If you are planning to move to a new country with your spouse, you may need to apply for a spouse visa. A spouse visa allows you to live and work in the country legally, and can often lead to permanent residency and citizenship.
In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about spouse visas, including the application process, eligibility requirements, common mistakes to avoid, and alternatives to consider. What is a Spouse Visa? A spouse visa is a type of visa that allows you to join your spouse in a new country. It is often used by individuals who are married to someone who is a citizen or permanent resident of the country they wish to move to. Eligibility Requirements The eligibility requirements for a spouse visa vary depending on the country you are applying to. In general, you will need to provide evidence of your relationship, such as a marriage certificate, and prove that you meet certain financial and language requirements. Application Process The application process for a spouse visa can be complex and time-consuming. To get started, you will need to visit the website of the immigration department in the country you are applying to. You will need to fill out an application form and provide supporting documents, such as proof of your relationship and financial resources. Some countries may also require a medical examination or a police clearance certificate. Common Mistakes to Avoid There are several common mistakes that can lead to your spouse visa application being rejected. These include not providing enough evidence of your relationship, failing to meet financial requirements, and not completing the application form correctly. To avoid these mistakes, carefully review the eligibility requirements, provide as much evidence as possible, and seek the advice of a professional immigration lawyer if needed. Alternatives to Spouse Visas If you are not eligible for a spouse visa, there may be other options available to you. For example, you may be able to apply for a work visa or a student visa. However, keep in mind that these visas may have their own eligibility requirements and limitations. Conclusion Applying for a spouse visa can be a challenging process, but with the right information and preparation, you can increase your chances of success. Remember to carefully review the eligibility requirements, provide as much evidence as possible, and avoid common mistakes. By doing so, you'll be well on your way to starting a new life with your spouse in a new country. Good luck! WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. law enforcement officers will ask, when detaining immigrants in the country illegally, whether they are parents or guardians to avoid separating families under a Biden administration policy launched on Thursday.
The directive, an effort by President Joe Biden to reverse former President Donald Trump's more restrictive policies, also allows for previously deported parents or guardians to return to the United States temporarily for child custody hearings. The new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) directive replaces Trump-era guidance issued in 2017 that did not explicitly require officers to inquire about, or record, parental status or guardianship. A Democrat, Biden campaigned on a promise to build a more humane and orderly immigration system to counter that of Trump, his Republican predecessor. On taking office early last year Biden prioritized immigration enforcement against those convicted of more serious crimes. As a result, arrests and deportations of immigrants living illegally in the United States plummeted compared with a year earlier. But federal courts in recent months have blocked Biden's efforts to focus on serious criminal offenders and Republicans have criticized the administration's approach, saying fewer detentions and deportations have encouraged more illegal crossings. In another departure from Trump administration policy, the new guidance applies to parents or guardians of incapacitated adults as well as children. Mayor Todd Gloria Tuesday announced the creation of the city's new Office of Immigrant Affairs, which began work on Friday as part of his Fiscal Year 2023 "Ready to Rebuild" budget.
Gloria appointed Rita Fernandez, his current director of global affairs, to serve as the office's first executive director. Additional staff members will be hired in the new fiscal year. "Immigrants are an important part of our community, but often feel disconnected or unsupported by their city government," Gloria said. "That's why I've created the Office of Immigrant Affairs, which strives to welcome immigrants to San Diego and make sure that their voice is heard by City Hall. "This office will help us promote inclusivity, ease the transition for immigrants and help them feel supported as part of our community," he said. I The new office will focus on "workforce development for the immigrant population, promoting inclusive resources to help foreign-born communities through the integration process, advocating for immigrant rights and developing a language access plan to provide translation and interpretation services for city programs and services," a city statement said. Fernandez, a Chula Vista native, graduate of the University of San Diego and the daughter of immigrants, said, "I am humbled by this opportunity to build out an Office of Immigrant Affairs that will support all of our diverse immigrant communities in San Diego, which represent more than 115 countries around the world." Fernandez was appointed as Immigrant Affairs Manager after the city first launched the Welcoming San Diego Strategic Plan and Initiative in 2019. Prior to working for the city, Fernandez worked in the Immigrant Affairs office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and served in the Washington D.C. office of Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego. Stepping into the role as the Gloria's director of global affairs is Javier Gomez, who brings five years experience, previously working in the California State Assembly and more recently as the mayor's senior advisor of policy and council affairs. Sen. John Cornyn’s, R-Texas, office on Wednesday denied that a bipartisan immigration bill is in the works after comments he made on the Senate floor that his staff say were a joke, but that sparked uproar from conservatives.
Cornyn, who frequently attempts to find bipartisan paths for legislation on a range of issues that includes immigration, was on the Senate floor Tuesday evening as the chamber advanced bipartisan gun legislation that he had helped shepherd. HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic tweeted that Cornyn was smiling as he told California Sen. Alex Padilla: "First guns, now it’s immigration." Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was said to have added "That’s right, we’re going to do it." Cornyn’s reported comments drew swift backlash from the right, many of whom were already angered by his support for the gun legislation which advanced 64-34 in the split chamber. Cornyn has previously backed bipartisan immigration efforts, including a border security bill, which he introduced with Sen. Sinema to combat the migrant crisis at the southern border. He has also backed a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who came to the country as children and who were eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance said on Fox News’ "Ingraham Angle" that it would be "catastrophic" for the Republican Party to "advance amnesty." "The worst thing that we can do as a party right now in the midst of a historic immigration crisis is to advance amnesty. And if we do it, we will get crushed and we will deserve it." Sen. Cornyn Defends Bipartisan Gun Deal After Conservative Criticism of Proposed 'red Flag Laws' House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, meanwhile, appeared to distance himself from any such efforts: "Amnesty is a non starter with me and won’t be taken up by a House Republican majority," he told Axios. Philadelphia kicked off its sixth annual Immigrant Heritage Month on Wednesday at City Hall to highlight and celebrate the contributions immigrants have made to the city. This year marks the sixth consecutive year that Philadelphia is participating in the national effort. Throughout June, people can attend cultural events, such as the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, the Chinese Cultural Festival, and Caribbean Heritage Day. “To me, [Immigrant Heritage Month] means inclusion. It means recognizing that we are all unique and that we all have something that we can contribute to society,” said Jennifer Joseph, deputy director of HIAS PA. “And it’s really elevating the diversity of our city and the contribution of immigrants that they’ve made to this city, generation after generation.” Wednesday’s kick-off event highlighted initiatives to help immigrants and refugees. The city announced a $75,000 grant from the Open Society Foundation that will help fund a Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs proposal to launch a Welcoming Network. The public-private partnership would offer resources to Afghan, Haitian and Ukrainian families.
“When people have a centralized location where they can come and receive information for help, for services in their native languages, when they communicate with each other, when they actually support each other, that all benefits immigrants, but also benefits American society,” said Iryna Mazur, Honorary Consul of Ukraine for Philadelphia. The U.S. government recently implemented a program called Uniting for Ukraine, which allows Ukrainians to come to the country without a visa. The process is speedy, Mazur said, and many Ukranians are already arriving in the U.S. through the program, including in Philadelphia. “The biggest challenge [is] access to information, number one, access to community services, number two, it’s access to housing because it’s difficult to find an apartment right now. It’s a federal issue, but processing time for the immigration forms has a huge backlog,” she said. “So we are hoping that people’s applications for employment, for travel authorizations, will be processed quickly and they will be allowed to be productive members of the community to actually work and pay taxes.” Farwa Ahmadi, INSPIRE case manager at Nationalities Services Center, said the city’s initiative also will help Afghans who are coming to Philadelphia to escape the Taliban. “When they left, they had nothing with them. All their valuable items, their money, their possessions, assets, everything was left behind. And there’s no way to retrieve that now,” she said. “They’re dependent on … any support that the city is able to provide for them in many ways, and education, case management, legal assistance, ESL classes.” |