All Posts

One of the most common misconceptions about immigration law is that it is simply a matter of completing the correct forms and submitting them to the government. From the outside, many immigration processes appear to be administrative: fill out an application, attach supporting documents, and wait for a decision. In reality, immigration cases rarely work that way. Every immigration application becomes part of a permanent government record. The information provided in that appl

One of the most common things people ask when they first contact an immigration attorney is, “Do I have any options?” People often think immigration benefits are based upon time, or paying taxes, or having a child born in the US- generally none of this is true. Sometimes that belief comes from advice given by friends or family. Sometimes it comes from information found online. Or, people reach out and say, "I don't think I have any options." These folks think just because th

Many people assume they only need to speak with an immigration attorney when they are ready to file an application. In reality, immigration law intersects with many aspects of daily life, and important events can have serious immigration consequences even when they appear unrelated at first. Waiting until a problem becomes urgent often limits the options available. In many cases, the best time to seek advice is before taking action or immediately after something significant o

For many years, immigration applicants and their families operated under a general assumption that routine immigration processes were largely separate from immigration enforcement. Filing an application for a green card, work permit, or citizenship was viewed as a step toward compliance with the law, not a moment of risk. That assumption has become less reliable. In recent years, changes in enforcement priorities and internal agency practices have begun to blur the lines betw

For many years, having an immigration case pending came with a practical expectation. While the law never guaranteed protection, there was a widespread understanding that pending applications often operated as a pause point. People waited. Cases moved slowly. Enforcement and adjudication frequently took the existence of a pending filing into account. That practical reality has changed. Not because of new statutes, and not because the legal definition of “pending” has shifted,

Delays are one of the most common and most frustrating aspects of the immigration process. Petitions that appear straightforward can take far longer than expected. Interviews are postponed or rescheduled. Files sit with no visible movement. Requests for evidence arrive months after filing. In many cases, the explanation given is backlog, and that explanation is often accurate. At the same time, not all delays stem from the same source. Some are purely systemic. Others arise b

One of the most persistent misconceptions in immigration law is the belief that immigration strategy should drive career decisions. In practice, that approach often produces weak cases, unnecessary risk, and long-term instability. The opposite approach is far more reliable. Strong, credible career decisions tend to produce strong immigration outcomes, often across multiple visa categories and over time. This article explains why building a career for immigration purposes freq

Recent country-based visa restrictions are often described as a “visa ban.” That shorthand is imprecise and has caused confusion. The current policy does not change who is legally eligible for immigration benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Instead, it affects how discretion is being exercised across the immigration system, most visibly at U.S. consulates and increasingly inside the United States. This post explains what the proclamation does, who is affected,

Asylum law has always been complex. What has changed is how unforgiving the system has become toward mistakes, omissions, and inconsistencies. In the current enforcement environment, asylum adjudications are not merely skeptical. They are increasingly structured to deny cases early, often without a full hearing, through pretermission and other procedural mechanisms. For individuals fleeing persecution, the idea of preparing an asylum application on their own can feel reasonab

Many people approach employment-based immigration by trying to reverse-engineer a career that fits an immigration category. The goal becomes building a résumé for immigration rather than building a career that naturally supports immigration options. In practice, this approach often backfires. What we consistently see is that the strongest immigration outcomes tend to follow strong, genuine career development. When professional growth is real, coherent, and sustained, immigrat

Many immigration decisions turn not on what a client believes happened, but on what the government’s records say happened. These two things are often not the same. Clients frequently come to us confident about their immigration history. They remember when they entered, what status they had, who filed for them, and what was approved. Those memories are usually sincere. They are also often incomplete. Immigration records span decades, agencies, and filing systems, and they are

Many lawful permanent residents are surprised when the I-751 stage turns out to be harder than the original green card process. By the time conditional residence expires, couples often assume the government is satisfied. The marriage was approved. The green card was issued. Life moved on. That assumption no longer holds. What we are seeing is that the I-751 stage has become a second, more probing review of the marriage, the relationship history, and the credibility of the rec

We need to be honest about the current immigration landscape. Many of the problems our clients are experiencing right now are not avoidable . They are the result of an immigration system that is inefficient, inconsistent, and openly hostile to immigrants. Delays, unexplained holds, increased scrutiny, and shifting standards are systemic features, not isolated failures. That reality does not mean clients are powerless. It means the approach to immigration must be deliberate, i

The December Visa Bulletin brought modest forward movement in several employment-based categories. In practical terms, this means some employees will finally see progress on long-pending green card applications, and others may become eligible to file adjustment of status applications this month. However, despite this forward movement, many cases are still being held in abeyance, and employers should understand why this is happening and what it means for their workforce planni

Adjustment of status interviews have traditionally been viewed as a routine part of the green card process, particularly for individuals applying through a U. S. citizen spouse. For years, even applicants with past overstays or minor immigration issues could attend their interview with minimal concern, because USCIS was focused on adjudicating the application, not on enforcement. Recent developments have changed that expectation significantly. Reports across the country indic

We are providing this week’s update to keep our clients informed about the issues currently affecting the immigration landscape in Chicago and nationwide. These developments have real consequences for pending cases, personal safety, and long-term planning. Chicago Enforcement Climate and Federal Court Oversight Chicago continues to experience aggressive enforcement activity connected to the Midway Blitz operation. Clients should be aware of the following: Federal judges have

The government has announced that it will no longer automatically extend work permits (EADs) while renewal applications are pending. For years, workers who filed timely renewals were protected from job loss by automatic extensions that allowed them to keep working for up to 540 days after their card expired. That protection is ending. This change means that workers will now lose the ability to continue working unless they receive their renewed EAD before the old one expires.

Most people think that if they don’t have legal status in the United States, their only hope for a green card is through marriage to a U.S. citizen or another family member. But that’s not always true. Many individuals without current status can still qualify for employment-based green cards, even if they entered without inspection or overstayed a visa. At Katsivalis & Anderson Law, we frequently help clients explore these options. The key is understanding when unlawful prese

Almost every day, someone calls our office and says, “I just have one quick question,”  or “My case is simple — I just need to fill out a form.”  But in immigration law, things are rarely that simple. Time does not fix problems, and the forms are not the hard part — they are the easy part. What truly matters, and what takes skill, care, and experience, is the investigation behind those forms. Immigration law is not about paperwork; it’s about precision. It’s about understandi

Parents with kids After years of court battles and uncertainty, there’s finally a glimmer of good news for Dreamers. This week, the...