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Our firm receives a lot of inquiries asking how they can request the USCIS to expedite their applications. Some clients need to travel abroad but if they have an application for adjustment of status pending, they generally would not be able to travel abroad without first obtaining an advance parole from the USCIS. Or, perhaps they stopped working because their existing work permits have already expired (e.g., expiration of their OPT EAD) and they need to obtain a new work permit in order to continue working. In any event, while everyone would love to have their applications adjudicated right away, the reality is no agency or anyone has the capacity to turn everyone's case around overnight.  The USCIS, however, provides a mechanism for applicants to request expedite handling of their applications if they meet certain criteria. 

As a foreign student under F-1 status, you must not work without permission, whether it is for an employer or for yourself as an independent contractor. Doing so will invalidate your F-1 status and render you out of status.

When you file an immigration application for yourself or your family members for a green card, the USCIS will require you and/or your family member to submit a copy of your or your family member's birth certificate.  If you or your family member was born in a foreign country, you will need to check if your foreign birth certificate would be accepted by the USCIS.  To determine whether your foreign birth certificate would be accepted, the USCIS would review the Foreign Affairs Manual as published by the State Department. Before you submit your foreign birth certificate to the USCIS, you can follow the steps below to verify whether your foreign birth certificate is in conformity with the guidance published by the State Department.  1.  Visit the Foreign Affairs Manual by clicking the link here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country.html 2.  From the State Department website, find the country where you or your family was born.  3.  After you click the country, the State Department website will take you to the Reciprocity Schedule for that country.  4.  Scroll down and find the tab "Birth, Death, Burial Certificates" and it should provide you with detailed instructions as to how to obtain your foreign birth certificate.   Within the Reciprocity Schedule, you can also find the instructions for obtaining your foreign marriage certificate, divorce decree, police record, and other documentation that you may need for your immigration application.   Let us know how we can help.   BRAVLIN PC

The CIS Ombudsman has created this tip sheet on how F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT) can avoid U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) delays with their Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. 

As we continue to improve the quality of our services, we have now implemented an online appointment schedule system on our website. We hope this will reduce your anxiety in trying to find someone to talk to regarding your situation. If you cannot find a suitable time slot, you can always give us a call and we will see how we can help. Online Appointment Link: https://www.bravlin.com/bravlin-pc BRAVLIN PC

For this entire year, we have witnessed debilitating effects this pandemic has on everyone's life, and the employment green card sponsorships filed by employers seeking to employ alien workers are no exception.

The DHS has announced that it will automatically extend the validity of TPS-related documentation for beneficiaries under TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Sudan, Honduras, and Nepal through October 4, 2021, from the current expiration date of January 4, 2021.

The Federal Court restores DACA!!! On December 4, 2020, the Federal Court orders the DHS to restore DACA. For questions regarding your case, please contact us for a private consultation.

We are pleased to report the successful defense of an asylee from attempted termination of his asylum status due to alleged Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds (TRIG).

On November 23, 2020, the Board of Immigration Appeals issued a decision in Matter of Padilla Rodriguez, 28 I&N Dec. 164 (BIA 2020).