Category: Conditional Green Card

Properly Filed I-751 Extends Conditional Green Card for 4 Years

1/23/2023

USCIS is extending the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) for petitioners who properly file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status for 48 months (4 years) beyond the card’s expiration date. This change started on January 11, 2023, for Form I-829 and will start on January 25, 2023, for Form I-751.

USCIS has updated the language on Form I-751 and Form I-829 receipt notices to extend the validity of a Green Card for 48 months for individuals with a newly filed Form I-751 or Form I-829.

USCIS will issue new receipt notices to eligible conditional permanent residents who previously received notices with an extension shorter than 48 months and whose cases are still pending.

These receipt notices can be presented with an expired Green Card as evidence of continued status, while the case remains pending with USCIS. By presenting your updated receipt notice with your expired Green Card, you remain authorized to work and travel for 48 months from the expiration date on the front of your expired Green Card.
As a reminder, conditional permanent residents who plan to be outside of the United States for a year or more should apply for a reentry permit by filing Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, before leaving the United States. For more information, see our International Travel as a Permanent Resident webpage.

Briefly in Russian:

Правильная и своевременная подача формы I-751 с 25 января 2023 будет продлять срок действия условной грин карты на 4 года (48 месяцев) с даты истечения грин карты.

Если вы уже подали вашу петицию, и она все еще на рассмотрении, вы получите письмо продляющее срок действия грин карты.

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How to Get a New Green Card If Lost or Stolen Abroad I-131A

11/18/2022

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Q: What can I do to get a new green card instead of the one lost or stolen abroad? How can I return to the United States if my green card was lost or stolen while traveling abroad?

A: This is a very stressful situation! You will need to pay the fee and apply for a document allowing you to return to the United States at the nearest US embassy.

The application form is I-131A has to be submitted in person at the U.S. embassy abroad. The government filing fee is U$575, payable online to USCIS prior to submitting the application. The application fee is non-refundable.

If approved, the U.S. embassy will issue you a boarding foil, allowing you to board the flight back to the United States, and the USCIS will issue you a new green card once in the United States.

Anyone can pay the I-131A filing fee from anywhere in the world. Whoever pays the fee must use a credit or debit card or U.S. bank account.

The current filing fee is $575.00
You must submit your filing fee before going to a U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate to file your Form I-131A. You must bring evidence of payment with you when you appear in person at your nearest U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate to file Form I-131A.

Refund PolicyUSCIS does not refund fees, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition or request, or how long USCIS takes to reach a decision.

Information You May Need to Pay the Fee Online:
To pay the fee, you will need the correct first and last names, date of birth, and A-Number as they appear on the lawful permanent resident's (LPR's) Green Card or Reentry Permit.

You will need to use the most current edition of the Form I-131A (currently 11/2022), which can be downloaded here.

Briefly in Russian:

Что делать если вы потеряли или у вас украли грин карту во время поездки за пределами США, и вы не можете вернуться в США из-за отсутствия грин карты?

Форма заявления USCIS Form I-131A подается лично в посольстве, оплата госпошлины US$575 производится заранее ондайн через портал USCIS в американских долларах со счета в США. Любой другой человек может оплатить эту госпошлину за вас. Вам нужно иметь на руках подтверждение оплаты госпошлины онлайн. Эта процедура возможна только для тех, кто не провел более года за пределами США. В некоторых случаях - менее двух дет за пределами США. В случае отказа, госпошлины не возвращаются. В случае положительного решения, посольство выдаст документ, разрешающую авиалиниям посадить вас на рейс в США.

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I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions: Interview Waiver Update

4/7/2022

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new policy update for waiving interviews for conditional permanent residents (CPR) who have filed a petition to remove the conditions on their permanent resident status, Form I-751.
Effective immediately, new criteria will guide USCIS officers on when to waive interviews for CPRs who filed a Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. This update replaces previous agency guidance that required all CPRs to undergo an interview if they obtained CPR status via consular processing.
Under this policy update, USCIS may waive the interview requirement if the agency officer determines there is sufficient evidence about the bona fides of the marriage, the joint-filing requirement is eligible for a waiver (if applicable), there is no indication of fraud or misrepresentation in supporting documents, there are no complex facts or issues to resolve, and there is no criminal history that would render the CPR removable.
A noncitizen who obtains permanent resident status based on a marriage that began less than two years before obtaining that status receives permanent resident status on a conditional basis for two years. To remove the conditions on permanent resident status, family-based CPRs generally must file a Form I-751 within the 90-day period before the two-year anniversary of when they obtained CPR status.

Briefly in Russian:

USCIS объявило о новом правиле, когда они могут утвердить постоянную грин карту БЕЗ интервью. В тех случаях, где условная грин карта была получена через посольство или консульство США за пределами страны, в прошлом требовалось обязательное интервью на снятие условностей. Сейчас такое интервью не обязательно, если заявители доказали реальность брака на основании предоставленных документов и доказательств и нет других вопросов.

В связи с новыми изменениями становится еще более важным предоставление досконального пакета документов при подаче петиции I-751 на снятие условностей.

Для консультации с адвокатом и чтобы назначить консультацию, пишите на наш адрес.

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I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions Receipt Validity Extended to 24 Months

9/3/2021

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Starting September 4, 2021, USCIS is extending the time that receipt notices can be used to show evidence of status from 18 months to 24 months for petitioners who properly file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status.

USCIS made the change from 18 to 24 months to accommodate current processing times for Form I-751 and Form I-829, which have increased over the past year.
Conditional permanent residents who properly file Form I-751 or Form I-829 will receive a receipt notice that can be presented with their Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card), as evidence of continued status for up to 24 months past the expiration date on their Green Card, while their case remains pending with USCIS.
Additionally, USCIS will issue new receipt notices to eligible conditional permanent residents who properly filed their Form I-751 or Form I-829 before Sept. 4 and whose cases are still pending. Those receipt notices will also serve as evidence of continued status for 24 months past the expiration date on their Green Card.

Briefly in Russian:

Начиная с 4 сентября 2021, USCIS будет выдавать официальные Receipt Notices, Forms I-797, петиционерам, подавшим петицию I-751 на снятие условностей с грин карты, и продляющие срок действия истекшей грин карты на 24 месяца (до сих пор это было 18 месяцев).
Это нововведение вызвано тем, что сроки рассмотрения петиций замедлились и порой занимают более 2-х лет.
Если ваша петиция была подана до 4 сентября 2021 и все еще на рассмотрении, то вы получите новый Receipt, с новой датой продления на 24 месяца вместо 18 месяцев.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Required for Immigrants Effective October 1, 2021

9/3/2021

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Effective October 1, 2021, with few exceptions, those applying for permanent residence (green card) must be vaccinated against COVID-19. Covid-19 was classified by the CDC as a “Class A inadmissible condition”. The new vaccine requirements apply to foreign nationals applying for adjustment of status in the United States (filing Form I-485) when completing the I-693 medical examination with a designated USCIS civil surgeon. It also applies to foreign nationals applying for an immigrant visa or refugee status at a US consulate and undergoing a medical examination with a panel physician.

Regarding the I-485, the CDC said that the applicant “must complete the COVID-19 vaccine series and provide documentation of vaccination to the civil surgeon in person before completion of the medical examination.” The COVID-19 vaccination requirement differs from previous requirements in that “the entire vaccine series (1 or 2 doses depending on formulation) must be completed in addition to the other routinely required vaccines. COVID-19 vaccinations can now be given at any time, without regard to the timing of other vaccinations.” Acceptable vaccines include Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.
Panel physicians in countries outside the US may accept vaccines authorized for emergency use or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or vaccines listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization. In addition to the three vaccines used in the US, the WHO lists many other vaccines used outside the US such as AstraZeneca, Covishield and Covaxin, Sputnik, Sinopharm and Sinovac, among others.
Waivers are available. Applicants may also apply for an individual waiver on religious or moral grounds.
Until now, even if a country was subject to a Covid ban, one applying for an immigrant visa is exempted from the ban.
US citizens, permanent residents and noncitizens with US citizen or permanent resident children are exempted from the ban. So are those who can obtain national interest exception waivers on a variety of grounds.
Applicants that do not qualify for an exemption or waiver to this policy and refuse one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine series will be deemed inadmissible to the United States and denied a green card.
Read more here.

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Adjustment of Status on a New Basis After Termination of Conditional Permanent Residence

11/26/2019

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On November 21, 2019, USCIS published a Memorandum explaining a new policy regarding second Adjustment of Status for Conditional Permanent Residents after termination of the conditional residence.

New policy will make it easier for a former conditional resident, whose status was terminated by USCIS, to reapply for adjustment of status under another petition or eligibility basis without having to go through Immigration Court removal proceedings. USCIS will consider the date of admission to be the date USCIS approved the subsequent (second) adjustment application. Time spent in the prior terminated conditional resident status does not count toward the residency requirement for naturalization purposes. The clock will restart after second adjustment.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to update and clarify when USCIS may adjust the status of an applicant whose conditional permanent resident (CPR) status was terminated. Background Sections 245(d) and 245(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) bar an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence on a conditional basis from adjusting status under INA 245(a).

However, in Matter of Stockwell, the Board of Immigration Appeals held that INA 245(d) does not prohibit an alien whose CPR status had been terminated from adjusting his or her status under INA 245(a).

USCIS is updating its guidance to ensure consistent adjudication of Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) filed by applicants whose CPR status was terminated.

The guidance contained in Volume 7, Part B of the Policy Manual, replaces guidance found in Chapter 25.1(d) of the Adjudicator’s Field Manual. The guidance contained in the Policy Manual is controlling and supersedes any related prior USCIS guidance.

This policy is effective on November 21, 2019, and only applies to adjustment applications received on or after that date.

New Policy Highlights
• Explains how USCIS applies Matter of Stockwell and clarifies when USCIS may adjust the status of an alien whose CPR status was terminated in certain circumstances.
• Clarifies that the time an alien spent in prior CPR status does not count towards his or her residency requirement for naturalization purposes.

In general, an alien granted lawful permanent resident status on a conditional basis[20] is ineligible to adjust status on a new basis under the provisions of INA 245(a).[21] Instead, conditional permanent residents (CPRs) must generally comply with the requirements of INA 216 or 216A to remove the conditions on their lawful permanent resident status.[22]

This bar to adjustment, however, only applies to an alien in the United States in lawful CPR status. In Matter of Stockwell (PDF),[23] the Board of Immigration Appeals adopted a narrow interpretation of the regulation implementing this adjustment bar,[24] stating that the bar no longer applies if USCIS terminates the alien’s CPR status.[25]

USCIS can terminate CPR status for reasons specified in INA 216 or INA 216A. [26] Although the immigration judge may review the termination in removal proceedings, the bar no longer applies upon USCIS terminating the CPR status; it is not necessary that an immigration judge have affirmed USCIS’ decision to terminate the alien’s CPR status before the alien may file a new adjustment application.

Therefore, under INA 245(a), USCIS may adjust the status an alien whose CPR status was previously terminated, if:[27]

The alien has a new basis for adjustment;
The alien is otherwise eligible to adjust;[28] and
USCIS has jurisdiction over the adjustment application.[29]

When seeking adjustment of status again, the alien may not reuse the immigrant petition associated with the previous CPR adjustment or admission. Therefore, the alien must have a new basis to adjust.
An alien seeking to adjust status again who was admitted as a fiancé(e) (K nonimmigrant) may only re-adjust based on an approved Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) filed by the same U.S. citizen who filed the Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) (Form I-129F) on his or her behalf.[30]
The alien must also be otherwise eligible to adjust status including not being inadmissible or barred by INA 245(c).

If the alien successfully adjusts status on a new basis, USCIS generally considers the date of admission to be the date USCIS approved the subsequent adjustment application.[31] Time spent in the prior CPR status does not count toward the residency requirement for naturalization purposes.[32]

More here.

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When I-751 Interview Can be Waived? New Memo Effective Date December, 10, 2018

12/10/2018

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NEW USCIS Polity Memo: When a I-751 PERMANENT GREEN CARD INTERVIEW Can be WAIVED? Effective date of this new guidance is today, December 10, 2018.

General rule applicable to all I-751 petitions: conditional permanent residents who file a Form I-751 must appear for an interview.

However, in practice, in most of the cases the interviews were waived, if USCIS officer was satisfied that the petition is approvable and can be approved without an interview.

Under the new Memo, USCIS officers may consider waiving an interview if they are satisfied that:

• They can make a decision based on the record because it contains sufficient evidence
of a good faith marriage;

• For Form I-751 cases received on/after December 10, 2018, USCIS has previously
interviewed the I-751 principal petitioner (for example, for a Form I-485 or Form I-130);

• There is no indication of fraud or misrepresentation in the Form I-751 or the supporting
documentation; and

• There are no complex facts or issues that require an interview to resolve questions or
concerns.

When determining whether to waive an interview, the considerations listed above apply regardless of whether the Form I-751 is filed as a joint petition or as a waiver of the joint filing requirement. Cases involving fraud or national security concerns must be referred to the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate according to local procedures.

Briefly in Russian:

10 декабря 2018 вступили в силу новые правила (меморандум USCIS), о том в каких случаях офицеры USCIS могут утвердить петицию на снятие условностей, форма I-751, без вызова петиционера и супруга на интервью. Этот новый меморандум относится именно к петиции на снятие условностей.

После 10 декабря 2018 офицеры должны будут приглашать на интервью тех заявителей, которых никогда не приглашали на интервью в USCIS. Простое истолкование новых правил означает, что если вы получили иммиграционную визу через посольство, и вас никогда не интервьюировали в офисе в USCIS при получении первой условной грин-карты, то вас должны (могут?) вызвать на интервью по петиции I-751. Эти новые правила относятся одинаково к тем, кто подает петицию совместно с американским супругом, и к тем, кто подает сам как вейвер или исключение, например, после развода.

Становится еще более важно подготовить и подать сильный пакет сопроводительных документов, чтобы в соответствии с новыми правилами, у офицера не было необходимости вызывать вас на интервью.

Видео-обзор адвоката с анализом нового меморандума вы можете посмотреть тут.

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Properly Filed I-751 Extends Conditional Green Card for 4 Years

How to Get a New Green Card If Lost or Stolen Abroad I-131A

I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions: Interview Waiver Update

I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions Receipt Validity Extended to 24 Months

COVID-19 Vaccine Required for Immigrants Effective October 1, 2021

Adjustment of Status on a New Basis After Termination of Conditional Permanent Residence

When I-751 Interview Can be Waived? New Memo Effective Date December, 10, 2018

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