Law Offices of Gary J. Kim

01/02/2023

For you to maintain a legal status as a student in the U.S., the school in which you are enrolled must be accredited by an agency designated by the Department of Education. Following covers how you may deal with such problems if your school has been accredited by ACICS.

If you have applied for student status change or student status reinstatement on or after August 19, 2022, the Immigration Service will request additional documents.

11/29/2022

There are many people without legal status in the U.S. If you are one of them, you cannot be granted permanent residency even if you find a sponsor. However, there may be a way if your parents or spouse are citizens or permanent residents. This is because you can apply for a waiver (I-601A Waiver).

There are many people without legal status in the U.S. If you are one of them, you cannot be granted permanent residency even if you find a sponsor. However, there may be a way if your parents or spouse are citizens or permanent residents.

10/28/2022

To be a financial guarantor (sponsor), one must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident at least 18 years of age whose permanent residence is in the U.S. In addition, one must have an income exceeding 125% of the minimum cost of living as defined by Poverty Guideline.

09/29/2022

When changing to student status, you must express your intent to return to your country once you complete your studies in the U.S. To show your intent, you will need a letter from your previous employer confirming your reinstatement, utility payment history showing your address, proof of your parents’ residence, a copy of your resident registration, a lease agreement, and/or bank statements with your address.

Additional documents may be needed when changing to student status, and we would like to share with you what each case may require.

07/20/2022

Recently, the USCIS has been rejecting or requesting additional documentation for an increasing number of cases related to petitions to adjust immigration status. This is especially true for those looking to change to a student F-1 visa.

02/15/2022

The Department of Homeland Security has added 22 new fields of study to the STEM Optional Practice Training program. Soon-to-be graduates should check with their school with a CIP code to make sure their majors are included, as economic and business majors may also be eligible.

Immigration & Personal Injury Attorney in Los Angeles, CA

01/20/2022

The biggest deciding factor for a H-1B visa being granted is whether or not the job position fits the professional requirements outlined by H-1B rules. Other factors include whether the company actually exists, whether the applicant has maintained a valid immigration status, and whether an educational degree completed overseas is verifiable and appropriate.

In order to be an eligible employer, a business must have a Federal Employer Identification Number in the U.S., provide a professional job and pay fair wages. The employer must pay for any H1B visa-related attorney and immigration filing fees as part of its operating fees; inspection sometimes will....

12/21/2021

In most cases, work authorization requests take 8 to 14 weeks to process. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, wait times have taken longer and forced many out of their jobs, which provided the catalyst for this change in policy.

11/17/2021

Many people who no longer have a valid immigration status wonder how they can acquire a green card. Though it is not easy, there are a few methods that may be open to them.

10/29/2021

In many cases, people on OPT begin a green card process. Those doing STEM OPT who have three years do not need to apply for a separate employment-based visa, but those on non-STEM OPT could face difficulties completing a green card process in a period of just one year.

Immigration & Personal Injury Attorney in Los Angeles, CA

09/24/2021

As obtaining an H-1B visa becomes more difficult, more and more people who are being sponsored for a green card through their employer are getting it done through the EB-3 visa, sometimes by using Optional Practice Training (OPT). The third-preference EB-3 visa is the most widely used employment-based immigration visa. Applicants may include both skilled workers and unskilled workers.

Immigration & Personal Injury Attorney in Los Angeles, CA

08/18/2021

While in the U.S., you may need to change your status to a student F-1 visa from another non-immigrant visa in order to extend your stay. Because of a common misunderstanding that adjusting to a student visa requires only financial evidence and an I-20 form, it is important to understand that F-1 applicants are put under closer scrutiny by USCIS and that many of these cases are rejected.

Immigration & Personal Injury Attorney in Los Angeles, CA