The Law Office of Robert F. Mirque, Jr.
Grand Rapids' Pre-Emminent Immigration Law Firm
Grand Rapids Immigration Lawyer Specializing In Marriage Visas, Green Cards, Deportation

A Quick Lesson on K Visas

American Citizens wishing to bring their foreign spouses to reside within the United States can do it through an Immigrant Visa for a Spouse of a U.S. Citizen (IR-1 or CR-1) or a Non-Immigrant Visa for a Spouse (K-3). Similarly, U.S. citizens can bring their foreign fiancé(e)s to the country to live and get married through a Non-Immigrant Visa for a Foreign Fiancé(e) (K-1).


K1 / K-1 VISA: Non-Immigrant Visa for a Foreign Fiancé(e)


American citizens wishing to bring their foreign fiancé(e)s to get married and to live in the United States ...<< MORE >>

Posted by Attorney Robert F Mirque Jr at Friday, January 16, 2009 12:09 PM | View Comments (3) | Add Comment

Common Questions Regarding the Marriage Based Adjustment of Status

When a couple comes to my office, I have tried to cover most of the key issues they will face when applying for the marriage based green card. But with a topic as involved and ever changing as this one, there are always questions that couples forget to ask while in my office. I have compiled a list of the most common questions that couples ask me when attempting to file the Marriage based Green Application in the United States. I hope the following Questions and Answers will make your journey through this process a little less confusing.

1. How soon can an ...<< MORE >>

Posted by Attorney Robert F Mirque Jr at Tuesday, January 13, 2009 3:22 PM | Add Comment

FY 2009 H-2B Cap Reached on January 7, 2009

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on January 7, 2009 that it has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the second half of Fiscal Year 2009. The USCIS notified the public that January 7, 2009 was the "final receipt date" for new H-2B worker petitions requesting employment start dates prior to October 1, 2009. The "final receipt date" is the date on which the USCIS determines that it has received enough cap-subject petitions to reach the limit of 33,000 H-2B workers for the second half of FY 2009.

As such, the ...<< MORE >>

Posted by Attorney Robert F Mirque Jr at Friday, January 09, 2009 10:06 AM | Add Comment

Extending B-1 and B-2 Visas.

Frequently, holders of B-1 and B-2 visitor visas ask my assistance in requesting extensions of their visas, usually for an extra six months. Often, however, it takes the USCIS at least that long to make a decision on the application (the I-539), leaving the applicant wondering whether he or she must depart the U.S. so as not to incur any period of unlawful presence.


The Vermont Service Center has now issued some guidance on this very issue. It has stated that it will adjudicate an approvable extension application to the date of approval, plus one day, ...<< MORE >>

Posted by Attorney Robert F Mirque Jr at Thursday, January 08, 2009 11:45 AM | Add Comment

USCIS HIRES ADDITIONAL WORKERS TO SPEED UP PROCESSING TIMES

In an effort to tackle an increasing backlog in citizenship applications, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently began a dramatic hiring increase of USCIS personnel. Data indicate that these measures have already significantly alleviated the backlog of citizenship applications that have overwhelmed the agency. In 2007, it was estimated that the USCIS, which is a part of the Department of Homeland Security, took an average of 18 months to process applications. Current processing times, however, are much lower with an average time of nine to 10 months. ...<< MORE >>

Posted by Attorney Robert F Mirque Jr at Monday, January 05, 2009 2:08 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

USCIS Revises Direct Mail Program for the Application for Naturalization

The USCIS announced recently that it is revising the Direct Mail Program for the Application for Naturalization (Form N-400). The revision is effective January 22, 2009. The notice advises the public to file non-military N-400's with the appropriate Lockbox and provides a 30-day transition period after the effective date for the USCIS service centers to forward N-400 applications to the appropriate Lockbox location.

Therefore, effective January 22, 2009, for anyone residing in Michigan, you should mail your N-400 application to:

USCIS Lockbox Facility
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
PO Box 21251
Phoenix, AZ  85036

If you are mailing your N-400 by courier or ...<< MORE >>
Posted by Attorney Robert F Mirque Jr at Friday, January 02, 2009 9:30 AM | Add Comment
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