Immigration Law for Paralegals

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1 Immigration Law for Paralegals FOURTH EDITION by MARIA ISABEL CASABLANCA, ESQ. GLORIA ROA BODIN, ESQ. Carolina Academic Press Durham, North Carolina

2 Copyright 2015 Maria I. Casablanca and Gloria Roa Bodin All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Casablanca, Maria Isabel, author. Immigration law for paralegals / Maria Isabel Casablanca and Gloria Roa Bodin. -- Fourth Edition. pages cm Includes bibliographical references. ISBN (alk. paper) 1. Emigration and immigration law--united States. 2. Visas--United States--Forms. 3. Foreign workers-- United States. 4. Legal assistants--united States--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Bodin, Gloria Roa, author. II. Title. KF C '2--dc Carolina Academic Press 700 Kent St. Durham, NC Telephone (919) Fax (919) Printed in the United States of America

3 AUTHORS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1 MEETING WITH THE CLIENT 3 I. Interview Techniques 3 II. Interviewing Tips 3 III. Procedure for Opening a File 4 IV. Procedure for the Tickler System 4 Appendix 5 CHAPTER 2 VISITORS FOR BUSINESS (B- 1 VISA) AND PLEASURE (B- 2 VISA) 19 I. Introduction 19 II. General Requirements 19 A. List of Permissible Activities for B- 1 Visa Visitors for Business 19 B. List of Permissible Activities for B- 2 Visa Visitors for Pleasure 20 C. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) 20 III. Conditions of Admission 21 A. Consular Process for B- 1/B- 2 Visas 21 B. Extensions for B- 1/B-2 Visas 22 Appendix 22 CHAPTER 3 TEMPORARY VISAS FOR WORKING 35 I. Introduction 35 II. The H Visa Temporary Worker 35 A. The H- 1B Visa Specialty Occupation 35 B. The H- 2A Visa Agricultural Worker 36 C. The H- 2B Visa Unskilled Foreign Worker 37 D. The H- 3 Visa Trainee 37 E. The TN Status 38 III. The E Visa 39 A. The E- 1 Visa Treaty Trader 40 B. The E- 2 Visa Investor 40 v

4 vi C. The E- 3 Visa Specialty Occupation Australian Aliens 41 IV. The L Visa 42 A. The L- 1A Visa Intracompany Transferee 42 B. The L- 1B Visa Specialized Knowledge Employee 43 Appendix 45 CHAPTER 4 TEMPORARY VISAS FOR STUDYING 99 I. Introduction 99 II. The F- 1 Visa 99 III. The J Visa 101 IV. The M Visa 101 Appendix 102 CHAPTER 5 TEMPORARY VISAS FOR PARTICULAR OCCUPATIONS O, P, Q AND R VISAS 111 I. Introduction 111 II. The O Visas Extraordinary Ability Artists/Entertainers, Business People, Scientists, Educators and Athletes 111 A. The O- 1 Visa Science, Education, Business and Athletics 111 B. Artists 111 C. Star in Motion Pictures and Television 111 D. The O- 2 Visa Support Staff of Artists and Athletes 112 E. Peer Group Consultation 113 F. Self- Employment 113 III. The P Visas 113 A. The P- 1 Visa Athletes, Athletic Teams and Entertainment Groups 113 B. The P- 2 Visa Artists and Entertainer Reciprocal Exchange 113 C. The P- 3 Visa Artists and Entertainers Integral to Performance 114 D. Peer Group Consultation 115 IV. The Q- 1 Visa 115 V. The R- 1 Visa 116 Appendix 117 CHAPTER 6 TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT VISAS FOR VICTIMS T AND U VISAS 153 I. Introduction 153 II. T Visa 153 A. Nonimmigrant Eligibility 153 B. Immigrant Visa (Permanent Residency) 154 III. U Visa 155

5 vii A. Nonimmigrant Eligibility 155 B. Immigrant Visa (Permanent Residency) 156 Appendix 157 CHAPTER 7 FAMILY- BASED RESIDENCY AND VISAS 225 I. Introduction 225 II. The Quota System for Residency 225 III. Categories of Family- Based Residency 225 A. Immediate Relative Spouse, Children and Parents of U.S. Citizens 225 B. First Preference Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S Citizens 226 C. Second Preference Family of Lawful Permanent Residents F2A and F- 2B 226 D. Third Preference Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens 226 E. Fourth Preference Brothers and Sisters of U.S. Citizens 226 IV. Processing Residency 226 A. The Petition Process 226 B. Adjustment of Status 227 C. Consular Processing 228 D. Preparing Forms I- 864 and I- 864(a) Affidavit of Support 228 V. Conditional Residence 229 VI. The K- 1 Visa 229 A. Evidence Required 229 B. Application for Residency 230 VII. The K- 3 Visa 230 A. Evidence Required 230 B. Application for Residency 230 VIII. Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver 230 A. Qualifications: 231 B. Ineligibility: 231 C. Extreme Hardship 231 D. Evidence Required 232 Appendix 232 CHAPTER 8 EMPLOYMENT- BASED AND INVESTOR IMMIGRANT PREFERENCES 271 I. Introduction 271 II. First Preference EB- 1 Priority Workers 271 A. Extraordinary Ability in the Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or Athletics 271 B. Outstanding Professors and Researchers 272 C. International Executives and Managers 272

6 viii PRE- PUBLICATION VERSION; CONTENT SUBJECT TO CHANGE III. Second Preference EB- 2 Professionals with Advanced Degrees or Exceptional Ability 273 IV. Third Preference EB- 3 Labor Certification PERM- Skilled Workers, Professionals and Other Workers; Schedule A; Visa Retrogression 274 A. Labor Certification PERM- Skilled Workers, Professionals and Other Workers 274 B. Schedule A 279 C. Visa Retrogression 279 V. Evidence Required for Categories EB- 1, - 2 and VI. Fourth Preference Special Immigrants Religious Worker 281 VII. Fifth Preference EB- 5 Investors 282 A. Employment Creation Visa 282 B. Summary of Statutory Requirements 282 C. Regional Centers 283 D. Documents Required 283 Appendix 283 CHAPTER 9 CLAIMING ASYLUM OR PROTECTION IN THE UNITED STATES 311 I. Legal Standard for Asylum/Refugee Protection 311 A. International Definition of Refugee 311 B. Definition of Persecution 311 C. Well- Founded Fear Test 311 II. Other Relief 312 A. Withholding Standard 312 B. Convention against Torture (CAT) 312 C. Bars to Eligibility for Asylum 312 D. Bar for Failure to File within One Year of Entry 313 III. Procedure for Filing Asylum Application 314 Affirmative Asylum Application Filed with USCIS 314 Defensive Asylum Process 314 IV. Required Documents 314 V. Filing Documents with Government Agencies 315 VI. Status of Family Members, Adjustment of Status, Work Authorization and Travel Permit 316 A. Derivative Status 316 B. Aged Out or Reaching 21 Years of Age after Filing Application 317 C. Obtaining Work Authorization 317 D. Permission to Travel 317 E. Unlawful Presence 317 F. Adjustment of Status to Permanent Residency 317 Appendix 318

7 ix CHAPTER 10 SEEKING RELIEF BEFORE THE COURTS (IJ, BIA AND FEDERAL COURTS) 337 Introduction 337 II. The Immigration Court 337 A. The Charging Document 337 B. Master Calendar 337 C. Individual Hearing 338 III. The Board of Immigration Appeals 338 IV. Federal Court Relief 338 A. Writ of Mandamus 338 B. Writ of Habeas Corpus 338 C. Petition for Certiorari 339 Appendix 339 CHAPTER 11 CITIZENSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES 359 I. Introduction 359 A. Statutory Requirements 359 B. Bars to Naturalization 359 C. Exemptions to English or Government and History Requirement 360 D. Filing for Naturalization 360 Appendix 361 CHAPTER 12 REPRESENTATION BEFORE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AGENCIES 385 I. Introduction 385 II. USCIS 385 A. Requests for Evidence 385 B. Motions to Reopen 386 C. Motions to Reconsider 386 D. H1B and L1A Audits 386 E. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) 386 III. Appeals before the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) 387 IV. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 388 V. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 388 A. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) 388 B. Homeland Security Investigations 388 Appendix 390 GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS 425 KEYWORDS 431

Immigration Law for Paralegals. by MARIA ISABEL CASABLANCA, ESQ. GLORIA ROA BODIN, ESQ.

Immigration Law for Paralegals by MARIA ISABEL CASABLANCA, ESQ. GLORIA ROA BODIN, ESQ. Carolina Academic Press Durham, North Carolina 2005 Copyright 2005 Maria I. Casablanca and Gloria Roa Bodin All Rights