Pacific Northwest Cross Border Law remains fully operational. I have access to files, and the continued capacity to correspond by e-mail, telephone, fax, and traditional mail. Most of my firm’s operations have shifted to a temporary home office, a five-minute commute from the firm’s commercial space. Many US immigration agencies have closed their offices, however,… Read More
Unsealing pardoned records for US travel purposes
Canadians who have been convicted of a crime may need to apply for a waiver of inadmissibility before they can once again seek admission to the U.S. Although not specifically required, court and prison records may be requested by the Admissibility Review Office after an applicant has submitted a waiver application. If an applicant has… Read More
Tracking Down Tax Transcripts
Many green card petitions will require at least one tax tax transcript at some point in the process. For example, most sponsors on an Affidavit of Support must submit their tax transcript for the most recent year, and should be prepared to submit their transcripts for the most recent three years (unless exempt from filing… Read More
Increasing Intensity in Investor Visa Evaluations
In July 2019 the Government Accountability Office published Actions Needed to Improve E-2 Visa Adjudication and Fraud Coordination. Since then, consular officers in Toronto have been asking some E-2 Non-immigrant Investor Visa applicants for additional evidence following their visa interview. Read More
Uptick in expedited removal at local ports of entry
Last week CTV News did a story about a Canadian who applied for admission to the US at Point Roberts. This traveler was not only denied admission to the US, but barred from applying for admission for five years. At approximately the same time, I learned of a similar case at the Pacific Highway port… Read More
New procedures for Canadians filing applications for non-immigrant waivers of inadmissibility
Many Canadians who have been found inadmissible, and wish to continue traveling to the United States must apply for a non-immigrant waiver of inadmissibility. Common reasons for inadmissibility include past conviction for a “crime involving moral turpitude,” drug-related convictions, and misrepresentation when applying for admission to the US. Anyone who has made a material misrepresentation… Read More
Failure to declare imported items may lead to USD $5,000 fine
Before October 2018 I had not yet seen a customs penalty case. Since then, inquiries about customs penalty cases have increased to approximately one every two months. At ports of entry, Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) is asking visitors and U.S. citizens about goods that they are importing or have imported to the United States.… Read More
Phone searches when entering the U.S.
On December 3, 2018 the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) published the findings of its audit of U.S. Customs and Border Protections’ searches of electronic devices at U.S. ports of entry. The OIG found that officers were inadequately supervised to ensure that searches were properly documented. As a result, the OIG further found that… Read More
Client account of the naturalization process in Phoenix, AZ
I am pleased to report that one of my clients recently became a U.S. citizen, and has graciously authorized me to write about his case. We first met on the telephone in early 2017. At that time my client, The Champ, had been a permanent resident for nearly a decade. Initially, The Champ had some… Read More
COMMENTS ON PROPOSED PUBLIC CHARGE RULE – 83 FR 51114
USCIS’s proposed public charge rule violates the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment as applied to spouses of U.S. citizens. Additionally, the proposed rule exceeds USCIS’s statutory authority when applied outside the context of applications for visas, admission, or adjustment of status. Lastly USCIS has made analytical errors in studying this… Read More