Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Per Country Employment Visa Caps Still Exist
The employment green card system was almost altered for the better recently. The change would have affected how employment based green cards are given out on a per country basis. Currently, aside from the other hurdles to obtain an employment based green card, applicants also had to deal with what are known as per… Read More »
What is Temporary Protected Status?
We know that in cases of asylum, people fleeing their home country to avoid oppression, danger, reprisal against them if they are returned, or severe hardship, have a pathway to come to America and stay here, at least temporarily. However in many cases, an immigrant’s home country is not permanently dangerous, but temporary conditions… Read More »
Children Born or Adopted Overseas by Servicemembers Face New Immigration Hurdles
It seems like every week there is another announcement from the government making it more difficult for people to become residents of the United States. A new rule—really, a new definition of an existing rule that has to do with who is eligible to become a citizen—this time threatens the citizenship of children born… Read More »
Government Gets Tougher on Immigrants with Life Threatening Illnesses
Very quietly, the government is second guessing a prior decision to start deporting immigrants who are sick, ill or diseased. It was a move that was largely criticized as being inhumane when it was first announced. Rules on Immigrants with Life Threatening Illness The normal process allows immigrants in poor health (usually only those… Read More »
What Is Asylum?
In the world of immigration, we often talk of people who have come to this country seeking work, jobs, money, opportunity or to be with family. We do not often discuss those who come to this country for what is perhaps the most serious reason: to avoid persecution, prosecution, or even death, in their… Read More »
Citizenship Denied to Child of Same-Sex Couple
The United States government is being sued over a refusal to grant citizenship to a newborn child. While the government usually can’t be sued when making citizenship decisions and in enforcing its immigration policy, this case presents a novel issue, because the adoptive parents of the child are gay. Child Denied Citizenship The parents… Read More »
What is the Naturalization Test?
Online and in social media, there is an abundance of “naturalization tests,” a word that people use to describe tests that immigrants must take as a part of becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States. Some of these tests include questions on a grade school level, and some have questions that even an… Read More »
Immigration Officials are Asking About Applicants’ Social Media Accounts
We tend to post anything on social media under the impression that what we post and what we say, is somehow always guaranteed to be private. The most secure social media system, using the most secure privacy tools, may keep your information from being seen from those you want to hide it from. However,… Read More »
The EB-5 Visa is a Pathway to a Green Card for Investors
We don’t often associate money with the ability to gain entry into the country. In fact, we would like to think that the immigration process is income-neutral. But there is one type of visa that has to do in some part with money—specifically, investments. The EB-5 Visa The EB-5 visa was set up to… Read More »
Even Legal Use or Possession of Marijuana Can Cause Immigration Problems
It seems like every day there’s another state that is legalizing cannabis, whether for recreational purposes, or with a doctor’s prescription. News and magazines report on lucrative opportunities in cannabis based businesses. That’s why it’s so easy to forget that marijuana is still illegal under federal law, even if certain states legalize its use,… Read More »
