Ilona Bray J.D - U.S. Immigration Made Easy

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19th Edition

U.S. Immigration Made Easy

Ilona Bray, J.D.

Updated by Attorney Richard Link

NINETEENTH EDITION

MARCH 2019

Cover Design

SUSAN PUTNEY

Production

SUSAN PUTNEY

Proofreading

IRENE BARNARD

Index

VICTORIA BAKER

Printing

BANG PRINTING

ISSN: 1055-9647 (print)

ISSN: 2326-0041 (ebook)

ISBN: 978-1-4133-2595-9 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-4133-2596-6 (ebook)

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We believe accurate, plain-English legal information should help you solve many of your own legal problems. But this text is not a substitute for personalized advice from a knowledgeable lawyer. If you want the help of a trained professionaland well always point out situations in which we think thats a good ideaconsult an attorney licensed to practice in your state.

Acknowledgments

This book was originally authored by Laurence A. Canter and Martha S.

Siegel. For help in updating and revising it for recent editions, special thanks are owed to:

Richard Link, an attorney practicing in Rochester, New York, who lent his years of immigration law and editing experience to the considerable task of reviewing and updating this 19th edition. Richard went above and beyond the basics, adding useful tips and insights to make this book more comprehensive than ever.

Daniel Horne, an attorney with the firm Jackson & Hertogs, LLP, in San Francisco, California (www.jackson-hertogs.com), who provided excellent information and practice tips for recent previous editions.

Chris Pooley, an attorney practicing in Avon, Colorado, who shared his expertise and experience with H-2B visas.

Emily Doskow, an attorney in private practice and Nolo author/editor (based in Berkeley, California), for her contribution regarding international adoptions by same-sex couples.

Jimmy Go, of the law firm Go & Laster (Portland, Oregon), for his contribution regarding investor visas.

Julia Day Marquez, of the law firm Fallon, Bixby, Cheng & Lee in San Francisco, California (www.fbcl-visa.com), for contributions regarding labor certification.

Under Nolos roof, thanks go to the Production Department for doing the layout.

About the Authors

Ilona Bray, J.D., came to the practice of immigration law through her long interest in international human rights. Before joining Nolo as legal editor in charge of immigration, she ran a solo law practice and worked for various nonprofit immigration agencies, as an attorney at the International Institute of the East Bay (Oakland) and a Goldmark Fellow at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (Seattle). Ms. Bray was also an intern in the legal office of Amnesty Internationals International Secretariat in London. Ms. Bray is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She received her law degree in 1990 from the University of Washington along with an M.A. in East Asian Studies, and her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College.

She has authored numerous other books for Nolo, including Becoming aU.S. Citizen: A Guide to the Law, Exam & Interview; Fianc & MarriageVisas: A Couples Guide to U.S. Immigration; and Effective Fundraising forNonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work.

Richard Link practices immigration law in Rochester, New York. He is the 20182019 chair of the Upstate New York Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Mr. Link is a former legal editor at the national office of AILA and at Thomson Reuters (West). Mr.

Link received his law degree in 1990 from the University of California Davis School of Law (King Hall), where he served as senior research editor for the U.C. Davis Law Review and earned the certificate in public interest law. His undergraduate degree in Language Studies was obtained at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1986.

Table of Contents

USCIS for a Change of Status

Your Immigration Companion

If youre considering immigrating to the United States, or are helping someone who is, then this book was written for you. Unlike many books about immigration law, this one was written for real people, not for lawyers. We try to give you a realistic view of your immigration possibilities and how to succeed in reaching your goals.

But why is this book so thickespecially considering that the title promises it will be easy? Dont worry, you wont have to read the whole book. Its just that we cover a lot of ground, including some categories of visas and green cards that other books dont discuss. Also, the original law that were trying to describe for you is not easy at allit contains many categories of potential visas and green cards, complex criteria for who qualifies, and paperwork-intensive application procedures. All of that takes space to explain! So we start the book with an overview of your possibilities, then direct you toward one or two particular chapters that will help you understand what lies ahead if you apply.

Some people will find that they dont qualify for U.S. immigration at all, or at least not yet. Nevertheless, huge numbers of people successfully come from other countries to the U.S. every yearapproximately one million receive green cards, and 30 million receive temporary visas (such as tourist, work, and student visas). With the right information and preparation you can be one of them. This book will help you: