit. The accused bomber sewed 80 grams of explosive material into his underwear and attempted to detonate the bomb during the flights’ descent into Detroit. His attempt to detonate the bomb failed and he succeeded in setting himself on fire instead. He was ultimately subdued but this incident sheds a big spotlight on the current state of airport security measures and international communications. Since this incident, the U.S. government instituted tighter security measures for all airlines traveling inbound to the USA. New measures include extra pat downs before boarding, not getting up during the last hour of the flight and hand searches of carry-on luggage. Some Airlines have even told their crew to stop identifying landmarks during the flight route. Security measures will look different at every airport so travelers are being asked to arrive early and to cooperate with security officials. We wish everyone a safe holiday season and a prosperous new year.

The Department of State, in an effort to raise revenues and dig itself out of an economic hole, has decided to raise fees for many nonimmigrant visa applications. The actual purpose of a fee hike is to bolster administrative processing and to cover the high costs for certain processes that require in-depth consideration. But at the end of the day, it is still a hike in fees. All visa applications that are not petition based (B1/B2 for example) will see an increase of $9.00, raising the non immigrant visa application fee to $140.00. Fees for all petition based applications will be $150.00. The biggest fee increase is in the area of treaty (E) and fiancé (K) visas, which will be going up from $131.00 to $390.00 and $350.00 respectively. The proposed increases are just that proposals, the new fee schedule won’t come into effect for a while but make sure to contact your local U.S. embassy or your qualified attorney before filing any visa application. Submitting an application without the proper fee is basis for an outright rejection which will cause a delay in getting that interview and visa stamp.