Immigration QA

"Grace" is Minnesota's official state photograph. I was State Senator in 2002 when we officially voted for Minnesota's official "state photograph." A more prolific image originating from Minnesota than "Grace," I'm not aware of.  My colleague and friend, Rep. Loren Solberg , was the natural author of the bill since Loren lived in Bovey, Minnesota where the photograph was taken.  I think Loren also liked it because he bears resemblance to Charles Winden, the guy in the photo (Loren and I ribbed each other from time to time).  Read more about the history of Grace here. Speaking of grace, lately I've received a rash of calls from noncitizens who find themselves similarly situated to Mr. Wilden, praying for providential intervention in a recent job loss.  Primarily H1B visa holders, these folks have been laid off and are uncertain about their legal status and how to proceed with potential new employment in the United States.  The influx is prom...

How many violations in this post can you guess? It seems the immigration scammers become bolder every day. Today I came across this little gem posting for indentured servitude amongst the foreign student population. And why not?  As I said before in previous posts about IT consultant abuse , there are no prevailing wage requirements for foreign student trainees like there is for H1B visa workers. However, this erstwhile recruiter forgot the U.S. has another area of law that governs fair labor for everyone. For fun, how many violations in this post can you guess? So, in the spirit of Jeopardy and honoring Alex Trebeck, here are the "questions": 1) What is a maximum age requirement? 2) What is hiring someone from a specific immigration category? 3) What is inducement into prohibited work arrangements? 4) What is the requirement of work authorization before a job offer? For verification of these violations and more, you can visit the   USCIS expla...

Recently I received the following question:  "Should I take my husband's name when my work permit is up for renewal?  I am a current VAWA recipient. I got married this past April. I am wanting to take my husbands last name. Should I do that when my work permit is up for renewal? Also, I want to adjust my status. My husband is a US Citizen, how do we go about that?" Answer:   To change your name, you were required to take your husband's name at the time of marriage on the marriage certificate.  If you did not do so at that time, then you must make a motion to your local district court to have that changed. If you did indeed take your husbands name at that time, then you should use your new name for your permit renewal, and just include a copy of your marriage certificate or other document showing name change. If your work permit from VAWA is expiring soon, then I would recommend immediately filing for your one-step marriage green card. The EAD work permit t...