General FAQs
Qualifying for VAWA means you are a spouse, a former spouse, or an intended spouse of an abusive U.S. Citizen. A child or a parent of an abusive U.S. citizen can also file for VAWA under specified circumstances.
Yes, you can qualify for VAWA even if you have a DUI. Your options for VAWA are best assessed with an immigration lawyer. This is because each case is different for each person and you cannot expect to have the same result for a different case.
Absolutely NO. A work permit is not something you can pay for to acquire. Usually, a work permit is only achievable if you qualify for other cases or visa applications. A work permit may appear like a simple paper however, attaining one is always better when you have guidance and assistance from an immigration lawyer.
All individuals in the United States, irrespective of their immigration status, have rights under the U.S. Constitution and various laws. It is important to know your rights in case you are approached by police or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
You can download the Constitutional Rights Card in English and Spanish:
A travel permit allows you to travel domestically and internationally without the fear of deportation. There are many cases where immigrants fear they will never be able to visit their home country back because they think there’s no way they can ever go back to the U.S. once they cross the border. But, it is not always the case. There are times when you can get your travel permit even if you think it’s hopeless but there is only one way to determine this: by consulting a capable and dedicated immigration lawyer.
An asylee is authorized to work in the United States, may apply for a Social Security card, may request permission to travel overseas, and can petition to bring family members to the United States. Asylees may also be eligible for certain government programs and may apply for lawful permanent resident status such as green card after a year.
Un asilado está autorizado para trabajar en los Estados Unidos, puede solicitar una tarjeta de Seguro Social, puede solicitar permiso para viajar al extranjero y puede solicitar traer familiares a los Estados Unidos. Los asilados también pueden ser elegibles para ciertos programas gubernamentales y pueden solicitar el estatus de residente permanente legal, como la tarjeta verde, después de un año.
- be a U.S. citizen
- marry your fiancé(e) within 90 days of your fiancé(e)’s admission to the United States on a K-1 nonimmigrant visa
- be both legally free to marry each other
- have met each other in person at least once within the 2-year period before you file your petition
- request a waiver in case meeting in person violates strict and long-established customs of your fiancé(e)’s foreign culture or social practice or causes extreme hardship to you as the petitioner
T Visa is a visa specifically for trafficking. T Visa is specific for people who have suffered some sort of mistreatment or abuse in their workplace or in a domestic relationship. It can transcend in so many different ways, and it can manifest in many different scenarios.
For example, you crossed the border and you had to pay a coyote. When you got across the border or you are at the border, the coyote made you work in their home wherever the main building was so you have to cook, and you have to clean, and you have to provide other services like labor or sex for other people because they said that it was your way of paying back your debt for being able to go across the border.
The U nonimmigrant status is intended for those people who are victims of certain crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking of noncitizens, and more.
These foreign individuals are given legal status in the United States as long as they are eligible, and they are willing to help the enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the crimes.
The following are the qualifying criminal activities for U Visa:
- Abduction
- Abusive Sexual Contact
- Blackmail
- Domestic Violence
- Extortion
- False Imprisonment
- Female Genital Mutilation
- Felonious Assault
- Fraud in Foreign Labor Contracting
- Hostage
- Incest
- Involuntary Servitude
- Kidnapping
- Manslaughter
- Murder
- Obstruction of Justice
- Peonage
- Perjury
- Prostitution
- Rape
- Sexual Assault
- Sexual Exploitation
- Slave Trade
- Stalking
- Torture
- Trafficking
- Witness Tampering
- Unlawful Criminal Restraint
- Other related crimes include attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit any of the above and other related crimes.
If a person demonstrates eligibility and USCIS grants TPS, that person receives a temporary stay of deportation and temporary authorization to work in the United States.
TPS beneficiaries are also eligible for advance parole, which provides permission to travel abroad and return to the United States, but they must apply for it separately.
You are eligible for TPS if you:
- are a national of the foreign country with a TPS designation
- are continuously physically present in the United States since the effective date of designation
- have continuously resided in the United States since a date specified by the Secretary of Homeland Security
- are not inadmissible to the United States or barred from asylum for certain criminal or national security-related reasons
The answer is.. YES.However, each case is different as the chances of acquiring a green card would still depend on the evaluation of your case. It is highly recommended to let an immigration lawyer assist you. At Qazi Law Offices, our founding attorney does exactly this, right at the first consultation. An initial consultation with us will also include strategizing about your case and checking all your options.
It is commonly known that having your U.S. citizen spouse file for your green card is the best way to do it. But, it is not a secret that many marriages fail- leaving the immigrant spouse in danger of getting deported. But this should not stop you from applying for a green card.
Here at Qazi Law Offices, we have touched the lives of immigrants who faced the same situation. Checking your options will always be the first step to see if you can apply for a green card without relying on your U.S. citizen spouse.
Being an undocumented immigrant is already very difficult but it’s even more disheartening when employers mistreat them. A human rights advocate herself, Atty. Farrah has been helping immigrants who were trapped in dangerous workplaces and has turned their lives around for the better.
If you are the unmarried child under 21 years old of a VAWA-based principal applicant, you may also be eligible to separately apply for a Green Card as a derivative family member of an approved VAWA self-petitioner. In order to be eligible for VAWA-based adjustment as a derivative applicant, you must meet the following requirements:
- You properly file your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
- You are physically present in the United States at the time you filed your Form I-485.
- An immigrant visa is immediately available to you.
- None of the bars to Adjustment of Status apply to you.
- You are admissible to the United States for lawful permanent residence or eligible for a waiver of inadmissibility or other form of relief.
- You are currently the principal applicant’s unmarried child under 21 years of age.
- You merit the favorable exercise of USCIS’ discretion.
Of course there is! Even if you are undocumented, it is possible for you to be lawful in paying your taxes. Language barriers and the terms in processing this type of application can be challenging for immigrants. This is why it is important to understand this with the help of an immigration lawyer. YES! An immigration firm can help you fix this matter. And if you speak can speak English but are more fluent in Spanish, Urdu, or Pashto, our offices can help you settle your taxes for you even if you are undocumented.
Definitely YES! Having a social security number is your connection to the state. However, it is not known to many that even those who are still undocumented or still waiting for their papers to get approved can apply for a Social Security Number in the U.S. Know all the possibilities without wasting your time and money! Let Qazi Law Offices assist you in getting your very own Social Security Number here in the U.S.
You cannot buy a driver’s license just like you cannot buy a work permit. You can get a driver’s license with the assistance of an immigration firm. It is not true that you can purchase it from a notary/notario office. Qazi Law Offices can help you get your very own driver’s license and who knows? We might also be able to help you achieve more than just a license- a visa maybe!
There are flexible payment terms at Qazi Law Offices to help everyone become documented without waiting any longer. To know more, you may call our offices and avail a free case evaluation from one of our legal phone attendants!
Estate Planning FAQs
Believe it or not, most people have an estate whether they think they have a lot of money or not. If you own a house, insurance policies, have retirement or savings accounts, own furniture or personal possessions, you have an estate. Making a plan for what happens to these items after death is not only smart, it’s the responsible thing to do.
Estate planning is so much more than dividing up your assets among your heirs. A good estate plan includes instructions for passing your values (religion, education, hard work, etc.) in addition to your valuables.
Include instructions for your care if you become disabled before you die.
Name a guardian and an inheritance manager for minor children.
Provide for family members with special needs without disrupting government benefits.
Upon your death:
If you die without an intentional estate plan, your assets will be distributed according to the probate laws in your state.
In many states, if you are married and have children, your spouse and children will each receive a share.
That means your spouse could receive only a fraction of your estate, which may not be enough to live on.
If you have minor children, the court will control their inheritance.
If both parents die (i.e., in a car accident), the court will appoint a guardian without knowing whom you would have chosen.
In some very small estates, a will might be sufficient.
Usually, however, it just isn’t enough to afford the protection you are looking for.
A will provides your instructions, but it does not avoid probate.
Any assets titled in your name or directed by your will must go through your state’s probate process before they can be distributed to your heirs. The process varies greatly from state to state, but it can become expensive with legal fees, executor fees, and court costs. It can also take anywhere from nine months to two years or longer.
With rare exceptions, probate files are open to the public and excluded heirs are encouraged to come forward and seek a share of your estate. In short, the court system, not your family, controls the process.
A living trust should be revocable so that it a living, breathing document that changes as your needs and desires change.
With a living trust, you can avoid probate at death, prevent court control of assets at incapacity, bring all of your assets in one easy-to-manage tool, provide maximum privacy. It is valid in every state, and can be changed by you at any time.
Unlike a will, a trust doesn’t have to die with you. Assets can stay in your trust, managed by the trustee you selected, until your beneficiaries reach the age you want them to inherit.
Your trust can continue longer to provide for a loved one with special needs, or to protect the assets from beneficiaries’ creditors, spouses, and irresponsible spending.
A trust is a comprehensive book detailing your assets, wishes and desires for your heirs.
It details every potential circumstance, designates trustees and powers of attorneys and hands responsibility of your financial and personal affairs to a trusted individual after your death.
It may be more expensive to set up, but its benefits often outweigh the initial cost.
Start with what you can afford.
We are here to help you protect your loved ones.
At the very minimum, everyone should have a will and powers of attorneys designated in a legal document.
Complete those first, and then work your way up to a revocable living trust.
Your estate will have to pay federal estate taxes if its net value when you die is more than the exempt amount set by Congress at that time. In 2011 and 2012, the federal exemption was $5 million (adjusted for inflation in 2012) and the tax rate was 35%.
Some states have their own death or inheritance tax, so your estate could be exempt from federal tax and still have to pay state tax.
For 2017, the estate and gift tax exemption is $5.49 million per individual, up from $5.45 million in 2016. That means an individual can leave $5.49 million to heirs and pay no federal estate or gift tax. A married couple will be able to shield just shy of $11 million ($10.98 million) from federal estate and gift taxes. The annual gift exclusion remains at $14,000 for 2017.
Immigration FAQs
We understand that there will be difficulties in accessing the documents you will need to get your case started. Here’s the good news – we fill out all the documents for you, and if you don’t have any papers, we can usually procure them for you or work without them!
You will not have to do anything except to book your initial consultation with us. We want to make this daunting process as easy as possible. If you don’t have all of your papers ready, don’t worry! We will send you a secure link to our portal where you can upload all documents at your leisure. You can also text or email us at any time- for free! Calling our offices doesn’t mean you will get charged right away so feel free to connect with my amazing team of legal assistants!
U.S. immigration is divided into two main categories:
Temporary Visas (visit, study or work visas), also known as non-immigrant visas
Permanent Residency (Green Cards from family or employment), known as immigrant visas
Here are some of the most common U.S. work visa applications we file:
- * TN Visa : fast track for Canadians and Mexicans who can get approved at a U.S. Port of Entry
- L-1 Visa : for foreign workers and owners wishing to transfer to a new or existing U.S. business
- E-2 and E-1 Visas : for investors and traders.
- H-1B Visas: for specialty occupations
- H-2B Visas: for non-agricultural workers
There are a number of ways to do this but the most common 3 are:
- Family Based Petitions
- Employment-Based Petitions
- Investor EB-5 Applications
Each type of application for U.S. permanent residence has its own special procedures and requirements as well as processing times.
No. It may take from three months to two years to complete the Green Card process.
As of 2004, all foreign nationals requiring new visas must apply for their visas at a U.S. embassy or consulate outside the United States of America.
Yes, absolutely!
The most common ways are through sponsorship by a family member or an employer.
In some instances, you can file for yourself without sponsorship.
This USCIS site has very useful information on the various ways to get a green card: https://www.uscis.gov/greencard.
There are several “rules” green card holders must follow, such as filing tax returns, not voting in elections, and refraining from criminal behavior.
However, the most common issue is the travel restriction.
Green card holders cannot leave the U.S. for extended periods of time and must always show their intent to live permanently in the U.S.
Although difficult, there still may be ways to argue that your permanent residency should be preserved.
If you are in the U.S. and married to a U.S. citizen, the process to obtain permanent residence takes on average six to twelve months.
This issue is a hot topic lately.
Basically, the child is a U.S. citizen but the parents do not become permanent residents or U.S. citizens by virtue of their child being born here.
They remain in whatever status they were in before the child was born.
So, if the parents are illegally in the U.S., they remain illegal and subject to deportation, even after the child is born in the U.S.