New Practice Tests for English Portion of Naturalization Test

USCIS issued a bulletin earlier this month announcing that The Office of Citizenship offers three new practice tests to help permanent residents study for the naturalization interview. The practice materials include self-study flash cards, vocabulary review, and  practice exercises to prepare you for taking the practice test. All materials are available online on the Study Materials for English Test section of the Citizenship Resource Center. 


Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters. 

New Fees for Visa Services

The US Department of State has revised its fees for visa services, effective April 13, 2012. Click here for more information.  


Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters. 

Foreign Artists Encounter Obstacles When Applying for Visas

U.S. visa rules for performers and artists are preventing cultural exchanges with the international community, according to an article in The New York Times. The process has become expensive, arbitrary, and lengthy in the past decade. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that requests for standard performer's visas dropped by 25 percent in the period between 2006-2010. Foreign performers and ensembles are finding that it is not worth the effort to navigate the frustrating visa process. A foreign artist must apply for a visa through DHS and appear for an in-person interview. If the petition is granted, the State Department will issue the visa at an embassy abroad.


The typical filing fee is $325 per application, but DHS offers a "premium processing fee" of $1,225 that purports to guarantee a response in two weeks. But DHS often will request additional requests for evidence, which results in delays up to 6 months. Additionally, foreign artists are required to sign tour contracts before being eligible to apply for a visa, made even more difficult when combining American dates with tour dates in other countries. The result? Cancelled U.S tour dates and financial loss for artists and their management teams, concert promoters, as well as disappointed fans. By comparison, foreign artists are able to obtain Canadian visas in two weeks and British visas in 8 to 10 days. 


For more on foreign artist visa applications, click here for USCIS eligibility criteria for O visas and P visas. 


Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters. 

Syrians Granted Temporary Protected Status

The New York Times reported that the Department of Homeland Security has designated Syrian nationals living in the United States as eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to the extreme threats and ongoing violence in Syria since January 2011. DHS estimates that 2,500-3,000 Syrians living in the United States would be allowed to apply for TPS. A person who is granted TPS will be protected for the duration of 18 months before applying for a renewal. DHS will require each applicant to pass criminal and national security background checks.

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters. 

Lawsuits Challenging DOMA Are Filed in Appeals Courts

The New York Times and GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) reported that today the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston will hear arguments in a case challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional because it prevents same-sex couples married in Massachusetts from qualifying for federal benefits. 


DOMA was enacted in 1996. The New York Times article stated that the Obama administration pledged in February 2011 that it would not defend the "central provision of the marriage act" in courts because it is "unconstitutionally discriminatory" but will challenge arguments with respect to other claims in the case. The House of Representatives has appointed a conservative group to defend DOMA in court. 


Meanwhile, Immigration Equality, a group that advocates for gay rights focusing on immigration law issues, filed suit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on Monday, on behalf of five legally married same-sex couples challenging DOMA "based on its effect on gay or lesbian immigrants who want to gain legal residence through marriage to American citizens." The complaint recounts the stories of the five couples, most of whom are facing expiration of their temporary visas. For more on this story, click here. 


Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.   

USCIS: Proposed Rule Could Greatly Benefit Immigrants

United States Citizens and Immigration Services ("USCIS") issued a proposed rule which could greatly benefit immigrants who are in the United States without legal status (including those who entered the US without a visa) and who have an approved I-130 petition filed by a US citizen immediate relative (US citizen spouses, US citizen parents if the immigrant is between 17 and 21 years old, or US citizen children over 21) who wish to sponsor the immigration for legal permanent residence (a green card).   


The immigrant would have to present an approved visa petition (I-130) and seek an I-601 waiver of the unlawful status in the United States that shows hardship to a US citizen spouse or parent. (Note that hardship to a child cannot be the basis for the waiver.) If the waiver is granted, the immigrant would then return to her home country for a short period of time for processing of the application for a green card.   This would relieve the immigrant of the present requirement that the waiver be applied for at the time of the immigrant visa interview at the United States embassy/consulate of the home country. This new waiver procedure is ONLY available to immigrants whose only inadmissibility issue deals with unlawful presence. Provisional approval of the I-601 does not guarantee approval of the immigrant visa at the US embassy/consulate.

The proposal was issued on March 30, 2012 and comments will be accepted by USCIS until June 30, 2012.   Once the comment period is over, USCIS will review the comments and may issue the rule or a revised version of the rules as a final rule. 


Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.