Around fall 2012, our office was retained by a national of Cameroon to help attain her U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident Card (commonly known as a “green card”). The client had been previously granted political asylum and had been residing in the U.S. for more than ten years.
U.S. immigration law allows an asylee, like our client, to get their green card after one year of maintaining asylee status. U.S. immigration takes other certain requirements into consideration; for example, the applicant must continue to meet the definition of an asylee and continue to be admissible under U.S. immigration law in the U.S. After a detailed investigation, our knowledgeable team of immigration attorneys determined that our client did meet the requirements despite the fact that she had previously received public assistance in the form of food stamps. It should be noted that accepting public assistance, in certain forms, could make a noncitizen inadmissible because they may become a public charge in the U.S. Once our research was complete, we submitted the client’s green card application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) in the fall of 2012.
Everything was going smoothly just as our experienced team of immigration attorneys had planned. Nonetheless, many months passed and we did not hear anything from USCIS. Our immigration attorneys stayed on top of USCIS, constantly checking whether there were any developments and inquiring why there was such a long delay.
Eventually, our persistence and tenacity paid off. Our attorneys uncovered a very important development. USCIS was delaying granting our client’s application because they wanted to make sure that her past involvement with an organization in Cameroon did not make her ineligible to receive a green card. It should also be noted that the client’s involvement in this organization was the very basis of her asylum application, which had previously been granted.
Our client was dismayed by what USCIS was doing. After all, with the help of our experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorneys, she had told the whole truth about her involvement with this organization on her green card application. She was also uneasy about USCIS digging deep into her past, and she worried that this would cause an additional delay. We spoke regularly to our client and reassured her that our immigration attorneys were here to help her get through this tough time.
Our competent team also maintained close communication with USCIS officers and the local USCIS office in Baltimore, Maryland. We advocated on her behalf before USCIS officers and frequently followed-up with phone calls, e-mails, and letters. After fifteen (15) months of strong advocacy, our attorneys’ persistence paid off.
Just recently, USCIS successfully approved our client’s green card application. Our client quickly received her green card by mail and is now a U.S. lawful permanent resident. She is on her way to applying for and becoming a U.S. citizen in the near future.
If you are dealing with a similar immigration problem and do not know where to turn, contact the Law Offices of Anthony A. Fatemi as soon as possible to set up a consultation. Our experienced, qualified, and knowledgeable team of immigration attorneys will help you navigate the complicated immigration laws and support you through this difficult journey that you should not have to embark alone.