In February of 2015, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that they have developed and released a new and updated Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status. Although it can seem counter-productive to give up the green card status, there may be situations in which it will be the best option for some people, depending on their individual circumstances. Read more
According to the United States Government Accountability Office, an economically distressed area is one with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent, coupled with an unemployment rate that is at least 1.5 times larger than the current national unemployment rate. Since the economic downturn that began with the collapse of the housing market in 2007 and 2008, an unfortunately large number of areas across the country can now qualify as economically distressed areas. Read more
Maneuvering through the immigration process and obtaining a green card can be confusing. There are several ways, however, to legally obtain a green card that many people may not know about. A hospital in Arizona is taking advantage of what is called the EB-5 program to not only provide a pathway for foreign investors to get a green card, but also to bring in much needed medical care for a local community.
As a result of the announced May 1, 2015 EB-5 China Cut-off, on April 22, 2015, , the Guangzhou consulate and the National Visa Center began sending out cancellation notices to immigrants who had been scheduled for EB-5 visa interviews. This is a new and unexpected development. The prevailing thought has always been that a visa number is assigned to an individual once the interview has been scheduled. This would allow Chinese national investors with both post May 1, 2013 priority dates, and interviews scheduled the opportunity to adjust status through the consular process regardless of the China cut-off. Unfortunately however, that practice is not being followed. Our office has received cancellation notices for investors under this exact scenario.
