My B-1/B-2 visa is valid for 5 years. Can I stay in the U.S. the entire time?

Visitor visas are non-immigrant visas allowing people to enter the United States temporarily for purposes of business (B-1), pleasure or medical treatment (B-2), or both (B-1/B-2). Although B-1/B-2 visas might state they are valid for “multiple entries” into the United States, it is your responsibility to depart the country upon expiration of your initial authorized stay.

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Can I apply for permanent residence while on an H-1B visa?

Typically a temporary U.S. work visa requires that you prove significant contacts in your native county and that you do not intend to apply for permanent residence in the U.S. The H-1B work visa is an exception to this rule. The H-1B work visa is technically a temporary visa because it is considered for a limited purpose, however, the application process for an H-1B work visa allows you to designate permanent residence as a dual intent as to the purpose of your entry.

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Do I need an immigration attorney or asylum attorney for my asylum application?

While you are not required to hire an immigration attorney or asylum attorney to handle your asylum application, having one is strongly recommended. Immigration law is a complex mixture of statutes, administrative codes, international agreements, and politics. Forms are not set by statute. Instead, USCIS is vested with the authority to develop the forms and procedures for foreign nationals to complete asylum applications. Having an immigration attorney who has experience dealing with asylum applications and USCIS forms is often essential to a successful asylum application.

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I am a U.S. citizen engaged to a foreigner. How can I bring him/her to the U.S.?

If you are a U.S. citizen who is engaged to a foreigner, you can file a K-1 fiancée petition with the USCIS in order to bring your fiancée into the United States legally. In the petition, you, as a U.S. citizen, must document that you and your fiancée have met in person within the prior two years. The regulations regarding the K-1 fiancée petition, i.e. the need to prove when you last saw your fiancée in person and when the wedding will take place.

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Working in the U.S. with an H2-B Visa

The H-2B visa is a visa for temporary work that U.S. workers are generally unwilling to do. This visa is for non-professionals and an employer must sponsor an immigrant. To employ H-2B workers, employers go through a process to prove that no U.S. workers are willing to do the temporary work. This includes filing certain forms, advertising the seasonal work, and going through a state run labor certification process.

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US Citizenship Requirements: Becoming a U.S. Citizen

Generally, there are nine requirements: An applicant for naturalization must be admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident (LPR), commonly referred to as one who possesses green card status. Continuous residence in the U.S. for at least five years immediately preceding the applicant’s filing for naturalization.

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Green Card Benefits and Responsibilities

Most people refer to the process of obtaining permanent residency status as getting their green card. The green card is a card that is issued as proof that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has granted approval for you to be in the United States as a permanent resident. It is called a green card because prior to 1978, the residency cards that were issued had a greenish color. A green card is evidence that you have been approved for permanent residency status.

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Can an Asylum Applicant Work in the United States?

Asylum applicants cannot apply for work permits at the same time as filing their asylum applications. Rather, they must wait 150 days from the date they filed their properly completed original asylum applications. The emphasis in on completed. If you are still in the process of adding supporting documents to your application, it is not considered completed, and you may not request authorization to work while your asylum application is pending.

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Can You Travel Outside the U.S. While Your Asylum Application Is Pending?

While you are waiting approval for asylum, you can leave the United States. However it is not generally a good idea. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will make the decision on whether or not to approve your request for asylum. If you leave while that application is pending, immigration laws allow the USCIS to presume that you have abandoned your asylum application. Presumptions mean that they are allowed to guess at your reasons for leaving without having any evidence of why you left the United States.

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