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3250 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1918
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tel: (213)383-3222
Fax: (213)365-9922
Website: www.immigrationguru.com
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BREAKING IMMIGRATION NEWS
2/1/2023 Issue
__NEW GREEN CARDS
_____The skills of FAKERS improve. It seems that they are able to produce very realistic Green Cards.
           So, the U.S. Government decided to start issuing a new style of Green Cards, with many more security features. The new style made its appearance on January 30, 2023.
           Holders of old-style Green Cards are not required to replace them. All existing Green Cards remain valid and effective until the expiration date printed on the cards. Only the REPLACEMENT cards, or NEW cards, would be in the new style.
           There is still a small number of Green Cards that were issued many years ago without EXPIRATION dates. They are still valid, even though the holders are “encouraged” to replace them.
NEW/OLD SCAM (1)
 
           A woman in Texas was caught and charged with impersonating an ICE officer and promising a number of non-citizens to get them legal papers. She charged each one an enormous amount of money, and – of course – never delivered any results.
           The wonder is not that this woman made a lot of money (until she was caught and charged with criminal offenses), but that there are still many “innocents” who are falling for such schemes and paying good money for such illusions.
           But maybe the LOCATION explains it. In Texas, by the border, there is an endless supply of newcomers who are ready-made victims for the scammers.
 
NEW/OLD SCAM (2)
 
           Two licensed immigration lawyers in New York did not impersonate anybody, they only prepared bogus applications for POLITICAL ASYLUM.
           The two lawyers, husband and wife, represented a number of non-citizens, mainly from RUSSIA. They prepared and filed on behalf of the clients Forms I-589, APPLICATIONS FOR POLITICAL ASYLUM. The scam was that the lawyers invented the FACTS, the personal histories of the clients, on which the applications were based. The lawyers also COACHED the clients what to tell Immigration Officers at the Asylum interviews so as to win a favorable decision. All lies.
           Finally, the U.S. government caught up to the fabrications of those lawyers.  They were charged and pled guilty to a variety of crimes. This legal “team” is now awaiting sentencing.

NEW EXTENSIONS/DELAYS
 
           Form I-751 is in great use.
           This is the application for REMOVAL OF CONDITION from legal permanent residence, or, in other words, an application for a PERMANENT (10 years) Green Card after a non-citizen spends two (2) years holding a TEMPORARY Green Card issued on the basis of a MARRIAGE to an American citizen (if the marriage was less than 2 years old).
Got it?           
______A great number of people use this Form I-751, with a great deal of   
anxiety. Why the ANXIETY? Because many of those people become
eligible – one year after filing this I-751, to file Form N-400 and apply for U.S. CITIZENSHIP – because by that time they already have three (3) years (at least) of being married to an American citizen. And if the I-751 is still “PENDING”, they cannot file the N-400.
           Got it?
           For some reason, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is not able to process the Form I-751 within one year. So they used to grant every applicant an AUTOMATIC extension of one (1) year of the validity of the TEMPORARY (2 year) residency. Then they extend the extension by making the AUTOMATIC extension for two (2) years. And now, just a few days ago, they announced that the AUTOMATIC extension would be for FOUR (4) YEARS.
           The U.S. government “hints” that it would take it four (4) years to replace a temporary two-year residency card with a permanent ten (10) year card.
           Got it?        

1,000,000 SAFER
 
           It has been seven (7) years since AB60 became effective in California.
           AB60 is the California law that authorizes the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue DRIVER LICENSES to undocumented aliens (also known as NON-CITIZENS).
           Since AB60 became effective in 2015, more than 1,000,000 (one million) non-citizens acquired legal California Driver Licenses, stopped being law breakers by driving without a license, obtained (most of them) automobile insurance and reduced the number of hit-and-run cases because they do not feel compelled to escape from the scene of any accident.
           All in all, the roads of California have one million safer drivers.
           There are, of course, people who are against it. One of their arguments is simply: these Driver Licenses make the undocumented resident TOO COMFORTABLE.
           Really? TERRIBLE.
           One additional positive development: as of January (2023) the DMV would also issue ID Cards for “undocumented” residents who are not drivers.
FOR IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS, CALL: (213)383-3222
3250 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1918
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 383-3222