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Changing Address
“I have a green card for the past 10 years. I do not want to become
a U.S. citizen as I don’t feel the need, and will probably move
back to Ireland someday(...).
more...
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(Irish Voice) 16 December
2004
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Conditional Status
“I am a citizen of Ireland. Two years ago I married an American.
We live in Maryland. We would like to go back to Ireland, probably
around Easter, as things are not really happening for us here.
more...
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(Irish Voice) 8 December
2004
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Marrying Abroad
“I’ve been reading some of the questions posted on your website
about obtaining a green card, and I have to say they scare me.
more...
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(Irish Voice) 2 December
2004
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Visa or Not?
“I HAVE a niece who’s getting married in Ireland next August. She
is Irish, and so is her future husband. They would like to come
to the U.S. for their honeymoon. Would it be safer for them to apply
for a visa? Is there anything they should have done to their passports?”
more...
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(Irish Voice) 18 November
2004
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Passport Nightmare
“I WAS born and raised in New York. My parents applied for a U.S.
passport for me when I was five years old. I am now 29 and have
re-applied for another one as my Irish husband and I want to travel
to Ireland at the end of the year(...)
more...
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(Irish Voice) 11 November
2004
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Green Card - City
Hall and After
“MY fiancé and I are planning to get married. I have American citizenship
but he is illegal. If we got married at City Hall in New York, how
long would it take for his paperwork to go through before we could
go back to Ireland and have our proper wedding there?
more... |
(Irish Voice) 28 October
2004
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Green Card - Absences,
Taxes
“I HAVE held a green card for nine years. Most of the time I have
lived here, but in 1997 I was out of the U.S. for 14 months. Will
this affect my citizenship application?
more... |
(Irish Voice) 21 October
2004
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Green Card -
Affidavit Problems
“I MARRIED an American citizen almost four years ago. I have two
children from a previous marriage who got their green card through
my marriage; they were resident abroad and were processed within
a year...
more... |
(Irish Voice) 13 October
2004
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Green Card - Look
What I’ve Done!
HAVE been reading your green card column for some time now and one
thing puzzles me. You have had many letters from people who are
green card holders but who...
more... |
(Irish Voice) 5 October 2004
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Green Card - Medical
Visa
“I HAVE been living in the U.S. for eight years, and I became a
citizen last year. My father is coming here for an eye exam before
the end of the year; he has a rare condition that seems to be getting
worse...
more... |
(Irish Voice) 30 September
2004
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Green Card - Helping
a Brother
“I WOULD like information on a green card for my brother and his
family. They live in Ireland and were recently here on holidays.
They would like to move here. What is their best way of getting
green cards?
more... |
(Irish Voice) 30 September
2004
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Green Card - New Licenses
“MY family and I moved to Georgia recently from Ireland. When I
went for my driver’s license, I was told that I would have to surrender
my Irish one if I wanted one issued from Georgia. Is this true?
more... |
(Irish Voice) 30 September
2004
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Green Card - Register
to Vote
WE’VE had a few questions from readers of this column wanting to
take part in November’s presidential election, and wondering what’s
the best way to go about registering to vote.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 22 September
2004
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Green Card - Ad Promises
“I HAVE noticed on some Irish websites immigration attorneys advertising
green cards into the U.S., and it sounds fairly easy. Is this something
that you would recommend pursuing?
more... |
(Irish Voice) 17 September
2004
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Helping a Niece
MY Irish-based niece is 27 years old, and is a single mother. When
she was 24 she spent a very short amount of time in prison for an
altercation she was involved in. She has been a model citizen ever
since, but...
more... |
(Irish Voice) 8 September
2004
|
Green
Card - The Platforms On Immigration
AT the start of 2004, President George W. Bush made a major policy
speech about reforming the country’s immigration laws.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 1 September
2004
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Green Card -
When Should We Apply?
“I HAVE a green card and have been residing here for over five years.
I have just applied for citizenship which will take over a year
to process.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 26 August 2004
|
Green Card - Reentry
Permits
“MY husband has a green card for several years. He recently left
the country for an extended stay that should not last a year. He
left without getting a reentry permit. Can he apply for one now?
How does he do this while outside the U.S.?”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 28 July
2004
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Green Card - Can We
Leave?
“MY wife and I have been living illegally in the U.S. now for five
years. I am working for a small sales company that had sales of
over $1 million this year. Can the owner apply for a work permit
for me?
more... |
(Irish Voice) 21 July
2004
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Green Card - Visa Lottery
“I WOULD like to win a lottery green card. I’ve visited several
websites promising inside information, and I’m wondering how to
proceed. What do you advise?”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 8 July
2004
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Green Card - Where
to Marry
“MY daughter was born in New York; my husband and I are from Ireland.
She is going to marry an Irishman who’s living here illegally for
four years, which is fine with us. She wants to go to Ireland to
get married.
more... |
(Irish Voice)
8 July 2004
|
Green Card - Reducing
Backlogs
THINGS certainly seem to be looking up for customers of the
United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), formerly
known as the INS.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 23 June 2004
|
Green Card
- Old Green Card
“A FRIEND of mine received a green card five years ago.
She lived here for three months, and has been in Ireland ever since.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 23 June 2004
|
Green Card
- Husband and Children
“I AM an American-born citizen, and last year I met an Irishman
who has two kids ages 11 and 14. This happened while I was on vacation
over there for the first time; my late parents were both Irish.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 16 June 2004
|
Old Green Card
“I MOVED home to Ireland from New York in 2000, after six years
of living in the U.S. A few weeks before I left, I received notification
to submit my fingerprints for the first step in the citizenship
process.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 9 June 2004
|
Online Filing
THE extra fees customers of the USCIS (formerly INS) have been asked
to fork out for various immigration services are apparently being
put to good use.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 2 June 2004
|
Green Card for Mom
“I AM 32, unmarried, and I received my U.S. citizenship last year.
I would like to bring my mother, who is widowed, out here for an
extended stay, possibly permanent.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 2 June 2004
|
Staying for dad
“I BECAME a U.S. citizen in January. I filed paperwork to sponsor
my widowed father for a green card shortly afterwards, but I've
since lost my job and I'd prefer to return to Ireland to be with
family.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 26 2004
|
Reclaiming Old Status
“MY sister is getting married in Ireland in the summer. She received
a Morrison visa in 1993 and kept it up for almost seven years, but
then returned home for good.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 20 May 2004
|
Should I Renew?
“I APPIED for citizenship four months ago. My green card is due
to expire in March of 2004. Should I go through the process of renewing
it? Will it affect my citizenship application if I don’t? I’ve heard
conflicting advice.”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 20 May
2004
|
Returning Options
“MY husband and I have lived in the U.S. for nearly four years,
and both of us have green cards. I am pregnant with our first child,
due late this summer, and I’d like to go to Ireland for the birth.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 13 May 2004
|
Action on Bill
REFORM of the country’s badly flawed immigration laws is something
that politicians from President Bush on down feel is necessary.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 13 May 2004
|
Child Citizenship
“MY wife and I are both naturalized U.S. citizens. We have two children
who were born in the U.S. We are planning on returning to Ireland
to live next year. We will have another child who will be born in
Ireland. Is it difficult to obtain U.S. citizenship for a child
born to U.S. parents living outside the U.S.? How do we go about
making the child a citizen?”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 6 May 2004
|
Irish Citizenship
“I AM a dual national and have an American-born spouse, not of Irish
descent, and two children born in the U.S., ages 13 and 17.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 29 April 2004
|
Fee Increases Set
THE fee increase for most immigration benefits proposed
last month by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service
(USCIS) is now official. The new fees will take effect on April
30 of this year.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 22 April 2004
|
Expired Fingerprints
“HOW long are fingerprints good for? My citizenship case
was delayed due to a change of address.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 22 April 2004
|
Social Security
Benefits
“I HAVE heard that only U.S. citizens can collect Social
Security benefits, and that immigrants who pay into the system can
never collect. Is this true?”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 16 April 2004
|
Military Benefits
THE United States Citizenship and Immigration Service website
– www.uscis.gov – is touting
on its home page the naturalization benefits available to members
of the U.S. military – or those who are possibly considering a military
career.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 16 April 2004
|
Divorce in Ireland
“I AM an American citizen. I married an Irishman in New
Jersey in 1993. He was illegal at the time, but he received his
green card through me and eventually, his U.S. citizenship..."
more... |
(Irish Voice) 8 April 2004
|
Student Visa
“OUR daughter is 19 years old, born and raised in New York. She
wants to go to Ireland to complete at least a year of her college
studies..." more... |
(Irish Voice) 8 April 2004
|
Kid Questions
“I HAVE four children who received their green cards through
my American citizen husband in August of 2002. I have to apply to
have the cards made permanent by August 18, 2004.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 2 April 2004
|
City Hall and After
“MY fiancé and I are planning to get married. I have American citizenship
but he is illegal.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 19 March 2004
|
Child Citizenship
“I JUST received my U.S. citizenship at the end of last year. I
have a 13-year-old daughter in England. Her mother is my ex-wife.
Is it true that my daughter is also a U.S. citizen?”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 19 March 2004
|
Being Illegal
“MY nephew came to the U.S. from Ireland on a visitor’s visa. He
has stayed over his time and is now illegal.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 11 March 2004
|
No Expiration Date
“MY husband has a green card that was issued in 1982. It has no
expiration date. A few months ago we returned from a trip to Ireland
and an immigration official at Newark .”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 4 March 2004
|
Non-Citizen Guardian
“BOTH my husband, our son and I are dual Irish and U.S.
citizens. We would like to write up our will so that my sister will
be our son’s guardian in the event that we both died unexpectedly.
She is an Irish citizen and lives in Dublin. She has never had or
intends to have U.S. citizenship.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 4 March 2004
|
Gay Marriage
Gay Marriage
“I HAVE been in a happy relationship with an American man for nearly
two years. I am an Irishman, 29, living in the U.S. illegally. ”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 26 Feb 2004
|
Voting Rights
“I BECAME a U.S. citizen last year. I would like to vote
in the presidential election, but I had heard that voting would
negate my Irish citizenship.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 26 Feb 2004
|
Child Passports
“I AM an American citizen. I got my citizenship through my ex-husband
who I divorced two years ago. We had two children together, ages
12 and 10.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 19 Feb 2004
|
Student Visa
“I AM planning on attending college and have already been
accepted into a local one in the city where I live, even though
I am undocumented.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 19 Feb 2004
|
Fee Increases
LAST week’s column included a piece on how U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) is vowing to do its all to reduce the
backlog in processing times for various immigration benefits.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 12 Feb 2004
|
Extending Stay
“MY niece came out here last September. She did not have
a visa, but instead used her Irish passport and was given permission
to stay for 90 days through the visa waiver program.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 12 Feb 2004
|
Tax Delinquent
“I RECEIVED a green card in 1996, and have been living here ever
since. I work for a contractor and get paid all cash.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 6 Feb 2004
|
Cutting the Backlog
“THOSE of you who are fed up waiting for various immigration
benefits to be processed – particularly those seeking to adjust
their status to that of permanent resident via marriage to a U.S.
citizen – will be heartened to know that the USCIS has requested
a 60% increase in funding to specifically target the backlog problem.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 6 Feb 2004
|
Affidavit Problems
“I MARRIED an American citizen almost four years ago. I
have two children from a previous marriage who got their green card
through my marriage; they were resident abroad and were processed
within a year.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 29 Jan 2004
|
Mid-Citizenship Move
“I HAVE been a green card holder since 1992 and have lived
in New York consistently since then. I married an American citizen
in June of 2001 and had a baby in September of 2003. I recently
applied for U.S. citizenship.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 22 Jan 2004
|
The Bush Speech
HOMELAND Security chief Tom Ridge hinted a few weeks back
that help could be on the way for the country’s undocumented population,
and he was right. President Bush gave a pretty extraordinary speech
last week during the announcement of his immigration reform package.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 15 Jan 2004
|
Reclaiming Old Status
“MY sister is getting married in Ireland in the summer.
She received a Morrison visa in 1993 and kept it up for almost seven
years, but then returned home for good
more... |
(Irish Voice) 8 Jan 2004
|
Should I Renew?
“I APPIED for citizenship four months ago. My green card
is due to expire in March of 2004. Should I go through the process
of renewing it? Will it affect my citizenship application if I don’t?
I’ve heard conflicting advice.”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 8 Jan 2004
|
Green Card Basics
BESIDES the particular questions this column answers each
week, the “Green Card” mailbag also arrives full of letters with
a couple of common general themes – “I’d like to come to America.
How do I get a green card?” or “You often print priority dates for
numbered green card categories. What do these numbers stand for?”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 18 Dec 2003
|
No Reentry Permit
“I HAVE been living and working in New York for a number
of years. I am currently studying in college in Galway until May
2004.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 11 Dec 2003
|
Medical Exam
“I HAVE an appointment for an adjustment of status interview in
New York in February, and a medical exam later this month. I have
lupus disease, but it’s not a serious case and it doesn’t hamper
what I do. Could I be turned away from the U.S. because of this?”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 11 Dec 2003
|
Staying With Girlfriend
“MY girlfriend is going to Boston in January as part of
her college which requires her to be there for 18 months. She is
saying that she won’t go if I can’t go over with her legally, but
I don’t want her to miss out on this opportunity. We will both be
21 when we are supposed to go over I bought a book about living
and working in the U.S. and from reading it...
more... |
(Irish Voice) 4 Dec 2003
|
To Stay or Go?
THE holiday season is upon us again, and thoughts of spending
time with family and friends at the old homestead are foremost in
many minds.
It’s a particularly tough time of year to be an undocumented immigrant.
Christmas in Ireland is a big event, the country virtually shuts
down until the New Year, and everyone seems to be in a non-stop
celebratory mood. Here, the holiday is a one-day wonder, and it’s
back to business as usual the next day.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 26 Nov 2003
|
Do I Have to Pay?
I HAVE been married to my U.S. citizen husband for close
to five years. We applied for my green card nearly four years ago,
and finally I’ve been scheduled for an interview in New York in
January. I have two questions – in the paperwork I received, there’s
nothing that says I have to pay the $1,000 penalty for overstaying
my visa.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 20 Nov 2003
|
Lottery Questions
WITH the entry period for the annual DV lottery green cards
now underway, “Green Card” has received numerous questions from
readers about various components of the lottery.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 12 Nov 2003
|
Can We Apply?
“CAN I apply for this year’s diversity visa lottery? I am
an Irish citizen and only hold an Irish passport. I was born in
England as my parents lived there at the time. We moved back to
Ireland full time when I was 12. My mother is an Irish citizen,
and was born there, and my father has dual nationality through his
mother (Irish born) and father (U.K.-born). I am curious to know
if
more... |
(Irish Voice) 6 Nov 2003
|
Which Passport?
“IF you hold both an Irish and U.S. passport, does it matter
which one you show upon entry to Ireland? My father-in-law is going
back to Ireland in a couple of weeks for probably at least six months...
more... |
(Irish Voice) 30 Oct 2003
|
NAFTA and Canada
“I WOULD like to know how hard it is for an Irish/U.S. citizen
to work legally in Canada. Is there a special relationship between
the U.S. and Canada, as there was between Ireland and England?”
THERE are probably an equal number of similarities and differences
between U.S. and Canadian immigration laws. For example, both countries
have systems based on family reunification and employment, but in
Canada, “economic” based permanent residency cases are far greater
than family ones.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 22 Oct 2003
|
Staying for Dad
“I BECAME a U.S. citizen in January. I filed paperwork to
sponsor my widowed father for a green card shortly afterwards, but
I’ve since lost my job and I’d prefer to return to Ireland to be
with family. My dad, however, loves it here and can’t wait to get
his green card. Will my moving back affect his application? I will
leave after the summer and really do not plan on coming back. I
also heard that my citizenship could be taken from me because I’m
moving away so soon. Is this true?”
more... |
(Irish Voice) 15 Oct 2003
|
GreenCard
Elderly Care
“I HAVE a green card that will expire in 2006. I am 82 years old.
I would like to stay a green card holder for the rest of my life.
Should I renew my card when the time comes? Also, would I be able
to get into a nursing home if I took seriously ill, and would I
qualify for home care, as I’m only a resident and not a citizen?”.
more... |
(Irish Voice)
24 Sep 2003
|
Employment Green Cards
“I HAVE an H-1B visa, and my employer petitioned for a green card
on my behalf about 14 months ago. I enjoy my job, but don’t envision
staying here forever, or even that much longer. Would this affect
my green card chances?” more...
|
(Irish Voice) 18 Sep 2003
|
Marriage Plans
“I AM an American citizen. My fiancée is Irish-born. We live in
Maine. She has been working for the state police for 18 months,
and received an H-1B visa in January. We are getting married in
Ireland in August of 2004. more...
|
(Irish Voice) 10 Sep 2003
|
Wedding Questions
“I’M writing in regard to a question I’ve unfortunately received
so many different answers to. I’m hoping to finally clear this up
once and for all. I have been going out with the same man for over
five years. He is an American citizen, and I’ve been living here
undocumented. We are most likely going to get married sometime in
the near future. more...
|
(Irish Voice) 10 Sep 2003
|
Lottery Changes
AS readers of last week’s Irish Voice will have discovered, there
are big changes in store for the upcoming 2005 diversity green card
lottery, the application period for which will be held starting
Saturday, November 1 and ending on Tuesday, December 30.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 08 Sep 2003
|
Stuck at Home
“I AM writing to you from Ireland. Earlier this year I married an
American citizen, and we immediately filed paperwork for my green
card. We did this ourselves, and it wasn’t too difficult. We then
went on vacation to Ireland, as we were informed that it could take
a couple of years before the green card could be issued. When we
tried to come back to the U.S. I was stopped by immigration who
said I could not return, even though my citizen wife was by my side.
We explained that we had already applied for my green card, and
that no one had told us we couldn’t travel while we waited. Where
do we go from here? My wife had to return to the U.S. How do I get
back?” more... |
(Irish Voice) 27 Aug 2003
|
Test Your Smarts
– Part 2
LAST week’s column featured 50 questions, provided by the Immigration
and Naturalization Service (INS), commonly asked as part of the
mandatory U.S. history and civics exam that all candidates for naturalization
must take (and pass.) Here are the remaining 50, many of which are
bound to stump a good few of us native born Americans!
more... |
(Irish Voice) 20 Aug 2003
|
Test Your Knowledge
WITH a record number of candidates lining up for their citizenship
interviews these days, lots of readers have been calling for information
about the U.S. history/civics exam that is a mandatory part of the
naturalization process.
First 50 most asked questions during the oral examination part
of the naturalization interview, followed by answers.
more...
|
(Irish Voice) 14 Aug 2003
|
Greencard
"A friend is visiting an attorney next week. She’s been told she
can apply for a business visa and stay in the U.S. indefinitely.
I thought a company had to sponsor a person for a business visa.
Is she making a mistake?" more...
|
(Irish Voice) 31 Jul 2003
|
Mother and Daughters
“MY mother married an American citizen, and in 1999 sponsored my
sister and I for green cards before we turned 21. We all obtained
work authorizations and Social Security numbers. Unfortunately the
man my mother married was abusive to all of us.
more... |
(Irish Voice) 23 Jul 2003
|
Am I a Citizen?
"MY grandfather is American. He was born here in 1911 and then returned
to Ireland with his parents seven years later. He died in 1977.
I have asked two lawyers if I can gain citizenship through him and
I have gotten two conflicting answers. Could you clear this up for
me?" more... |
(Irish Voice) 16 Jul 2003
|
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