Many lawful permanent residents in the United States eventually decide to apply for citizenship. If this is your situation, congratulations! By becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen, you will receive the right to vote, apply for a U.S. passport, work for the government, and even petition for family members to join you in the United States. At Csépes Law, it has been our privilege to help many clients realize their Read More

When you apply for U.S. citizenship, there are several requirements that you need to meet, one of which is ‘good moral character.’ Of all the citizenship criteria, this one raises the most questions. In general, applicants have to demonstrate good moral character for five years prior to taking the Oath of Allegiance, but how is it defined, especially with regard to your immigration case? In this blog, we’ll review Read More

When you are already located in the United States, but do not have legal status, it is sometimes possible to obtain a green card (also known as lawful permanent residency) through a process called adjustment of status. Immigrants can apply for adjustment of status in the categories of family, employment, or refugee. If you are interested in applying for family-based adjustment of status because you married a U.S. Read More

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a law passed in 1994. Its overall goal is to protect victims of domestic abuse, and one way it does this is by allowing victims to self-petition for status as a lawful permanent resident. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be a woman to petition for protection under VAWA, nor do you necessarily need to have been subjected to physical abuse. In today’s post, we’re Read More

There’s a common misconception in immigrant communities causing many to find themselves in sticky situations. In today’s blog post, we’re busting a major myth, explaining how it came to be, and letting you know how you can avoid this issue on your own immigration journey. Firstly, a “notary public” in the United States is not the same as a “notario” in a Spanish-speaking country. A U.S. notary public is qualified to Read More

Despite their usefulness in a variety of situations, there is still a stigma attached to premarital agreements. Many think that the mere mention of the term “prenup” is an implicit admission that the marriage being entered into is doomed. Looking beyond social mores, though, it is clear that premarital agreements can provide a number of benefits to couples. This blog will explore a few of those benefits, along with Read More

Apart from the issue of child custody, the most contentious part of hashing out any divorce agreement is dividing property between spouses. Commonly, divorcing spouses disagree over who gets the “marital house” in the settlement. Of course, spouses can agree to the terms of the divorce, including the issue of property division, in an uncontested divorce. If you are unable to come to negotiate an agreement with your Read More

What is the 10-Year Rule? For a very limited number of non-permanent residents who have been living in the U.S. for at least 10 years, there is a route to obtain a green card and permanent residency. This avenue is referred to by many as the “10-Year Rule". However, it is actually used as a defense when you have been placed in removal proceedings and is called Cancellation of Removal. It is only granted to 4,000 Read More

A big part of deciding on a divorce agreement is determining whether you will pay your ex-spouse any kind of support, including child support (if the two of you have children together). Of course, child support can be ordered in relationships outside of marriage (and divorce). Regardless of the situation you and your ex-partner found yourselves in when child support was originally ordered, it is likely that, at some Read More