ImmiTips

In the event that an LPR misplaces his or her reentry permit while inside the United States, (s)he should file a Form I-131 to replace it. If the LPR is outside the U.S. at the time the document is lost, (s)he should try to return before the one year anniversary of his or her departure. If this is not an option, (s)he must file a DS-117 to apply for a returning resident visa.

The LIFE Act of 2000 creates an opening for applicants looking to adjust status to that of lawful permanent resident that may otherwise be ineligible at this time. The applicant must be the beneficiary of a qualifying immigrant visa petition that was properly filed and approvable at the time of filing. The petition must have been filed prior to April 30, 2001. Through the LIFE Act, beneficiaries of such petitions could be eligible for adjustment of status regardless of the manner in which they entered the country, whether or not they worked in the United States without authorization, and whether or not they failed to continuously maintain lawful status since entering the country. The Act, however, should not be seen as blanket amnesty, as it does not waive all grounds of inadmissibility and does not guarantee forgiveness of the grounds listed above.

Summary: Immediate family members (spouses and children under the age of 21) of immigrant visa holders may follow to join the principal beneficiary of an approved immigrant visa petition in a derivative visa status. The form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, should be used to notify the U.S. consulate in the beneficiary’s country of citizenship that his or her visa petition has been approved and that his or her family members are applying for derivative visas in order to follow to join.

Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker
The Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, is used to petition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to classify an alien beneficiary as eligible for an immigrant visa based on employment. The employer generally files the Form I-140 on behalf of the alien.
Questions and Answers
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For the many green card aspirants who were waiting with baited breath for the October 2008 Visa Bulletin, hoping for it to breathe new life into the retrogressed visa categories, it turned out to be a sorely disappointing beginning of a new Fiscal Year.
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Nationals of India and China in the [...]