Recently, we advised you of the immediate increase in many immigration application and petition filing fees. In addition to the fee increases, on December 23, 2016, USCIS also introduced updated versions of the forms. Although the use of the revised…
Effective December 23, 2016, the filing fees for many USCIS petitions and applications increased by an average of 21 percent. Applications or petitions mailed, postmarked, or otherwise filed on or after December 23, 2016 must include the new fees. While…
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), enacted in 1996, was a federal law that defined marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman. The passage of DOMA did not prevent individual states from recognizing same –sex marriage, but at…
In a previous article, we discussed exceptions to the English and History Requirements for Naturalization. Once you qualify for one or a combination of these exceptions, how do you request an exception? 1. Request the exception with your application. It…
In a previous article we discussed the requirements for becoming a U.S. citizen. Two requirements, namely passing the exams for "English language," and "history and government," can present great difficulty for many applicants. The English language exam requires applicants to show…
In our previous article we discussed the benefits of being a U.S. citizen. After reading that article, you may be wondering why anyone would not want to become a U.S. citizen. To help you with that assessment, following is a…
In a previous article we discussed the eligibility requirements for naturalization. If you are eligible for naturalization, you may be wondering if you should consider becoming a U.S. citizen. The following is a list of some of the most compelling…
Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a foreign citizen, once he or she meets the requirements set by Congress. To be eligible, you must: Be a lawful permanent resident of the United States for 5 years,…
Have you thought about buying a home through a mortgage foreclosure or short sale in the hopes of getting a bargain? In light of today’s unpredictable housing market, opportunities still exist to buy a home that might otherwise be out…
In our past blog post, "Holding Title to Real Property as Joint Owners," we discussed the various forms of joint ownership and how each have different consequences. In many cases, individual and joint buyers of real property do not even…