IMMIGRANTS’ RIGHTS CENTER

Our Immigrants’ Rights Center offers high-quality, low-cost or pro bono services to individuals otherwise unable to obtain legal assistance. We seek to assist individuals who seek asylum, legal permanent residency, citizenship or reunification with their families, as well as victims of human trafficking, serious crimes and domestic violence.

Please note: We receive hundreds of inquiries per week. Please allow 5 to 7 business days to hear from our legal team. Case processing times vary depending on the nature of the case.  When adequate information and paperwork has been received, our legal team will provide an estimate of the case timeline.  We are experiencing longer wait and processing times for many types of case.

If you believe that you or someone you know is in need of immigration legal services, please report it by filling out this form.

  • Adjustment of Status – A process by which an eligible applicant becomes a green card holder without having to go abroad and apply for an immigrant visa
  • Asylum – A process by which individuals who suffered persecution or fear that they will suffer persecution if returned to their country of origin gain status in the U.S.
  • Family Petition – A process by which relatives become eligible for a green card or visa through a petition filed on their behalf.
  • Naturalization – A process by which a legal permanent resident acquires U.S. citizenship
  • Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – A temporary immigration status granted to eligible nationals of select countries due to unsafe conditions.
  • T-Visa – A visa that allows certain victims of human trafficking and their immediate family members to temporarily stay and work in the U.S.
  • U-Visa – A visa that grants victims of certain crimes temporary legal status and work eligibility in the U.S.
  • Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) – A self-petition that allows certain abused spouses, children, or parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, to apply for legal status in the U.S. without the abuser’s knowledge.”

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For those petitioning to help their families overseas navigate the National Visa Center process, we are providing general instructions in the English, Dari, and Pashto languages below:

English
Dari
Pashto

 

Afghan family reunification Resources

Please use the following documents as guidances to further assistance you in the Afghan family reunification process:

*The U.S. Naturalization process may take a year or longer.

First, ensure you aren’t already a citizen:

If your answer to one of the following questions is “Yes,” then you may not have to go through the naturalization process:

  • Were you born in the U.S. or a U.S. territory?
  • Is one of your parents a citizen?
Determine your eligibility for citizenship:
  • Must be at least 18 years old
  • Be a lawful permanent resident
  • Must have had continuous permanent residence for at least 5 years (3 years if married to a citizen)
  • Must prove that you’ve been in the U.S. for 30 months (18 months if married to a citizen)
  • Must show that you’ve lived for three months in the state where you claim residence
Required documents:
  • Green card
  • Foreign passport, if applicable
  • All travel documents from the past 5 years, if applicable
  • Copy of spouse’s U.S. birth certificate or citizenship certificate (if applicable)
  • All divorce or death certificates for client and client’s spouse’s prior marriages (if applicable)
  • Social Security Card
  • If married to a U.S. citizen, a copy of the marriage certificate
  • If male who lived in the U.S. from the ages of 18-26, evidence of Selective Service registration (waiver may be available)
  • Birth certificates and green cards of all children (if applicable)
  • Documentation of all arrests and/or convictions, including reasons for the arrest, date, place and outcome/disposition if any.
Filing fee – Submit with application for naturalization
  • Cost: $725, including $85 biometric fee, which applicants 75 years and older don’t have to pay.
  • How to pay: DO NOT PAY WITH CASH. You can pay online if you’re submitting your application online. By mail, you can pay via money order, personal check, cashier’s check or credit card (Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions). Make checks out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Fee waiver – Submit with application for naturalization
  • There is a fee waiver available for individuals who cannot afford the filing fee and qualify.
  • Eligibility:
    • You, your spouse or the head of household living with you, are receiving a means-tested benefit. (A means-tested benefit is government aid provided to those who can prove their income is below a certain level, i.e. food stamps, medi-cal.)
    • Your household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
    • There is a financial hardship that prevents you from paying the filing fee.
  • Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, must be submitted with the N-400 (Naturalization Form) in order to qualify.
  • Include ALL documents (copies, unless otherwise specified) to prove eligibility with application.
Complete and submit the Form N-400 – Double and triple check that everything is filled out correctly!
  • Ensure you filled out the form completely, including a signature, before sending it in. Missing information can greatly delay processing.
  • Make a copy of the form and your documents for your records
  • Submit the form, any required documents, and your payments or the fee waiver documentation to (if you’re not filing online):
    • If you live in California:
      • For U.S. Postal Service (USPS): USCIS, P.O. Box 21251, Phoenix, AZ 85036
      • For FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries: USCIS, Attn: N-400, 1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85034
    • If you live in another state, you can find information about where to mail your form here: https://www.uscis.gov/n-400
Next Steps – Don’t miss these!
  • You will receive a biometrics appointment notice from USCIS, typically a few weeks after your N-400 application is accepted. You photo, fingerprints and signature will be taken.
  • You will then receive an appointment notice for your naturalization interview. During this appointment, the officer will go over the N400 and you will take the civics and English language tests. You get two chances to pass the tests.
  • Shortly after passing the tests and interview, you will be scheduled to take part in a naturalization ceremony to be sworn in as a U.S. citizen.

Need further help? CAIR-SV is here for you!

Contact our attorney for help with the naturalization process here.

Find out about any free naturalization fairs or immigration clinics here: ca.cair.com/sacval/events

Immigration Documents

Visit help.asylumadvocacy.org/sample-documents/ to view examples of immigration documents that you may receive from the government. Click on them to learn what they are.

Not every asylum seeker receives the same documents, so you may not have all or any of these. It is important to keep your immigration documents in a safe place. You can also take photos or make copies of them. And you can use Google translate to translate text or websites.

 

5 Things You Should Know About Your Case In Immigration Court (Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project)
  1. It is important to attend all court hearings and all appointment with ICE if you want to pursue your case.
  2. To find out if you have a hearing and check the status of you case, call 1-800-898-7180 and press 1 for English.
  3. If you change your address, you must inform the immigration court and ICE.
  4. Your asylum application must be submitted within one year of entering the U.S., with a few exceptions.
  5. Visit help.asylumadvocacy.org for videos and resources.

 

5 Things You Should Know About Your First Master Calendar Hearing in Immigration Court (Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project)
  1. If you want to pursue your case, the most important thing is to attend! If you do not go, the judge can give you a deportation order for missing the hearing.
  2. It is not necessary to bring a lawyer and you can request more time to look for a lawyer during the hearing.
  3. The hearing will be short. The judge will only ask you initial questions and schedule your next hearing.
  4. You should bring your children to the first hearing, if they are included in your case.
  5. Visit help.asylumadvocacy.org for more information and resources.

 

Afghan family reunification Resources

Please use the following documents as guidances to further assistance you in the Afghan family reunification process:

 

Adress changes and motions to change Court venues

Click here to access our self-help guide.

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