Immigration: Waivers – An Introduction

Audio program! (check our CLE Programs page for live versions)

In 2018 we held our two-day Immigration 101 South Florida Conference and it was a sold out program. The reviews were terrific!

This audio package includes the session on Waivers (only). Running 50 minutes long, this is a comprehensive introduction to Waiver laws and rules, with advice and strategies also discussed.

Included in this Home Study package is the recording of the program, as well as the handout on this topic.

Waivers

  • General waiver for non-immigrants
  • Immigrant waivers and eligibility
  • Provisional waivers and criteria
  • Waivers after prior removal or deportation, permission to reapply for admission to the US
  • Cancellation of Removal for Permanent Residents and Non-Permanent Residents
  • 212c waivers
  • Waivers for Asylees
  • INA 245k certain employment based applicants
  • 237(a)(1)(H) waivers for those who were inadmissible at the time of admission to the US
  • Hot topics in waivers
    • Upward tick of allegations of alien smuggling
    • Drug possession, drug trafficking and/or the dreaded “reason to believe” label
    • Waiver for entry on a photo switched passport
    • Matter of Arrabelly case
  • Stacking Waivers

Other topics covered at the full two-day conference, but not included in this home study package, are listed below. If you are interested in purchasing the entire two-day Immigration 101 South Florida Conference Home Study package, please click here. If you are interested in purchasing any additional individual session topics listed below, click on the session title.

Broad Introduction (CFR and INA) and Road Map and Terms of Art  Road Map

  • The history and authority to regulate U.S. Immigration Authorities:
    • USCIS
    • ICE
    • CBP
    • Department of Homeland Security
    • US Department of Justice – Immigration Court
    • US Department of State -Embassies
    • US Department of Labor
  • Governing Law: The interplay between Immigration laws and policy

Terms of Art

  • Immigrant vs. Non-Immigrant
  • Visa vs. Status
  • Inadmissibility vs. Deportability
  • Who is considered not legally in the US?
  • Unlawfully Present, Out of Status or both?

How to Set up and Manage an Immigration Practice

  • What to do when someone walks in the door
  • Where to go for more information, what are your resources as a practitioner?
  • Resources, Books, Forms Programs, etc.
  • Best practices on handling your immigration cases

Permanent (immigrant) Visas Part I

  • Family-basedWho May File, and Who May Be Sponsored?
  • If you are a U.S. citizen, on whose behalf can you can petition?
  • If you are a U.S. permanent resident, on whose behalf can you can petition?
  • Temporary Fiancé(e) Visas
  • The Process for sponsoring eligible family members of U.S. Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents – the I-130 Petition
  • Decisions & Appeals
  • Adjustment of Status (Family)
  • Consular Processing (Family)
  • Using the Visa Bulletin

Permanent (immigrant) Visas Part II

  • Employment-based Visas
    • EB1
    • Labor Certification
    • EB2/NIW
    • EB3
    • Religious workers
    • Quotas and Monthly Visa Bulletin
    • Adjustment of Status v processing abroad at a US Embassy or Consulate (known as Consular Processing)

Working Visas

  • H1B
  • L1
  • E2/E1
  • J1/O1
  • TN

Detention

  • Material misrepresentation
  • TRIG
  • False claim to citizenship
  • Public charge (new standards)
  • Security grounds
  • Tourist children going to public school
  • New definition of certain crimes

Inadmissibility and removability

  • Material misrepresentation
  • False claim to citizenship
  • Public charge (new standards)
  • Security grounds
  • New definition of certain crimes

Citizenship

  • Criteria & eligibility
  • How to conduct the initial consult with the client who is seeking to naturalize
  • Was the client “lawfully admitted for permanent residence”
  • How to properly screen the case before filing and the importance of evaluating the case history
  • What is the statutory period
  • General rule on physical presence
  • General rule on continuous residence
  • How to establish good moral character
  • Preparer’s signature warnings/Attorney declaration
  • Supporting documents to submit with the application
  • The naturalization interview
  • When is the applicant actually considered a US citizen
  • Child support
  • Denaturalization proceedings-there are two major cases that came out on this

Immigration Court

  • Challenges to NTAs
  • The latest court cases
  • Attorney General is certifying cases to himself
  • Castro Tum
  • Asylum classes-private action v. public action
  • Gang related asylums
  • Administrative closure
  • Pereira
  • Motions to Reopen, Motions to Terminate, Motions practice

Refugee and Asylum

  • Bars to asylum
  • Eligibility to asylum
  • Credible Fear v. Reasonable Fear
  • Hot issues: Particular Social Groups
  • Withholding (compared to asylum, similar/different)
  • Convention Against Torture

Updates on Administration Changes and Challenges

  • TPS: Will it end? And what happens then
  • Motions to Continue after Matter of L-A-B-R
  • Current ICE/DHS policies on parole and bond
  • Update on affirmative stays: should you file or not?
  • DACA court opinions: where are we now?
  • Judicial independence and pending complaints filed by the judiciary
  • Court decisions on the Travel Ban

What You Will Learn

Waivers

  • General waiver for non-immigrants
  • Immigrant waivers and eligibility
  • Provisional waivers and criteria
  • Waivers after prior removal or deportation, permission to reapply for admission to the US
  • Cancellation of Removal for Permanent Residents and Non-Permanent Residents
  • 212c waivers
  • Waivers for Asylees
  • INA 245k certain employment based applicants
  • 237(a)(1)(H) waivers for those who were inadmissible at the time of admission to the US
  • Hot topics in waivers
    • Upward tick of allegations of alien smuggling
    • Drug possession, drug trafficking and/or the dreaded “reason to believe” label
    • Waiver for entry on a photo switched passport
    • Matter of Arrabelly case
  • Stacking Waivers

Testimonials

Testimonials from the entire two-day conference:

“Great to hear these experts speak. Absolute expert lecturing.” – Vincent Miller, Esq.

“I was very satisfied with the program… Very good information and tips!” – Luis Alvan, Esq.

“Very satisfied.” – Edward Ramos, Esq.

“Great!” – Laura Fonseca, Esq.

“Very good overview of the entire topic. Given that it was only two days, the speakers did a great job with providing the relevant details.”

“The speakers are amazing and the topics are excellent.”

“Excellent – great presenters, very knowledgeable.”

“Great examples. Straight forward and easy to follow.”

“Great seminar!”

 

These testimonials are from our 2014 – 2017 Immigration 101 programs in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando with many of the same speakers and topics.

“Excellent presentation of topics. Very good overview.” – Lisa Thompson, Esq.

“Great overview – learned a lot. Great speakers.” – Joshua Aguilar, Esq.

“Amazing!!! It really increased my interest in pursuing more immigration law; Great resources!!!” – Yamilette Rivera, Esq.

”I wanted an entry-level, basic introduction to Immigration Law and that’s what I got. I was very impressed by the quality of the presenters. They were all experts in their field and were effective in sharing their wide knowledge base with us.” – Laura dePaz Cabrera, Esq.

”Speakers were extremely knowledgeable and willing to answer even the simplest question. Felt as though it was a comprehensive introduction to a complicated subject.” – Lauren Bebek, Esq.

“Very informative. I learned a lot!” – Isaura Gomez, Esq.

“Great CLE.” – Alex Farris, Esq.

“Great speakers. I received a lot of clarification as a paralegal…Thanks!”  – Shirley M. Quesada Rivera

“Great big-picture overview of practicing Immigration Law.”

“Excellent overview.” – D. Halper, Esq.

“Absolutely satisfied with the course and the information I received from it.” – S. Wilkerson, Esq.

“I haven’t felt this excited about practicing law in a while – can’t wait to get my feel wet!” – K. Rosenchal, Esq.

“Very informative and useful information.” – E. Samet, Esq.

“Very educational and great speakers!” – C. Perez, Esq.

“Great insight.”  – E. Rafael Hahn, Esq.

“It was a good intro into immigration.” – D. Duckett, Esq.

“Very good and knowledgeable speakers.” – B. Mittelberg, Esq.

“Good course. I’m glad I came…” – A. Rivera, Esq.

“Great! All of them explained every single question.” – F. Cervantes, Esq.

“This class was simply phenomenal. Thank you!” – Gisela Rodrigues, Esq.

“Great overview of the visas!” – Sherine Makar, Esq.

“I would like to get into immigration law. This seminar was a great introduction.”

“I found the seminar very informative.” – Pedro A. Lopez, Esq.

“All of the speakers were great, the information was invaluable.”

“The speakers and content were great.”

“Good material and presenters.”

“Great speakers. I wish there was more time.”

“Thorough primer on relevant topics in this field.”

“Very good overview.”

“The panel was very knowledgeable.”

“The material given was wonderful.”

“Great speaker. Extrememly knowledgeable.”

“Fantastic info!”

These testimonials are from our 2016 and 2017 Immigration 101 programs in Los Angeles with similar agendas:

“It was great and I learned a lot. It was an awesome experience, thank you!” Ismael Rosas, Esq.

“As a new attorney to immigration law I was satisfied with the program because it provided a great overview of immigration laws. I chose this particular seminar because of the comprehensive nature of the agenda and I appreciated that so many topics within immigration were covered.”

“It was an incredibly helpful overview of immigration! Thank you!” – Yana Loboda, Esq.

“Excellent experience, good job!” – Gulomjon Azimov, Esq.

“Overall I thought that the seminar was helpful and informative.” – April Perez, Esq.

“Incredible rooster of speakers.” – Serrano Margaret, Esq.

“Green, Damast, and Piibe were fabulous. Lots of energy, extremely knowledgeable, and their material was informative.” – David A. Torres, Esq.

“Everything was well explained.” – Aaron Caspar, Esq.

“It’s a good seminar. Thank you all! Loved Susan, James and Alary!!” – Jenny (Paralegal)

“Excellent staff and fantastic speakers. 5-Star program. Very satisfied with panels, content, and hotel location. [Pincus Staff] were very professional and extremely competent; ALL of the attorney presenters were erudite, highly-experienced, and very interesting – some of the best I’ve heard. The overall quality of the entire program was excellent.”

“Very good speakers, well-organized.”

“Great overview. Thanks! I work in a niche area of immigration law and wanted a base for other types of visas. Great seminar.”

“I needed a systematic overview of the major immigration case types and got it.”

“Truly enjoyed all the speakers and topics.”

“Well organized, breaks at perfect times, panel was perfect, great speakers. Well done!”

“It’s a good seminar, thank you all!”

“Comprehensive covers all major bases.”

“Speakers were very good obviously know their stuff.”

“[Speaker] seems extremely up-to-date with current immigration matters.”

“[Speaker] She’s really organized and explained things well.”

Faculty

Juliana G. Lamardo, Esq.
Founder
Law Offices of Juliana G. Lamardo, P.A.

Juliana G. Lamardo was born in São Paulo, Brazil. When she was 8 years old, her parents made the difficult decision to leave Brazil in search of a better life. Juliana’s father obtained an L-1A visa and moved the entire family to the United States. In 1994, Juliana became a lawful permanent resident and then a U.S. Citizen in 2001. Juliana experienced the immigration process firsthand and knows how apprehensive it can be.

Juliana attended Florida International University in Miami and earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration in 2003. Following her mother’s footsteps as an attorney, Juliana attended law school at Barry University School of Law in Orlando, Florida. She graduated in 2007. It was in law school where her desire to help other immigrants came to life.

Juliana opened the Law Offices of Juliana G. Lamardo in 2016. She was previously a Senior Associate Attorney with a private immigration law firm for over six years, where she handled thousands of cases. She concentrates in the areas of deportation defense, bond hearings, deferred inspections, family-based residency, Citizenship, and naturalization.

Juliana has represented clients in removal and bond proceedings before the Immigration Court, before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on family-based petitions, applications for residency, and applications for Citizenship, as well as various waivers for criminal activity. She has also appeared before the Customs Border Protection (CBP) for deferred inspections.

She is a frequent speaker at various immigration-related seminars including the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Pincus Professional Education, and the Association for the Studies of the Cuban Economy (ASCE). She was also a regular guest speaker on Almavisión radio (87.7 FM) on issues related to immigration.

She has been licensed by the Supreme Court of Florida and the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida Division since 2008. She is also a member of the Florida Bar and is licensed to practice immigration in all 50 states.

Juliana is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. She understands the complexities associated with immigration procedures and she applies her knowledge and background to competently assist those who wish to build a life in this country. 


Elina Magaly Santana, Esq.
Shareholder / Immigration Attorney
Santana Rodriguez Law, P.A.

Elina Magaly Santana, Esq. is a Shareholder and Co-founder of Santana Rodriguez Law, P.A., a firm focusing solely on Immigration Law.  She is licensed in the state of Florida, the U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Elina focuses her immigration practice on Family-based and Marriage-based Residency, Naturalization, Deportation Defense (including Asylum & Cancellation of Removal), Waivers, Derivative/Acquired Citizenship, and BIA Appeals. 

She is the 2nd Vice-President for AILA South Florida (American Immigration Lawyers Association) and a Board Member for Capital Good Fund, a social change organization that uses financial services to tackle poverty in the U.S.  She has also volunteered on the border in Harlingen, TX aiding children seeking asylum and special immigrant juvenile visas. 

Elina has served as a panelist and guest speaker at many events on immigration law, and she has appeared on Univision, Telemundo, and NBC to talk about current immigration issues.  Elina earned her JD from Boston University (BU) School of Law and her BA in both Sociology and Spanish Literature at New York University (NYU) with high honors.  She is a fluent Spanish speaker and was born to Cuban parents in Miami, Florida.


Fees

Audio Recording & Materials Package – CD or Download: $49.00

For CDs please add $8.50 shipping and, in CA, sales tax.

 

(Audio packages are available approximately two to three weeks after the seminar is held.)

CLE Credit

FL General: This program is approved for 1.0 general CLE units in Florida through April 18, 2020.
FL Immigration and Nationality Law Certification Credits: 1.0 units through April 18, 2020.

CA General: This seminar is approved for .75 units of general CLE in California.
CA General: This seminar is approved for .75 units of Certified Legal Specialist CLE in California.

This program is approved for CLE in the states listed above.  Upon request, Pincus Pro Ed will provide any information an attorney needs to support their application for CLE approval in other states other than what is listed above.

Terms and Policies

Recording policy: No audio or video recording of any program is permitted.

Seminar Cancellations: Should you be unable to attend for any reason, please inform us in writing no later than 14 days prior to the event and a credit voucher will be issued. If you prefer, a refund, less a $50 non-refundable deposit, will be issued. No refunds or credits will be given for cancellations received within 14 days of an event. However, if you notify us within 14 days of an event, and wish to convert your in-person attendance registration to an Audio CD package (with handout), we can do so. A small additional shipping charge, and sales tax in CA, will be incurred. No shipping charge is incurred for downloads. We will also issue a voucher for the amount paid if you notify us within 14 days and prefer not to have the audio recording.

Substitutions may be made at any time.

Webinars, Tele-seminars and Webcast Cancellations: Once log-in codes and passwords are issued for a webinar, tele-seminars or webcasts, a refund is not possible. If for any reason you cannot attend the event after you have received the codes, we will automatically convert your registration to an instant streaming/instant download or CD format and provide you with the information you need to access the recording after the program concludes and the recording is available.  Conversions to CD require a $8.50 shipping fee, and in CA, 9% sales tax.

Downloads/CDs/DVDs – Refund policy:

Downloads are non-returnable/non-refundable once purchased and received. Tapes, CDs and DVDs are returnable for a full refund or replacement if defective, within 90 days of purchase.

Reminder: The room temperature at hotels and other seminar locations are notoriously hard to control. Please bring a sweater or jacket in case it gets cold and/or layer as if you are going to the movies so you are comfortable.

$49.00 each

Recorded in 2018.

Clear