Family-Based Immigration Help: Success Story
Disclaimer: The client’s name and case details have been altered to preserve identity. This success story is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique.
In the spring of 2017, Rosamaria approached our team seeking family-based immigration help. She wanted to file for asylum, even though the one-year filing deadline had passed. Her fear was real: conditions in her hometown had deteriorated, her family faced harassment, and her brother had been kidnapped and murdered.
Family-Based Immigration Help: Initial Challenges
We filed an I-589 Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal for Rosamaria and included Jorge on the application. At the same time, we explored other pathways to legal permanent residency, knowing their son Leon would turn 21 in May 2020 and could sponsor his parents.
We secured Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for both Rosamaria and Jorge and prepared documentation for adjustment of status once Leon came of age. Leon was ambitious but lacked sufficient income to sponsor both parents, so a parishioner from their church volunteered as a co-sponsor.
Rosamaria’s case was straightforward because she entered legally and had no criminal record. Jorge’s case was more complex due to his entry without inspection and a prior failed marriage in the 1990s. Fortunately, a previous employer had filed a labor certification for Jorge, making him eligible for 245(i) relief under the LIFE Act.
Rosamaria’s case was straightforward because she entered legally and had no criminal record. Jorge’s case was more complex due to his entry without inspection and a prior failed marriage in the 1990s. Fortunately, a previous employer had filed a labor certification for Jorge, making him eligible for 245(i) relief under the LIFE Act.
After Leon’s birthday in 2020, we filed I-485 applications for both parents and withdrew the asylum case. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shut down their food truck, and they hesitated to apply for SNAP benefits for their U.S. citizen children due to public charge concerns. We referred them to a social worker who assured them that pandemic-related assistance would not harm their immigration applications.
End result
In March 2021, a legal representative from our team accompanied Jorge, Rosamaria, and Leon to their USCIS interview. As expected, questions arose about Jorge’s 245(i) eligibility, but he provided a certified copy of his labor certification. The interview went smoothly, and both Jorge and Rosamaria were granted legal permanent residency that same day.