Case Status Update: Conditions on Permanent Residence removed, 10-Year Green Card Approved!

10-Year Green Card Approved: Today we received another approval on a petition to remove conditions on permanent residence (Form I-751)! Our client. (hereinafter “M”). is a native and citizen of Mali. In April of 2013, M married a naturalized U.S. Citizen (his wife was born in Cote d’Ivoire and naturalized in 2009). M’s wife filed a marriage petition on his behalf, and in December of 2013, he received his green card based on the marriage. Because the couple was married for less than 2 years at the time of the green card interview, M only received a 2-Year Green Card. So, M and his wife had to file a joint petition to remove conditions on his residency within 3 months of the expiration date of his Green Card in December of 2015. M and his wife timely filed the petition and it was finally approved! M and his wife are still happily married and living together in the Bronx, NY, so M can now file for his Citizenship!

Case Status Updates: Work Permit Approval for VAWA Beneficiary

Work Permit Approval: Today we received an approval notice for employment authorization for a client, (hereinafter, “X”), who is a native and citizen of Mali. X received Withholding of Removal and then got married to a Lawful Permanent Resident. X’s husband filed a marriage petition on her behalf, but unfortunately he then began to abuse her. We successfully filed a VAWA application for X that was approved earlier this year. Since her ex-husband is not a U.S. Citizen, there are no visa numbers immediately available for her. While she waits to be eligible to apply to adjust her status to that of a lawful permanent resident, X is able to obtain work authorization as a VAWA Beneficiary. X is hopeful that she will have her green card before she is due to renew her EAD card next year.

(*please note that all identification information has been removed in order to protect our clients’ privacy and in order to fully comply with attorney advertising rules and regulations*)

Case Status Updates: Green Card for Asylee, Work Permit Renewal Approval & Work Permit Replacement Approval

Case Status Update | The Shapiro Law Firm, LLC

Asylee Green Card Approval: The Shapiro Law Firm would like to congratulate 1 of our clients, (hereinafter, “Client X”), who was approved to adjust her status from an Asylee to a Permanent Resident! X is a native and citizen of The Gambia. X came to the U.S. on a B1/B2 Visitor Visa and overstayed a previous entry because she was afraid to return home. At age 18, her father was forcing her to marry her Uncle who was twice her age. When her father died, she felt it was safe for her to return home so she left the U.S. She subsequently married the man that she loved, but she began to have problems when she was unable to bear a child for him. Her husband’s family physically assaulted her and ostrasized her for not being able to conceive. In 2011, she was fortunate in being able to secure another visitor visa to come back to the U.S., but when she got to the border, she was questioned about her previous overstay, was detained by ICE and given a credible fear interview when she expressed her fear of persecution if she was forced to go home.

She was released from custody after a few weeks and given an given a date to appear in immigration court . At the end of 2014, the Immigration Judge granted her application for Asylum. She then had to wait 1 year to apply for her Green Card, and she finally received her approval this week!

She now lives in Atlanta, GA, with her infant daughter (she was finally able to conceive thanks to fertility doctors). Since her Green Card was based on her status as an Asylee, X only has to wait 4 years to apply for her citizenship (instead of the normal 5 years).

Work Permit Replacement Approval: A work permit replacement was approved for our client who is a native and citizen of Nigeria, (hereinafter, “Client W”). W is married to a U.S. Citizen who filed a marriage petition on his behalf. W received his work permit based on his pending adjustment of status application. His employment authorization application was approved back in May, but despite the fact that the post office said that they delivered his EAD card to the correct address, W never received it so he had to pay to file for a replacement card (adjustment applicants are generally not required to pay a filing fee for an initial or renewal EAD card, but must for a replacement).

W had to also file a police report to submit with his replacement application. Unfortunately, we often have clients who do not receive their work permits or green cards because their mail is stolen right out of their mailbox. These are very valuable documents and there is a high rate of theft involved.

If this has happened to you, we can help! Many of our clients have these invaluable documents sent to our office and they then arrange to come pick it up in person. Contact us today if this happened to you!

Work Permit Renewal Approval: Another Work Permit Renewal granted to our client who is a native and citizen of Trinidad & Tobago, awaiting a decision on a cancellation of removal application for non-permanent residents (aka 10-year cancellation).

(*please note that all identification information has been removed in order to protect our clients’ privacy and in order to fully comply with attorney advertising rules and regulations*)

Cancellation of Removal for Non-Permanent Resident (10-Year Cancellation) granted by New York Immigration Judge! Case Status Update.

The Shapiro Law Firm Case Status Update:

Cancellation of Removal

Cancellation of Removal for a Non-Permanent Resident (10-Year Cancellation) granted for a native and citizen of Indonesia yesterday. Our client, (hereinafter, “C”), is a married mother of three U.S. Citizen children. She had her Individual Hearing almost 2 years ago, and has been waiting for a visa number ever since. During the pendency of this waiting period, C and her family did not know for sure if her Cancellation application would be granted, as the Immigration Judge cannot grant the application until a visa number is available.

C’s extreme hardship claim was based on the fact that her oldest daughter is autistic, so if C was forced to return to Indonesia, her daughter would not be able to get the special education and physical therapy that she needs. To show extreme hardship is a difficult task, as it has to be above and beyond what the average person would suffer in the same situation. C’s daughter was rejected from NYC public schools because of how bad her disability is. Her daughter, who is 10 years old now, still does not speak. The private special education school that she attends also provides her with physical therapy. C’s daughter would not receive appropriate education in Indonesia if she had to go there in the event of her mother’s removal from the U.S.

What is next for C and her family?

Any day now she will receive her Green Card! She will then be filing a Marriage Petition for her Husband, also a native and citizen of Indonesia, so that he may get his Green Card as well.

Conditions Removed, 10-Year Green Card Approved! Case Status Update.

The Shapiro Law Firm Case Status Update:

Yesterday, we received another approval notice for a client who filed a Petition to Remove Conditions on Permanent Residence (I-751)!* See below for an explanation below.

Our client, a native and citizen of Nigeria who married a Naturalized U.S. Citizen who is a native of Guyana . The couple has been happily married since 2012. They now live in Far Rockaway, NY with their 4 year old daughter.

What is a Petition to Remove Conditions on Permanent Residence? Who needs to file these?

*This form is necessary if you are married to a U.S. Citizen for less than 2 years when you get your Green Card. Instead of receiving a Green Card that is valid for 10 Years, you will receive one that is valid for 2 Years , known as a Conditional Green Card or Conditional Permanent Residence . Within 90 days of the 2-year anniversary of receiving your Green Card, you must apply to Remove the Conditions on Your Residency and show USCIS that you are still married and sharing a life together with your spouse.