Immigration Questions & Answers

Jan 19, 2020 News

ImmigrationINFO
Immigration News For Our Community

By Attorney Gail Seeram

Through this “Question & Answer” column, our goal is to answer your immigration questions. We appreciate your comments and questions. If you have a question that you would like answered in this column, please email: [email protected].

Question #1: I would like to adopt my 18-year-old nephew that lives in Guyana and bring him to the United States – can this be done?

Answer #1: Yes, you can adopt your nephew if you meet the requirements under the laws in Guyana, however, for U.S. immigration purposes, the adoption must take place before the child is age 16. So, adopting your nephew at age 18 would not allow him to be categorized as your “child” for U.S. immigration purposes. Also, there are residency requirements under the U.S. immigration laws that must be met by the petitioner and child for a non-orphan adoption.

Question #2: My girlfriend lives in Guyana and she is pregnant. I am a U.S. citizen. When my child is born in Guyana, will my child be a U.S. citizen?

Answer #2: The birth of a child abroad to U.S. citizen parent(s) should be reported as
soon as possible so that a Consular Report of Birth Abroad can be issued as an official record of the child’s claim to U.S. citizenship. Report the birth of your child abroad at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. So, the answer to your question is “yes”, the child will be a U.S. citizen if all the requirements are met.

Question #3: My green card was taken away at the U.S. border. What does this mean?

Answer #3: First, you need to speak with an immigration attorney. You may be scheduled for a deferred inspection interview and you should take an immigration attorney with you for legal representation.
During the deferred inspection interview, the officer will gather additional information to determine whether to place you in removal proceedings or to return your green card. There are many reasons why a Custom and Border Protection officer may take away someone’s green card – these include a prior conviction, pending criminal case, length of time outside the U.S., use of fraud to obtain the green card, etc.

Question #4: My U.S. citizen aunt sponsored my mother and our entire family? Why was my brother, who is age 22, not issued a visa at the U.S. Embassy?

Answer #4: Generally, for a 4th preference category (U.S. citizen sponsoring brother/sister) family-based petition, any children not under the age of 21 at the time the visa is available are ineligible for the immigrant visa, because they are no longer considered a child under the U.S. immigration laws. However, speak with an immigration attorney regarding your brother’s eligibility under the Child Status Protection Act.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

Attorney Gail Seeram, LL.M., J.D., BBA
call | text 407-292-7730
whatsApp 407-353-1363
email: [email protected]
live chat: www.GailLaw.com
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