Nilsen Immigration Law

12/01/2022

As many of you know, I've been working for the past 15 months with Afghan Americans, permanent residents, and evacuees to get their parents, spouses, and children out of Afghanistan and safely resettled in the United States. It is a very long and difficult process with little transparency.

We really need to do right by them after letting terrorists take over their country. The Afghan Adjustment Act is just one piece of legislation that could help a lot of people immediately.

Please watch and share this video with everyone you know. Then please join the final push to get the Afghan Adjustment Act attached to the Omni and passed by the end of the year. Call your Senators and Representatives and tell them this must be a priority and they must stand up to leaders in Congress who are blocking it. We have days, maybe weeks, left to get this done!

Last year the war in Afghanistan came to a chaotic and dispiriting end for the United States, and the conflict all but faded from the American consciousness....

08/15/2022

To do right by our Afghan allies and national security, Washington must streamline the pathway for Afghans to get to America.

03/03/2022

TPS for Ukraine

Secretary Mayorkas Designates Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status for 18 Months

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the designation of Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months.

“Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence, and Ukrainians forced to seek refuge in other countries,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “In these extraordinary times, we will continue to offer our support and protection to Ukrainian nationals in the United States.”

A country may be designated for TPS when conditions in the country fall into one or more of the three statutory bases for designation: ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or extraordinary and temporary conditions. This designation is based on both ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Ukraine that prevent Ukrainian nationals, and those of no nationality who last habitually resided in Ukraine, from returning to Ukraine safely. These conditions result from the full-scale Russian military invasion into Ukraine, which marks the largest conventional military action in Europe since World War II. This invasion has caused a humanitarian crisis with significant numbers of individuals fleeing and damage to civilian infrastructure that has left nearly a million individuals without electricity or water or access to food, basic supplies, shelter, and emergency medical services.

Individuals eligible for TPS under this designation must have continuously resided in the United States since March 1, 2022. Individuals who attempt to travel to the United States after March 1, 2022, will not be eligible for TPS.

Ukraine’s 18-month designation will go into effect on the publication date of the forthcoming Federal Register notice. The Federal Register notice will provide instructions for applying for TPS and an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). TPS applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and undergo security and background checks.

To learn more about your eligibility for TPS, please contact us on Facebook or at 866-731-9566 to schedule a free consultation.

12/10/2020

CLARIFICATION on the effect of the restoration of the recent Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The DACA program in terms of its requirements has not changed. The same requirements apply. The Judge's order only allows people who did not apply in the past, and who were previously eligible to have a second chance to apply.

The conditions or requirements have not been expanded or modified since its creation in 2012.

Who qualifies for DACA:

1. Anyone who has continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007 ;
2. That person must have entered the United States before their 16th birthday ;
3. Show that the person was physically present on June 15, 2012 ;
4. Be a student, graduated from high school, or have earned a GED.
5. Be under 31 years of age on June 15, 2012;
6. Not have any type of conviction or crime.

As always please contact me with any questions.

Kristen Nilsen
Attorney

866-731-9566
nilsenimmigrationlaw.com

1300 Clay Street, Suite 600,
Oakland, CA 94612

Kristen Nilsen is an Immigration Attorney based out of Oakland California. She provides immigration services throughout the state of California and US.

10/01/2018

About Our Attorney

Kristen Nilsen is a solo practitioner with over 10 years of experience as an immigration attorney. Her practice focuses exclusively on US family immigration law. Kristen is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

Kristen received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, in 2004. After law school, she worked at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as an Immigration Services Officer, where she interviewed and adjudicated family petitions, adjustment of status applications, and naturalization applications and resolved case inquiries. She has a unique insight into how immigration applications and petitions are evaluated and uses this experience to better guide her clients through the immigration process.

After leaving USCIS, Kristen worked as an immigration attorney at Lutheran Community Services Northwest and Refugee Women’s Alliance in Seattle, Washington, where she provided family immigration legal services to refugees and low-income immigrants. At Refugee Women’s Alliance, she ran a federally-funded naturalization program, helping hundreds of immigrants to increase their knowledge of U.S. civics and to obtain their citizenship. Kristen stays true to her non-profit background by volunteering at Citizenship Day events, helping low-income legal permanent residents prepare naturalization applications.

10/01/2018

What Can You Expect From Us?

Nilsen Immigration Law provides a large range of family-based immigration services for our clients. We believe in honest, thorough, and personalized legal services and provide all clients with the individual attention their case requires. You will always have access to your attorney to get answers to any questions or concerns. You will never be handed off to another attorney or an assistant.

Your immigration applications and petitions will be ready for review with your attorney within one week. At that time, we will go over the entire form and all supporting documents with you to confirm that everything is correct and ready to file. Your application will only be filed after you have approved it.

We explain the applicable law and procedure and recommend ways to proceed and keep every client fully informed about the progress of their case. We look forward to working with you.