July 16th, 2009 at 10:39am
Under Immigration Law
Green Card Lawyer for Minnesota Immigration
What is a Green Card?
A green card is the term used to describe the document that shows a persons is a Lawful Permanent Resident. It is the document that immigrants receive as proof of their permanent resident status. The green card can be used for employment, driver’s license, social security number, etc.
Is a Green Card the same as Citizenship?
No. Although green card holders may live in the United States indefinitely, they are not U.S. citizens. Green card holders may work legally, travel, etc., but in order to become a U.S. citizen, they may apply for citizenship; it does not happen automatically. Green card holders also cannot vote.
How do I get a Green Card?
You may be eligible for a green card if you have certain family members who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Green card status is also available through employment. Lastly, if a person is in deportation proceedings, there are occassions when an immigration judge may grant premanent resident – green card status.
How long may I remain a permanent resident?
You may remain a permanent resident, without becoming a citizen, indefinitely. However, you are required to renew your green card every ten years. In addition, you will be subject to various restrictions on travel, voting, etc., as a permanent resident. As a U.S. citizen, there would be no restrictions on your immigration status.
For more information about specific details about the different ways to get a green card, see the many articles on our site at www.cundyandmartin.com .
Green card lawyer, attorney in Minnesota, immigration, deportation, immigration court, K-1, work visa, asylum
By Law Article
July 14th, 2009 at 04:39pm
Under Immigration Law
Illegal Aliens – Three and Ten Year Bars
Minnesota Immigration Lawyers
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) section 212(a)(9)(B)(i) bars certain immigrants from returning to the United States if they accrued unlawful presence, i.e., were in the U.S. illegally. This means that if you have been in the U.S. illegally and then leave the country, you could be prevented from returning for several years. This applies whether the USCIS knows that you were in the country illegally or not. If you admit to being in the U.S. illegally or the Immigration Service learns of it, the bar applies.
What are the immigration bars?
If you were in the country illegally for more than 180 days but less than one year and then leave, you are barred from returning for three years. If you were in the U.S. illegally for one year or more and you leave, you will be barred for ten years. In addition to the 3 and 10 year bars, there is also a permanent bar you need to know about.
Permanent Bar – INA section 212(a)(9)(C)(i) permanently bars you from returning to the U.S. if you were previously in the U.S. illegally for a year or more, or were deported, left the country, and attempt to return without a proper visa. Anyone in this situation cannot even seek a visa to return for at least ten years. After the ten years has passed, you would still need a waiver to return; the visa issuance is not automatic merely because you stayed out of the country for ten years.
What should I do?
Call an immigration attorney before you leave the United States to discuss any possible bars on returning in the future. As you will see from the information above, it is the departure from the United States that triggers these immigration bars. This means that if we can fix your immigration status from within the U.S., the bars would not apply. Not all violations of the immigration law make one subject to these bars and therefore, an analysis of your situation is needed. In some instances there are waivers available that would permit you to come back before the three or ten year bar is reached, but waivers are beyond the scope of this article.
Minneapolis Immigration Lawyers can be reached at www.cundyandmartin.com .
Green card lawyer, attorney in Minnesota, immigration, deportation, immigration court, K-1, work visa, asylum
By Law Article
July 11th, 2009 at 02:54am
Under Civil Rights Law
Rybak is calling it a “transfer” but this proposal is to cut five full time minority attorney investigators, two contract minority attorney investigators and one supervisor, minority law school graduate of Thurgood Marshall Law School, who has been in the unit for over eight years.Protection of civil rights within the City of Minneapolis can be traced back to an executive order issued by Mayor Hubert M. Humphrey. In 1967 the Minneapolis Civil Rights Ordinance was passed. In 1974 the investigative powers were strengthened with subpoena power, less than 10 cities have this power with such power in the nation. In 1991 a new section was added to provide for Domestic Partner registration at City Clerk. “Cutting this unit is discarding decades of civil rights history and ignores the growing need to service Minneapolis’ increasingly diverse population,” said George Brandon, from the Council of Black Minnesotans. “We cannot stay quiet; citizens of Minneapolis must rally to have their voices heard by contacting the Mayor’s office and City Council Persons, because cutting this unit means that it will never come back.”For the first time in the department’s history, they have an all minority attorney staff doing this legal work and have closed 100% more cases in 2008 than in 2007. The Complaint Investigations Unit has seen a backlog of cases from its inception, which is a sign of the amount of discrimination complaints that make it through its doors. There are over 450 open and active cases and it is highly unlikely that the Minnesota State Department of Human Rights can absorb all of these cases as they face cuts also. Additionally, there are jurisdictional and time limits issues which may make transfer of these cases impossible. “I truly believe the Department’s role in investigating and adjudicating complaints affordsaccess to justice for people who otherwise feel they have none,” explains Amy Johnson, Executive Director of OutFront Minnesota who served as an attorney Civil Rights Commissioner. “Investigators can come and go but at the end of the day, it is the people of Minneapolis who will be disenfranchised and their voices will not be heard because Saint Paul is just not as accessible to citizens of Minneapolis like this department is,” said Toni Newborn, former President of the Black Law Students Association – William Mitchell College of Law chapter. The Ways and Means Committee Meeting is on March 2, 2009 at 1:30 PM and full City Council meeting is on March 6, 2009 at 9:30 AM. Civil Rights Coalition includes: Council on Black Minnesotans, Council on American-Islamic Relations – MN Chapter, Jewish Community Action, MN Dakota Conference NAACP, OutFront Minnesota, Urban League Minneapolis
Donald is the Executive V.P./GM of V-Media in Minneapolis.
By Law Article