Carl Shusterman Immigration Lawyer Blog

U.S. Immigration Blog

US Immigration Blog by former INS Trial Attorney Carl Shusterman. How to get a temporary working visa, a green card and U.S. citizenship.

USCIS Proposes Dramatic Hike
In Immigration Filing Fees

On January 4, 2023, USCIS proposed a rule which would dramatically increase immigration filing fees, particularly for employment-based petitioners. The rule is over 200 pages long. The agency will accept public comments on the proposed rule through March 6, 2023. USCIS is a largely fee-based agency, not funded by the government. The backlog of pending […]

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How to Obtain an E-2 Investor Visa

This story discusses our client’s ability to remain in the U.S. on an E-2 investor visa to help expand his company’s U.S. market after his L-2 status through his wife expired. Born in Africa, Jacques was a very successful entrepreneur with a doctorate degree and many years of experience in the information technology field. He […]

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EB2 India Retrogression
Why We Need Immigration Reform Now!

In the October 2022 Visa Bulletin, the Dates of Filing Chart shows that EB2 India will retrogress well over 2 years to May 1, 2012. A 10-year wait for a green card for persons with advanced degrees? Yes, but this is for Indian professionals who were sponsored by their employers over 10 years ago. How […]

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Forgotten Dreamers and our Hidden Dreams

by Sumana Kaluvai, Lead Director & Co-Founder of the Hidden Dream When Mr. Shusterman first asked if I wanted to write this piece I was ecstatic. But I had no idea what to share with the readers of this newsletter. No idea where to begin. So by default, I guess I’ll start at the beginning […]

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Employers: How to Prepare Yourself for an I-9 Audit

Our August 2018 newsletter contained the following news flash: ICE Dramatically Increases The Number of I-9 Audits. During this fiscal year, ICE has served more than 5,000 Notices of I-9 Inspections on employers across the country. They have also made almost 1,000 administrative worksite-related arrests. Fines for I-9 paperwork violations range from $200+ to $2,200+ […]

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Before Applying for Immigration Benefits
Use the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Use The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is an extremely valuable tool. It allows an immigrant and his attorney to see what information the government has about him in its files. U.S. immigration laws are extremely complex. Formulating a successful immigration strategy can be compared to playing poker. Wouldn’t it greatly increase your odds of success if, […]

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Let Avvo Help You Choose an Excellent Attorney

Avvo has emerged as a premier site for selecting an attorney. Avvo, short for “avvocato” (Italian for attorney), is gaining not only in popularity but in usefulness. Many immigration attorneys will tell you that by the time 30% of potential clients consult with them, some incompetent attorney or “consultant” has already screwed up their case, […]

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Petition for a Writ of Mandamus

Consider filing a Petition for a Writ of Mandamus in Federal Court to force the government to decide your application for a visa, a green card or U.S. citizenship. I can’t tell you how many times immigrants have sought our help because their applications for visas,  green cards or naturalization have been pending for months […]

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4 Tips for Finding the Best Immigration Lawyer for You

One of the most important choices immigrants make is hiring the best immigration lawyer to represent them before the USCIS or in Immigration Court. The same is true for employers. We all share the urge to get the best deal we can get, but often saving money and obtaining the best representation are polar opposites. […]

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Essential Steps to Avoid RFEs on H1B Petitions

Between January 1 and August 31 2017, USCIS issued 85,000 requests for evidence (RFEs) for H1B petitions. This was a 45% increase over the same period in 2016. We are now in H1B cap season and there are some important factors to take note of in preparing H1B petitions: Timing: H1B cap-subject petitions must be […]

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