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Driver Licenses for Those in Massachusetts Without Legal Immigration Status

Tue, 10 May 2022 19:10:48 GMT

Driver Licenses for Those in Massachusetts Without Legal Immigration Status

The Massachusetts State Senate passed a bill that may allow people without legal immigration status to get Massachusetts driver’s licenses beginning next year.

The Massachusetts House passed a similar bill two months ago by a veto-proof margin.

The out-going Governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker has repeatedly said he doesn’t support allowing people without legal immigration status to obtain driver licenses.

If the Legislature over-rides Governor Baker’s expected veto, people without legal immigration status could obtain a driver’s license by providing two documents that prove their identity. The documentation could be a foreign passport and a birth certificate with a certified English translation or a foreign passport and a marriage certificate.

If it becomes law, the new identification requirements would take effect on July 1, 2023.

The bill’s passage would mean Massachusetts would join 16 other states and the District of Colombia where undocumented individuals are allowed to receive driver licenses.

While it has been considered before, the Massachusetts legislation now has the support of a number of interested parties including a majority of the state’s Sheriffs and district attorneys and the Massachusetts Major Cities Chiefs of Police Association.

While the new law will not be implemented for more than a year, Foley Law Offices is compiling a list of individuals who plan to apply for a driver’s license as soon as they are legally able to do so.

Attorney John Foley said “these are people who are out of immigration status but they drive every day because they work or they have kids. They are your neighbors. Allowing them to get driver licenses will make our roads safer and it will allow them to breath a bit easier as they go about their day.”

For more information on what documents you need to provide to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license and to get on the filing waiting list, call Foley Law Offices at (617) 397-4787.

A Long Journey Powered by Love

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 19:27:28 GMT

A Long Journey Powered by Love

After a long journey over many years, I was delighted to welcome Souleymane Conde to Boston, Massachusetts and the United States of America. Souleymane is married to Esther King who lives in the Dorchester section of Boston.

Esther was a teenager living in Liberia in west Africa when a brutal civil war forced her to walk over 250 miles north to an international refugee camp in Guinea. There Esther met Souleymane where he was working as a teacher.

Esther’s refugee status took her to the United States but, in her words “I never forgot the love of my life, Souleymane.” After she had built a life for herself in the U.S., Esther returned to Guinea to find Souleymane. She said “despite the years it was as if we had never been apart.” On a later trip, Souleymane and Esther were married.

Esther is a U.S. citizen and she tried to bring Souleymane to the United States in 2014 but for unknown reasons the U.S. Consulate denied her petition.

We were hired in 2019 and despite the pandemic and a previous U.S. administration that didn’t want to bring in immigrants from Africa, we were able to make it through the U.S. immigration gauntlet and Souleymane’s case was finally approved.

Souleymane arrived in the U.S. on March 18th and was welcomed into the loving arms of his wife, Esther. It was a long journey but they were finally together.

It can be a struggle dealing with U.S. immigration and the different U.S. Consulates around the world but when you are able to help re-unite a family ---- it is worth it.

Welcome Souleymane! And Congratulations Esther!

E-3 Visas for the Irish?

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 19:46:38 GMT

E-3 Visas for the Irish?

There is going to be another attempt to secure E-3 visas for Irish citizens.

When Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin meets tomorrow with President Joe Biden to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the White House, he is expected to ask the President to support legislation that will mean work visas for Irish citizens.

E-3 visas are currently only available to Australian citizens and they allow a holder to work in the United States for up to two (2) years.

Up to 10,500 E-3 visas can be issued annually but only about half are typically used. Previous proposed legislation called for those E-3 visas not used by Australians to be made available to Irish citizens.

Massachusetts Congressman Ritchie Neal, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, spearheaded earlier attempts to acquire E-3 visas for the Irish. The legislation was approved unanimously by the House but was blocked by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton in the Senate.

Lessons learned........VOTE!

Mon, 24 May 2021 19:54:05 GMT

Lessons learned........VOTE!

If we have learned anything in recent years, it is that elections have consequences.

To have an impact on an election, you must vote. To vote in the United States, in most cases you must be a registered voter and only U.S. citizens can register to vote. That means, if you did not become a U.S. citizen by birth, you must become a naturalized U.S. citizen.

To do that, you file an N-400 application for naturalization with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”). Foley Law Offices will prepare the 20-page form for you, submit the form via certified mail through the U.S. Postal Service and provide you with an electronic copy of the entire filing.

Depending on where you are in the United States, it is taking about 8-12 months to get your naturalization interview with USCIS.

If we prepare your case, you will meet with a Foley Law Offices lawyer prior to the naturalization interview to assist you on the Civics exam, prepare you for the questions the USCIS officer is likely to ask during the interview and review what evidence you need to bring to the interview. The Foley Law Offices lawyer will make sure you know where to go for the interview, what materials to bring to the interview, and what to wear to the interview.

The bulk of most naturalization interviews is going through the N-400 petition page by page and reviewing your immigration history with the USCIS officer. The Foley Law Offices lawyer will remain with you for the entire process and assist you in responding to the USCIS officer.

Basic Requirements

Not anyone can become a naturalized U.S. citizen. You must be a Legal Permanent Resident (also known as a Green cardholder) and meet the following conditions:

Be over eighteen (18) years of age.

Be physically in the U.S. for half the time during your period of Permanent Residency.

You must have continuous residence in the U.S. without long (6-months or longer) absences.

You must have good moral character. If you have any criminal history, you must inform Foley Law Offices so we can advise you on going forward with a naturalization petition. Minor criminal issues (ie: driving without a license) do not prevent you from becoming a U.S. citizen but major criminal matters (ie: murder, aggravated felonies, etc.) can bar you from ever becoming a U.S. citizen.

English and Civics Test

There is a civics test that consists of ten (10) questions; six (6) of which you must answer correctly. Foley Law Offices and USCIS will provide you with study guides so you are prepared for the test.

You must also be able to read one sentence (usually one of the test questions) and write one sentence (usually the answer to the question you read which will be provided by the USCIS officer).

You may have a lawyer with you for the naturalization test but no one else. Your spouse, even if a U.S. citizen, may NOT attend or participate in the naturalization test.

The entire test takes about 15-minutes and a lawyer from Foley Law Offices will be sitting next to you the entire time.

USCIS Fee

Currently, the USCIS filing fee is $725.

Foley Law Offices Fee

The Foley Law Offices legal fee for most naturalization cases is $2500. If there are criminal matters or circumstances that require additional work, the legal fee will be adjusted accordingly.

What’s the next step?

The next step is to call Foley Law Office at (617) 397-4787 and schedule a time to meet with a lawyer to discuss your personal situation. We look forward to assisting you in becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Why become a U.S. citizen?

The answer to that question has its own informational email. In a nutshell, becoming a U.S. citizen gets you outside the control of USCIS for good, it qualifies you to obtain a U.S. passport (another informational email) and you get to vote in local, state and federal U.S. elections. Once you are a U.S. citizen, we’ll help you apply for a U.S. passport and we’ll help you register to vote. As we know, elections have consequences!

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks,

John Foley

Foley Law Offices, P.C.

Boston, Massachusetts

FYI — All U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) offices are closed tomorrow, December 24th.

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 19:56:47 GMT

FYI — All U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) offices are closed tomorrow, December 24th.

This is new. If you had an appointment with USCIS or with an Application Support Center for biometrics, your appointment is going to be canceled and then rescheduled.

The question we hear back from clients is “OK when will we be re-scheduled?” The honest answer is we don’t know for sure but I was told by one USCIS Supervisor this morning that “we’ll try to get them re-scheduled as soon as possible to minimize the disruption.”

If you have questions about this, please email me (John@FoleyLawOffices.com) or call me.

Sorry for being the bearer of (more) bad immigration news but it beats showing up for an appointment to find the building closed.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Please stay safe!

U.S. Immigration – Good & Bad News

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 19:58:17 GMT

U.S. Immigration – Good & Bad News

Good & bad news on the immigration front.

The good news is the threatened furlough of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) staff did not happen and the agency is open and conducting interviews.

The bad news is the fee increases for USCIS petitions is going to affect on October 2nd. USCIS claims the average increase is 20% but some forms are increasing by over 500% (yes, that’s 500% and not a typo).

If you are a Legal Resident/Green cardholder, you can avoid paying higher fees if you file before October 2nd.

The I-751 petition to remove conditions on a two-year Legal Resident/Green card will increase 28% to $760. The N-400 petition to become a naturalized U.S. citizen will increase 81% to $1160.

Don’t delay – file today!

Do you have questions about your immigration situation? Call today and speak to a lawyer for 10-minutes for FREE! The number to call.

U.S. Immigration Fees to Increase in October

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 19:59:42 GMT

U.S. Immigration Fees to Increase in October

The Trump Administration is going to increase U.S. immigration filing fees and, unless there is new litigation, the new fees will go into effect on October 2nd. Some of the increases are significant and you are encouraged to file petitions as soon as possible to avoid the higher fees.

There were over seventy (70) petitions listed in the August 3rd Federal Register notice. The overall average increase is twenty percent (20%) but the fees for seventeen petitions will more than double and two petitions will increase by more than five hundred percent (500%).

The petitions used by most immigrants when they become Legal Resident or Green cardholders and then naturalize to become U.S. citizens are going to cost more. Here is a sample:

I-130 Alien Relative Petition Fee increases by 5% from $535 to $560;

I-751 Remove Conditions increases on 28% from $595 to $760;

N-400 Naturalization Fee increases on 83% from $640 to $1170;

I-765 Employment increases by 34% from $410 to $550.

Beat the fee increase! Call Foley Law Offices today for a FREE telephone consultation.

Foley Law Offices, P.C.

Boston, MA/USA

August 9, 2020

USCIS – Covid-19 Update

Mon, 04 May 2020 20:04:13 GMT

USCIS – Covid-19 Update

As I told you in an earlier posting, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) has closed its doors to the general public until at least June 4th. I expect that date to be extended even further.

That means there are no interviews, no oath ceremonies and not much is getting done.

I keep getting calls and emails from clients asking “is this COVID-19 shutdown going to affect my case?” The simple answer is YES. You are in a line that is not moving. It is going to take you longer to get to the front of that line to get the immigration benefit you are entitled to.

Simply put — you need to be patient.

Earlier today, USCIS announced it is giving applicants and petitioners more time to respond to some USCIS requests. Here is the press release issued earlier today by USCIS.

Stay home. Stay safe.

Thanks,

John Foley

Foley Law Offices, P.C

—————–USCIS Press Release——————–

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending the flexibilities it announced on March 30 to assist applicants and petitioners who are responding to certain:

Requests for Evidence;

Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);

Notices of Intent to Deny;

Notices of Intent to Revoke;

Notices of Intent to Rescind and Notices of Intent to Terminate regional investment centers; and

Filing date requirements for Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion.

Notice/Request/Decision Issuance Date

This flexibility applies to the above documents if the issuance date listed on the request, notice, or decision is between March 1 and July 1, 2020, inclusive.

Response Due Date

USCIS will consider a response to the above requests and notices received within 60 calendar days after the response due date set in the request or notice before taking action. USCIS will consider a Form I-290B received up to 60 calendar days from the date of the decision before it takes any action.

USCIS is adopting several measures to protect our workforce and community and to minimize the immigration consequences for those seeking immigration benefits during this time.

USCIS will provide further updates as the situation develops and will continue to follow CDC guidance. Education and precautions are the strongest tools against COVID-19 infection. Please visit uscis.gov/coronavirus for the latest facts and other USCIS updates

A View from A Closed and Deadly Quiet Boston

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 20:08:18 GMT

A View from A Closed and Deadly Quiet Boston

https://www.irishecho.com/2020/04/a-view-from-a-closed-and-deadly-quiet-boston/

Oldest Irish American Newspaper in USA, Established in 1928

Attorney John Foley is sheltering in place at home, but still working as best he can from there.

By John Philip Foley

Boston — Like most places, Boston is closed. With the exception of cars delivering take-out food, the streets are deserted. The only activity is at supermarkets and pharmacies where the shoppers are wearing face masks and gloves as they maneuver one-way aisles only to find the toilet paper shelves mostly empty.

Buses and trains are operating on a reduced schedule and ridership are down by about 90%. Logan Airport, usually a beehive of activity, is silent.

We are all in front of the television watching dual press conferences between President Trump and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. One is full of false bravado, the other common sense that in time will be deemed wisdom.

We hear President Trump using adjectives like “fantastic, wonderful and perfect” as he encourages Americans to get back to work while a neighbor complains about the lack of basic medical supplies at the nursing home where she works.

And it’s in those nursing homes where the real tragedy is taking place. As in Ireland, the number of nursing home deaths continues to rise, and what makes it even worse is that these people are dying alone.

It’s not so bad being tucked away at home until you hear the morning news and realize another hundred people who live around you died last night and the obituary section in the Boston Globe is now larger than the sports section.

As kids, we joked about our Irish-born grandparents reading the “Irish sports page” and now it’s us looking at those same pages to see if we knew anyone who died.

Some of us are lucky to be able to work from home, but nothing is really getting done.

As an immigration lawyer, I tell clients all interviews and oath ceremonies have been canceled and will not be re-scheduled anytime soon.

Then-President Trump tweets and my phone explodes as clients call, email, and text in fear. Trump is using a pandemic as a re-election tool while he is scaring the hell out of innocent people with a presidential order that will not make anyone safer.

As the days merge together and the death toll rises, we seek comfort and happiness from any source. We were delighted to share in the recovery of Belfast lawyer Niall Murphy. The video of Niall giving the thumbs up as he was wheeled out of the ICU filled us with hope.

This virus has also exposed how alike we are as humans. It has exposed that most of our daily squabbles and fights are over issues that don’t really matter. If and when this is over, I envision an Ireland more focused on building a better, safer future than refighting old struggles.

Now go wash your hands!

USCIS – Closed until June 4th

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 20:14:05 GMT

USCIS – Closed until June 4th

As suspected, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) is not going to re-open anytime soon. In the release copied below, USCIS confirms it will be closed at least until June 4th. If the pandemic situation is no better by then, the closing will be extended.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this going to affect my case?

A: Yes. There will be longer delays. Please be patient.

Q: Is this just USCIS-Boston?

A: No, this closure covers the entire United States. While USCIS Officers are working from home, all offices are closed to the general public. There will be no interviews, no oath ceremonies, no biometric appointments. USCIS is closed.

Q: Is there anything you can do to get my case through the USCIS system?

A: No.

Q: As we wait for our appointment/interview, what should I do?

A: Continue to create and collect evidence to document the bona fides of your case. Continue to take photographs to document your relationship, save pay stubs, save insurance paperwork, save anything with both of your names on it to prove you are a real couple.

Q: What else should I be doing?

A: You should be taking care of yourself and your family. The best way to do that is to stay at home so you don’t catch the virus. Be safe.

Q: If I have specific questions about my situation, can we talk?

A: Yes. Just call my cell phone number or send me an e-mail if you want to FaceTime.

We have been fielding calls having to do with a wide variety of issues. If you have a problem and you don’t know what to do, please let us help you. Call me at (617) 378-8540.

Thanks & Be Well!

John Foley

USCIS CLOSED

On March 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily suspended in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). USCIS is readying offices to re-open in compliance with local and state orders, on or after June 4. Employees in these offices are continuing to perform mission-essential services that do not require face-to-face contact with the public while the offices are temporarily closed. During this time, individuals may still submit applications and petitions to USCIS. Online filing remains the most convenient and interactive way to submit forms, check the status of your case, and receive notices.

Field Office and ASC Appointments, Naturalization Ceremonies, InfoPass

USCIS field offices will send notices to applicants and petitioners with scheduled appointments and naturalization ceremonies impacted by the extended temporary closure. When USCIS again resumes normal operations, USCIS will automatically reschedule ASC appointments due to the temporary office closure. Individuals will receive a new appointment letter in the mail. Those who had InfoPass or other appointments must reschedule through the USCIS Contact Center once field offices are open to the public again.

Asylum Office Interviews

USCIS asylum offices will send interview cancellation notices and automatically reschedule asylum interviews. When the interview is rescheduled, asylum applicants will receive a new interview notice with the new time, date and location of the interview.

Please check to see if the respective office has been reopened before calling the USCIS Contact Center.

In-Person Public Engagements

Additionally, USCIS is postponing all in-person public engagement and outreach events for the duration of the temporary office closure. Please contact public.engagement@uscis.dhs.gov if you have an immediate engagement question during this time.

For More Information

USCIS will provide further updates as the situation develops and will continue to follow CDC guidance in response to this situation. Please visit uscis.gov/coronavirus for updates.

Education and precautions are the strongest tools against infection. Get the latest facts by visiting the CDC’s COVID-19 website . Continue to practice good health habits, refrain from handshakes or hugs as greetings, and clean hands and surfaces appropriately.

Kind regards,

Public Engagement Division

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services