Mamaril Law Office

Immigration Help Available to Those Affected by Natural Disasters and Other Unforeseen Circumstances USCIS is reminding the public that they offer immigration services that may help people affected by unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters. Examples of unforeseen circumstances include, but are not limited to, the recent tornadoes in Kentucky and surrounding states. The following measures may be available on a case-by-case basis upon request: 1) Changin...g a nonimmigrant stay for an individual currently in the United States. Failure to apply for the extension or change before expiration of your authorized period of admission may be excused if the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond your control; 2) Re-parole of individuals previously granted parole by USCIS; 3) Expedited processing of advance parole requests; 4) Expedited adjudication of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship; 5) Expedited adjudication of employment authorization applications, where appropriate; 6) Consideration of fee waiver requests due to an inability to pay; 7) Flexibility for those who received a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny but were unable to submit evidence or otherwise respond in a timely manner; 8 ) Flexibility if you were unable to appear for a scheduled interview with USCIS; 9) Expedited replacement of lost or damaged immigration or travel documents issued by USCIS, such as a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card), Employment Authorization Documents, and Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94); and 10) Rescheduling a biometric services appointment. Note: When making a request, you can explain how the impact of unforeseen circumstances, such as a natural disaster, created a need for the requested relief. If you lost all forms of evidence in an unforeseen circumstance, include an explanation in your description and copy of a police report, insurance claim, or other report, if available, to support your request. For legal assistance with immigration benefits and applications, please call the Mamaril Law Office at 707-567-6364 to schedule a consultation, or send your legal inquiry to: [email protected] Atty. Clarence and staff will personally respond to your inquiries. Mamaril Law Office, 312 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo, CA 707-552-7242 See more

Immigration News: NVC Expedite Request Process In emergencies or hardship, it may be possible for a petitioner to speed up an immigration case with a National Visa Center (NVC) expedite request. USCIS makes their decision on a case-by-case basis, so it is important to have a good reason for making the request. This post will explore the NVC expedite criteria and the process. When to Submit an NVC Expedite Request-To make an NVC expedite request, you should have a v...alid reason for doing so. The following are considered valid reasons to make the request, and if a visa is available for your relative’s category, it may be granted: Petitioner has a serious medical condition or health ailment (life or death medical emergency); Urgent humanitarian reasons; Financial hardship (this must be thoroughly documented to prove the financial loss that has or would occur); Child beneficiary is turning 21 years out (also known as aging out); Delays by the National Visa Center; Petitioner needing the beneficiary to care for them due to health reasons and; Beneficiary giving birth soon. Other factors may be considered a hardship, and these are best discussed with an immigration lawyer. If the NVC expedite request is approved without conditions, then the NVC will send it directly to the U.S. Consulate overseas, and the consulate will send a notice for the interview to the beneficiary (along with instructions). Be sure to have all the required documents available for this. If the expedite request is approved with conditions (pay te required fees, forms, etc.), these will need to be completed before the case is sent to the U.S. Consulate abroad. For legal assistance with immigration benefits and applications, please call the Mamaril Law Office at 707-567-6364 to schedule a consultation, or send your legal inquiry to: [email protected] Atty. Clarence and staff will personally respond to your inquiries. Mamaril Law Office, 312 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo, CA 707-552-7242 See more

IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS QUESTION: I would like to ask you a simple immigration problem. I am a green card holder who is stuck here in the Philippines. I arrived in the Philippines in 2019, and decided to stay with my family in Manila. Now it’s 2021, my green card expired, and I wasn’t able to renew it. In short, I overstayed my limit, which was to be only 6 months outside of the United States. Because of how my life is in the Philippines, I want to go bac...Continue reading

In honor of Veteran’s Day 2021, we’re posting info on naturalization through military service. Process: There are two ways for military members to qualify for naturalization based on their military service (1) one year of military service at any time or (2) service during periods of hostility. Current service members may complete their naturalization process abroad. Eligible former service members must complete the naturalization process, including attending the natu...Continue reading

IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Question: How can I petition my boyfriend, who lives in the Philippines? What is the best way and the easiest way to get my boyfriend to start living with me in the United States? I hope you can advise me with my immigration problem. Answer: The best way for you to petition any loved one depends on your immigration status, your income level, and the relationship between you and your loved one. As for the easiest way to bring an...yone to the United States on an immigration visa, I think it’s safe to say that immigration law and procedures are difficult, so no way is truly easy. Generally, the best way to petition a boyfriend or girlfriend is to file a fiancé visa, as long as you meet the legal requirements for this visa. Those requirements are: 1) You must be a U.S. citizen, 2) You must have personally seen your fiancé within the past two years, and 3) You must also have enough adjusted gross income to meet the affidavit of support requirements. EXPLANATION OF FIANCÉ VISA REQUIREMENTS: If you are a legal permanent resident/green card holder, you cannot file a fiancé petition. If you cannot wait to meet the residency requirements for the U.S. citizenship, then you would need to go back to the Philippines and marry your partner there. When you return to the United States, you would be eligible to file a relative visa petition under the F2A preference category for spouses of legal permanent residents. Fortunately, this visa category is current. Meeting in-person within two years is a fiancé visa requirement, although there is an exception if a personal meeting would: 1) violate strict and long-established customs of your fiancé’s foreign culture; or 2) result in extreme hardship to the U.S. citizen. I know from personal experience that these exceptions are difficult to prove to USCIS. The U.S. citizen petitioner must make enough adjusted gross income, as shown on their most recent tax returns, to meet Affidavit of Support requirements. If they do not make enough income, the fiancé visa becomes quite difficult to approve since USCIS does not accept additional co-sponsor’s income for Fiancé Visa Applications. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19 issues, these cases are taking a long time to process. For legal assistance with immigration benefits and applications, please call the Mamaril Law Office at 707-568-6364 to schedule a consultation, or send your legal inquiry to: [email protected] Atty. Clarence and staff will personally respond to your inquiries. Mamaril Law Office, 312 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo, CA 707-552-7242 See more

IMMIGRATION NEWS: U.S. Assigns More Staff to Review DACA Requests as Backlog Soars The Biden administration is assigning more immigration officers to review applicants for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) deportation relief program in response to a soaring backlog of requests, according to information sent to Congress and shared with CBS News. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) told Congress that it will also stage public awareness c...ampaigns to educate prospective DACA applicants about how they can reduce processing times, and remind program beneficiaries to renew their work permits and deportation deferrals, congressional officials said. As of May 31, USCIS had only adjudicated 1,900 of more than 62,000 first-time DACA applications submitted by undocumented immigrant teenagers and young adults since the program reopened in December 2020, according to government data shared with Congress. By the end of June, the backlog of pending first-time DACA applicants had jumped to over 81,000 petitions, a 48% increase from late March. Additionally, more than 13,000 DACA renewal requests remained under review beyond the 120-day adjudication goal. The significant delays in the adjudication of applications has alarmed DACA recipients and first-time applicants, who fear the Obama-era program could be closed once again due to a looming federal court ruling. The state of Texas has asked a federal judge to immediately suspend the program or to shut it down completely over two years. In a letter last week to Nevada Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Mastodon, who had expressed concerns about the delays in DACA processing, USCIS interim director Tracy Renaud said the agency was working hard to process applications in a timely manner. For legal assistance with immigration benefits and applications, please call the Mamaril Law Office at 707-567-6364 to schedule a consultation, or send your legal inquiry to: [email protected] Atty. Clarence and staff will personally respond to your inquiries. Mamaril Law Office, 312 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo, CA 707-552-7242 See more

Oct. 28- National Immigrant’s Day The United States of America is known as the world’s melting pot, and every year on October 28 National Immigrants Day gives us a reason to reflect on just how unique that distinction is among the world’s 195 sovereign nations. As Americans, we are proud of our long history of welcoming immigrants from all parts of the world and value their contributions that add zest to our nation’s blend of cultures, customs, and traditions. Hist...ory of National Immigrants Day-America is the world’s great experiment in freedom and individual rights, and unlike any other nation on our planet, it was founded and built entirely by immigrants. Americans are citizens either by birth or by choice, abiding under a common flag and constitution, united by its legacy as a land of freedom and opportunity. It is easy to forget that as a nation of immigrants, we are the sum of every idea and dream that ever stepped ashore with an immigrant seeking new opportunities in the United States. Most of those ideas and dreams passed through Ellis Island, America’s first federal immigration center. Before 1890, the 42 individual states then comprising the United States of America regulated the flow of immigration into the United States. Europeans began fleeing political instability, restrictive religious laws, and deteriorating economic conditions in record numbers, leading to massive numbers of immigrants arriving in American shores by 1890. To ease the burden on individual states the federal government took over responsibility for processing immigrant arrivals. Ellis Island in New York Harbor opened in 1892 as an immigrant station, becoming the primary port of entry for most immigration into the U.S. after 1890. Immigrants also entered the U.S. through other port cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, Savannah, Miami and New Orleans. Ellis Island was the busiest because New York was the preferred port of entry for most ships arriving in America. From opening day on January 1, 1890, until the day Ellis Island closed in November 1954, over 12 million immigrants passed through the Ellis Island immigration station, along with hopes and dreams of a better life for themselves and their families. Most of those Ellis Island immigrants shared a common dream: of becoming an American citizen. In return for pledging allegiance and loyalty to the United States and its Constitution, immigrants who chose to become naturalized citizens were rewarded with all the rights and privileges afforded U.S. citizens, and the freedom to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The U.S. Congress formally recognized National Immigrants Day on October 28, 1987. As we celebrate National Immigrants Day in 2021, let us celebrate the determination, ingenuity, and spirit immigrants continue to add to our melting pot of cultures we call America. See more

IMMIGRATION NEWS: Applicants for Permanent U.S. residency must show proof of COVID-19 Vaccines Starting October 1, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is now requiring all migrants applying for U.S. permanent residency to show proof that they are fully vaccinated for coronavirus. USCIS-approved doctors fill out Form I-693 to comply with the medical exam requirement. To prompt more COVID-19 vaccinations for the purpose of public safety, the U.S. Citizensh...ip and Immigration Services recently announced that anyone applying for U.S. residency must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. The requirements take effect on Oct. 1, 2021, and proof of vaccinations must be presented before a civil surgeon can complete the required immigration medical examination, USCIS announced. We are updating our policy guidance in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Aug. 17, 2021 update to the Technical Instructions for Civil Surgeons. That update requires applicants subject to the immigration medical examination to complete the COVID-19 vaccine series (one or two doses, depending on the vaccine) and provide documentation of vaccination to the civil surgeon before completion of the immigration medical examination, USCIS said in a statement Tuesday. Anyone who applies for permanent U.S. residency must undergo an immigration medical examination to show they are free from any conditions that would prevent them from gaining citizenship under the health-related grounds. According to the new agency rules, physicians may not sign off on the I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, unless the applicant has had coronavirus vaccines. Exemptions to this new rule include: minors not eligible for coronavirus vaccines; those with contradicting medical conditions; contradicting religious beliefs; limited supply of vaccines in region where applicant lives. For legal assistance with immigration benefits and applications, please call the Mamaril Law Office at 707-568-6364 to schedule a consultation, or send your legal inquiry to: [email protected] Atty. Clarence and staff will personally respond to your inquiries. Mamaril Law Office, 312 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo, CA 707-552-7242 See more

IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: QUESTION: I came from the Philippines in 2015, and I overstayed my visitor’s visa. I live with a family who is hiding me, but am really scared of ICE picking me up to deport me back to the Philippines. Do I have any hope of staying in the United States? The answer to your question depends on a lot of factors. You may want to consult with an immigration attorney to more fully analyze your situation and answer your question. There ar...e some positive factors in your case, and some things to watch out for. First, you entered on a visitor’s visa. That’s a good factor. If you got married to a U.S. citizen or green card holder, your spouse would be able to file an immigration petition for you to start the process of obtaining your green card. You may have other relatives in the United States who may be able to petition for you, but a U.S. citizen spouse is the best petitioner. In your case, a visa obtained through a U.S. citizen employed would fail, because you are an overstay and in the United States illegally. So you may have a chance to stay in the United States, depending upon your personal situation. In order to avoid the 3 or 10-year bar to inadmissibility, you cannot leave the United States. Because of the amount of time you have overstayed, if you left the United States now, went to the Philippines, and then tried to return to the United States, you may be ineligible to enter the United States (the INS officers at the border would refuse to let you in) for at least 10 years. If you were placed in deportation proceedings, and if you don’t have any defenses available for you, you may want to request voluntary departure. In voluntary departure, you tell the immigration judge that you have the financial means to return to the Philippines, and you actually do go back to the Philippines. Immigration judges like voluntary departure, because the U.S. government will avoid the expenses necessary to send you back to the Philippines. Voluntary departure may also give you more favorable treatment than an outright deportation if, later on, you wanted to come back to the United States. For legal assistance with immigration benefits and applications, please call the Mamaril Law Office at 707-567-6364 to schedule a consultation, or send your legal inquiry to: [email protected] Atty. Clarence and staff will personally respond to your inquiries. Mamaril Law Office, 312 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo, CA 707-552-7242 See more

U.S. will re-Open Canadian and Mexican borders to fully vaccinated visitors The United States plans to ease restrictions on travel for fully vaccinated visitors from Canada and Mexico starting in early November, relaxing bans that have been in place for more than 18 months. The new rules, which are similar to those announced for international air passengers, will be rolled out in a phased approach. The first phase, kicking off in early November, will allow fully vac...Continue reading

The U.S. Citizenship Test After an applicant has filed for US naturalization by filing form N-400, he or she must pass the citizenship test in order to get U.S. citizenship. The naturalization test is administered by immigration officers and is designed to help determine whether an applicant has an adequate understanding of the English Language and U.S. history and civics. A study was released, questioning the accuracy and reliability of the civics portion of the t...Continue reading

Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Cease Worksite Raids: The Biden administration has directed the government’s immigration enforcers (ICE) to no longer carry out raids at workplaces, calling the operations a distraction from their true mission. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, will no longer conduct mass worksite raids that have often led to the arrests of hundreds of undocumented workers, Homeland Security Department Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas...Continue reading

Biden Administration takes new steps to preserve Obama-era DACA immigration program The Biden administration took steps in September 2021 to save the Obama-era DACA program that shields hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has been the subject of ongoing litigation since it was established in 2012. President Donald Trump tried to terminate the program, an...Continue reading

Asian Solidarity Event in AmCan this Saturday, May 15th, 10am-12pm, @ Shenandoah Park. This rally is in support of the Asian American community, and against the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. All are welcome! View the flyer for more info.

While I don’t have many clients from Liberia, I’m grateful for them, because I learn much about that country. Former slaves were relocated there, and its capital, Monrovia, is named after US President James Monroe. This wonderful lady, descended from those slaves, is now a US citizen, an immigrant story roughly 150 years in the making. Congratulations!

Congrats to Maria, whose story as a US citizen began today, with her oath taking ceremony in San Francisco! Maria’s husband and I couldn’t personally witness because of Covid restrictions, but we did take photos afterwards. She was the only El Salvadoran in her group today, and among the first naturalized US citizens during the Biden administration, which is so meaningful, given Maria’s lengthy and risky immigration journey. I’m so proud of Maria, and honored to have helped her achieve one of her lifetime goals!

A few thoughts on the US Citizenship Act of 2021: I’ve been an immigration lawyer for almost 30 years, much of it after 9/11, when immigrants & immigration were highly demonized as security threats. No significant immigration laws have been passed in over 20 years. Passing DACA and the Dream Act have been uphill battles. Passing comprehensive immigration reform, like the USCZ Act of 2021, will also be a lengthy uphill battle. But it’s a great start, and introducing it thi...s early shows it’s a high priority for the Biden administration. They were obviously working on this for a long time. As proposed, I expect it won’t pass both houses of Congress. Passing it presumes that the Republicans are open to compromise, which is highly questionable. And all it takes to color public opinion for the bill is to say it’s amnesty. Of course it’s not, but if people think it is, they’ll convince their congressional representatives to vote against it. But the strategy is sound: put out an overwhelmingly large number of reforms; and if only a few pass, that’s still a victory, and more tools for the toolbox of immigration lawyers & advocates. I’d expect that, to open a pathway to a green card for the undocumented in the US, applicants will be required to pay a hefty fine, in addition to the filing fee. The former 245(i) Life Act had a $1000 fine. I’d expect a $1500+ payment would be needed to pass. Lowering the requirement for citizenship from 5 years to 3 years... I doubt that would pass. Republicans don’t want to increase the numbers of those who would generally vote for Democrats. I think lowering the backlog of cases in Immigration Court has a good chance of passing, but it’ll only pass in Congress if it’s seen as a necessary measure to increase the number deportees, with a priority on deporting non-citizens convicted of aggravated felonies. The 3 & 10 year bars are long established, and probably won’t be eliminated. Possibly lowered, perhaps a 1 & 5 year bar? I personally love the change of terminology from alien to non-citizen. It’s high time for such demonizing language to be removed from our federal laws, reflecting the current thinking that no one should be referred as illegal. There’s much more to analyze, of course. Overall, this provides so much hope! Realistically, it won’t be passed in this form, or right away, or all at once. Immigration advocates should look for baby steps, ie. the passing of law that specifically helps Dreamers, followed by a pathway to green card status for DACA recipients, etc. If we see these baby steps happen over the next 4 years, then many non-citizens will find reason to hope.

Call Atty Clarence at 707-552-7242, to see if you’re qualified for DACA or other immigration benefits. Happy holidays! https://www.nbcnews.com//federal-judge-reinstates-daca-ord

Actor, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen depicts his characters throughout the years and explains why he chooses the style of comedy he does to highlight the bigotry, discrimination and prejudice that occurs around the world

To our clients and friends: GOOD NEWS that I don’t want lost in the current news cycle: The proposed USCIS fee increases has been stopped by a preliminary injunction! Immigration application fees will remain the same for now. ... If you want to know if you are eligible for immigration benefits, feel free to call the office and discuss your case with me. I’ve practiced immigration law for over 25 years. Mamaril Law Office #: 707-552-7242 https://www.forbes.com//judge-blocks-uscis-fee-increa/amp/

Another unrecognized contribution from undocumented aliens: payment of more income tax than our president.... Vote! For any chance of changing the current broken & chaotic immigration system, vote for those who support immigrant rights, not for those who vilify honest, hard working immigrants who choose to pay their proper share of income tax! https://www.facebook.com/1263628073/posts/10223944984073483/?d=n

Mamaril Law supports Vallejo Councilwoman Rozzana Verder-Aliga in her re-election campaign! She is a proven leader and wonderful representative for all of Vallejo, and in particular for Filipino residents. Rozzana is a long time friend of the Mamaril family and professional colleague! We pray for her successful campaign!

Hello US citizens with foreign spouses, parents & relatives. A friendly reminder to Vote! https://apple.news/ASWGje86RQc6t_zJhqTREuw

I recently had an interview at the USCIS District Office in San Jose. Here are my observations about how the Immigration Service has changed because of Covid-19: 1). Less visitors are allowed into the office, and they seem to be handling less cases, so each agent has more time to scrutinize applications. 2). Officers are very strict about safety - masks are mandatory, social distancing is strictly enforced in waiting lines and the seating area 3). Use of plastic shields at... the security & receptionist areas, info counters and officers’ desks. 4). A no gatherings of 3 or more people rule is in effect, even amongst the officers & employees. 5). No extra relatives will be allowed to wait with the applicant - only the applicant, attorney and a translator are allowed into the bldg for an individual case. It’s good that these safety procedures are in place, so don’t be too anxious about getting interviewed at this time. Follow the rules, and you’ll be fine! Atty Clarence

Whatever your political views, I recommend watching Immigration Nation on Netflix. I’d say it does a good job of showing the difficulties faced by undocumented persons as well as ICE Officers & DHS under the current administration’s chaotic & inhumane policies. https://youtu.be/X_xVKy58Yuw

I needed this. Credit: Alex Graudins (@toonyballoony) https://medium.com//you-can-be-a-patriot-without-loving-am

Jan 2017: Over 3 years ago, Marisa Loza, Mariam Aboudamous & I gave a talk at the AmCan library to many concerned residents about how immigration would be affected by Pres. Trump... We seriously underestimated the negative effects of a Trump presidency, and never could have predicted: - the inhumane separation of families & caging of children & families;... - Trump’s efforts to overturn DACA (he’s still fighting it, despite SCOTUS’ ruling against him); - unconscionable delays in visa processing times; - the increased difficulty of US citizens’ ability to petitions their spouses & foreign parents via the public charge rules; - inability to put a competent person in charge of DHS; - eliminating the asylum system. I could go on... The United States was the envy of the world, a place where the best and brightest would go for a fighting chance to improve their lives, and the lives of those around them. This was the dream of my parents in the 1970’s, when they faced the difficult choice of leaving home or living under a dictatorship. They didn’t want to leave their familiar home for the unknown - but they had to. God bless them, my family is blessed because they made that difficult decision. 3 years later after our talk, I submit that we are not a destination place for the best in the world. Trump has been as unwelcoming as possible. The immigrant spirit and drive will find good soil elsewhere, and this will harm the US irreparably. Even worse, we are now a medically, racially & economically dangerous destination. Open travel of Americans going to other countries is no longer a norm because of our policies. Those who promoted America First got their wish. There will be far less people who enter the borders of the US - they simply won’t want to. They will lend their talents to other countries, and the next great breakthroughs in science, tech, media and economics will not be in America, it will come from elsewhere. Trump’s racist policies are not based on facts or logic. We see this played out in dramatic fashion now, and are suffering for it. Promoting American selfishness, and turning inward, not outward, has gotten us to this point. But I also believe it’s not too late to turn this around. The driving force will be the young, the immigrants, and all those who have been on the defensive for the past 3 years.

The Administration shouldn’t have done this in the first place... https://apple.news/AjkgtYHUtR8mQ796RExyXLg

Because of the Covid-19 crisis, our law office welcomes phone consultations, including filling out immigration applications over the phone and working with clients via email and other remote means. Call our office at: 707-552-7242 to make special arrangements with Atty. Clarence Mamaril.

DACA is upheld by SCOTUS! Current (or expired) DACA recipients should be able to renew their status, and those who haven’t filed should be able to apply again! If you think you qualify, call our law office for a consult!

Good ruling by SCOTUS on Sanctuary Cities!