Same Sex Immigration Benefits

Same Sex Marriage Visa and Immigration Benefits After DOMA Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional. Put differently, the Court stated that the Federal government must treat all legally married couples equally (including, legally married same-sex couples). What Does This Mean For Immigration Benefit Purposes?

With this ruling, […]

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Family-Based Immigration To United States

Most immigrants to the United States come through the family-based immigration process. However, simply having a relative who is a U.S. citizen is not enough to qualify for immigration. Immigration eligibility is determined based upon a number of factors, including a person’s age, family relationship and marital status, among other […]

NYSBA Finds “Acute Shortage” of Quality Immigration Representation in Upstate New York

NYSBA Finds “Acute Shortage” of Quality Immigration Representation in Upstate New York

Recently, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) issued a 49 page report discussing what it sees as a crisis within immigration proceedings in New York State, and in Upstate New York in particular.

The report highlights that current immigration law can be […]

Dreamer Deferred Action Overview

Dreamer Deferred Action Overview

As many know, last summer President Obama grew tired of the inaction on the Dream Act and decided to provide Dreamer deferred action (DACA) to qualifying individuals who had entered the United States before the age of 16 and did not currently have lawful immigration status. The following is meant to […]

Custom & Border Protection Checkpoints in Albany?

Customs & Border Protection Checkpoints in Albany?

Most residents of Albany and the Capital region would not consider the area to be on the border with Canada. To them, a border town might be Plattsburgh or Buffalo.

Nevertheless, the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) considers a significant chunk of the capital region to be […]

Dreamer Deferred Action Overview

Dreamer Deferred Action Overview

Overview: The Obama Administration was announced that the government will begin offering Deferred Action to “Dreamers” who meet certain requirements. Dreamers are those individuals who entered the United States as minors. Since the announcement is new, the requirements and procedure has not yet been fully explained. Until more details are given, […]

How Does Someone Immigrate to the United States?

How Does Someone Immigrate to the United States?

Not everyone is eligible to immigrate to the United States. Instead, a person intending to immigrate must first establish eligibility to immigrate. There are multiple means of establishing eligibility, however, the most common means of eligibility are family-based immigration, employment-based immigration, and investor immigration.

Within each of […]

Gafner Law Firm Opens Albany Immigration Law Office

Gafner Law Firm Opens Albany Immigration Law Office

Gafner Law Firm is proud to announce the opening of its Albany Immigration Law Office. With a practice exclusively focused on immigration law, the firm hopes that its Albany immigration law office will allow it to provide the Albany area with a reliable source of immigration advice […]