Immigration Visa Attorney Blog

For Fiancé and Marriage visa applicants, the interview at the Embassy can be the most stressful part of the process. The interview is also, arguably, the most important part of the process and, thus, it is important for applicants to be prepared. Though one might expect the application process to be somewhat standardized, each U.S. Embassy has different policies and procedures governing how visa applications are processed. Therefore, it is imperative for the visa applicant to research the Embassy they will be visiting in order to adequately prepare for the interview. It is highly advisable for any visa applicant to review the website of the Embassy they will be visiting for information on the specific policies and procedures of that Embassy. A Fiancé or Marriage visa applicant's interview will be scheduled at the Embassy with jurisdiction over their residence abroad.

Visa interviews are conducted by appointment only and it is vital that the applicant be on time for the interview. There is usually some form of security screening at the Embassy and applicants should allow time for security when planning their visit. Generally, after entering the Embassy, the applicant will check-in with a Consular Official and may be required to provide their visa application(s)/documentation for review. Upon checking-in, the visa applicant will usually be told to remain in the waiting area until their name/number is called. At some point, the visa applicant will be asked to complete a digital fingerprint scan. The applicant's documents , if previously collected, will be returned prior to meeting with the Consular Officer.

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In many parts of the US including Columbus, Ohio and Michigan, Refugees and Asylees struggle to find a new life and to forget their troubled past. The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) offers much needed assistance to them. As we discussed in prior blogs, the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) prevents certain foreign national children from losing their preferential immigration benefits due to "aging out" at 21 years old. The asylum and refugee provisions of the CSPA are especially vital in helping to keep families together. Sections 3 and 4 of the CSPA provide special assistance to the unmarried children of asylees and refugees whether accompanying or following-to-join their parent. The CSPA allows the children of asylees and refugees to maintain their child status and, thus, their eligibility for derivative status even after reaching the age of 21 years old.

For the most part, so long as the child of the asylee or refugee was under the age of 21 when their parent applied for asylum or refugee status, they will be eligible for derivative benefits even after attaining the age of 21 years old. To qualify as a child included on an asylum or refugee application, the aging out child must be listed on Form I-589 or Form I-590, respectively, prior to a final determination on the application. Indeed, a parent can add a child of any age to their asylum application before it is adjudicated, and the child will be entitled to derivative benefits so long as the application was originally filed while the child was under 21 years of age.

The asylum and refugee provisions of the Child Status Protection ACT (CSPA), also apply to children whose parents did not include them on their asylum or refugee application. If the asylee or refugee did not include their child on their application, the aging out child may obtain derivative status if their parent filed Form I-730 within two years of being granted asylum or refugee status. If Form I-730 was pending at the time the CSPA was enacted, a child who aged out would still be eligible for derivative status if the I-730 petition was originally filed before the child turned 21 years old. The USCIS even considers an approved I-730 application to be pending if the U.S. Embassy or Consulate has not issued travel documents. Asylees and refugees, by definition, have experienced extremely difficult circumstances in their lifetime, but they can be encouraged by the fact that laws exist to help keep their family together.

Many of our Family Immigration clients in Columbus, Ohio and in Michigan and elsewhere share their frustration that notwithstanding near a decade passage of the Child Status Protection ACT (CSPA), USCIS continues to struggle with its interpretation. I explained in my prior blog, The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), enacted on August 6, 2002, contains remedies for foreign nationals claiming a "child" status who are in jeopardy of losing their immigration benefits due to aging out. Though the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), was enacted in 2002, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) were still changing its interpretation of the CSPA's provisions until 2008. In particular, foreign nationals who had an approved immigrant visa petition prior to the CSPA's inception, but had not filed a green card application before August 6, 2002 were initially not eligible for the CSPA's benefits.

In guidance issued in February 2003 and August 2004, the USCIS reiterated their initial position: that the provisions of the CSPA took effect on August 6, 2002 and were not retroactive. Thus, benefits would only be available to foreign nationals who aged out on or after August 6, 2002. The only exceptions for foreign nationals who aged out prior to August 6, 2002 were for those who had a visa petition either pending on August 6, 2002 or had an approved petition with a green card application pending on August 6, 2002. Interestingly, pending for the purposes of visa petitions includes appeals or motions to reopen filed with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) or the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) on or before August 6, 2002.

The USCIS' policy shift was not voluntary, rather mandatory in light of the BIA's decision in In Re Rodolfo Avila-Perez in February 2007, holding that it is not mandatory for a foreign national to have an application for adjustment of status or immigrant visa pending on August 6, 2002 to be eligible for CSPA benefits. Accordingly, the USCIS revised its previous position regarding the retroactivity of the CSPA provisions. Currently, qualifying foreign nationals who aged out prior to the CSPA's implementation can file a new green card application to take advantage of the CSPA. Additionally, foreign nationals whose green card applications were denied due to age can file motions to reopen or reconsider. It took the USCIS a long time to settle on the appropriate interpretation of the CSPA, but fortunately the correct conclusion was reached: that the benefits of the CSPA should have retroactive application to certain foreign nationals.