Immigration Professor Offers Help to Haitians in the U.S. Wishing to Apply for TPS and U.S. Seeking to Adopt Orpaned Children
Haitian Crisis…
The Immigration Professor and his staff want to extend our prayers to the people of Haiti who have been so devastated by the recent earthquake. Our hearts go out to you and your families in this difficult time.
We are delighted to announce that the U.S. government has extended its helping hand to immigrants from Haiti as well as those seeking to adopt children from Haiti. On January 15, 2010 Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) for people from Haiti who have been in the United States as of January 12, 2010. TPS allows Haitians who were in the country legally or illegally to apply for legal status from the immigration service and a work card for 18 months.
In addition to TPS for Haitian nationals, the U.S. government just announced that it will be allowing Haitian orphans to come into the United States as a humanitarian gesture. Currently, the children who are eligible for this are: (1) children legally confirmed as orphans eligible for intercountry adoption by the Government of Haiti and are being adopted by U.S. Citizens; and (2) Children who have been previously identified by an adoption service provider or facilitator as eligible for intercountry adoption and have been matched to U.S. Citizen prospective parents. Unfortunately, there are many more children who have become orphaned by the crisis so we hope the U.S. government will continue its efforts to help these children find homes. In any event, prospective parents may still use the normal procedures for adopting internationally.
To get free information about Haitian TPS and Adopting Haitian orphans, please contact us immediately at 310-384-0200.
Living Under the Iron Curtain: Romanian Revolution & Death of a Tyrant
Petra Micu's childhood in Romania
Ms. Petra Micu was a young teen in the Transylvanian city of Sibiu at the time of the Romanian Revolution. Today she’s an prominent Immigration Attorney in Chicago, IL.
Following is an audio interview with Chicago Public Radio, December 18, 2009.
Click here to listen
Petra Micu | Immigration Attorney
More about Ms. Petra Micu… Born in Sibiu, Romania, and moved to the US after graduating high school. In the US, Ms. Micu continued her education at Indiana University in Bloomington, as well as the University of Paris, France, earning a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and French in 2000.
She graduated with honors, and was a beneficiary of a merit scholarship during three out of four years of college, and received Award of Exceptional Scholastic Achievement for year 1998. In 2003 Ms. Micu graduated law school from Indiana University, where she focused on international law.
Video: Immigration Professor’s Attorney Mentoring Program
In this video, the Immigration Professor, Attorney Robert A. Perkins, discusses his program for mentoring attorneys in the immigration law area. Professor Perkins has successfully mentored many attorneys in this area. For more information about the program or about immigration generally, please visit our website, http://Immigration-Professor.com and on YouTube at http://YouTube.com/ImmigrationProf.
Please note that this video is general in nature and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion. To get legal advice, contact our offices at 310-384-0200.
Happy Holidays and Happy 15th Anniversary to the Professor!
While I have been practicing immigration law since 1989, it was 15 years ago – November 26, 1994 that I began the bold journey of starting my own business. I still remember moving into my new office the day after Thanksgiving, how nervous I was starting my own practice and wondering if I could pay the mortgage. Along the journey, I married a wonderful woman and had two great kids — one who arriving on earth on my 5th anniversary in business– who all continue to be my professors, teaching me more about life and love every day. Thank you so much to my clients for making this happen!
On this wonderful occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to, of course my wife for her unflagging support through good times and hard times. I would also to those who have mentored, guided and inspired me along the way. These people include, but are not limited to Attorney Richard Trais, Attorney Ronald Walker, Attorney Ken Geman, Attorney Arthur Carr III and my business coach, the inestimable Phyllis Campagna. I am thankful too for my new friends in our new Los Angeles office, especially Richard Teitel and JW Reed Jr. for helping me and my family with our own emigration to the beautiful shores of LA.
Most of all I would like to thank my clients who inspire me every day and every year to continue in this most wonderful profession of being a US immigration lawyer. I am grateful that I have been able to help you in some way and continually awed by your success in this beautiful country that has become home. It has been an added blessing that so many of you have become friends.
Happy Holidays to all of you and your families from my family and I!
Robert Perkins
“The Immigration Professor”
US Immigration Professor Wins Gold for Romanian Olympians
John and Elisabeth Iminovici came to Buffalo, New York in 1993 to compete in World University Games. At the time, John Iminovici was one of the coaches of the Romanian Olympic Track and Field Team; while Elisabeth, later to be his wife, was one of the athletes he coached. Both had already competed in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, and in 1996 Elisabeth participated in Atlanta Olympic Games. John and Elisabeth were studying at DePaul University where they earned their Master’s degree in Educational Leadership.
Flag of Romania
In Romania, John compiled an impressive record of coaching as the Romanian National Team Coach and the Olympic Coach for the Romanian Track and Field Team for 10 years (from 1987 to 1997), coaching athletes who won medals at the Balkan Games, the European Cups, European Championships, and World Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field. In light of his achievements, John Iminovici was named to the Romanian “Hall of Fame” and has his name written in the Golden Book of Coaches from Romania.
John and Elisabeth Iminovici were married in 2000 in Oak Brook, Illinois and in April 2001 John applied to immigrate to the United States on the basis of his abilities and accomplishments as a track and field coach. That petition was denied, dashing the couple’s dreams of achieving residency in the United States. In 2008, the couple’s fortunes changed when Elisabeth Iminovici won the Diversity Lottery, an annual drawing where Green Cards are allotted to immigrants from various countries. Both John and Elisabeth were afraid to finalize their status though because their Student Visas had in the meantime expired.
At this point in stepped the “Immigration Professor”, Robert A. Perkins. US Immigration Attorney Robert Perkins and his team pointed out that the earlier petition filed by John Iminovici had grandfathered the couple in under an old law which expired in April 2001. Attorney Robert Perkins re-filed the cases and argued the case twice to Immigration Officers who wouldn’t budge, again dashing John and Elisabeth Iminovici hopes to legalize their US Immigration status. Attorney Robert Perkins did not give up; however, deciding to file suit in Federal Court to compel the Immigration service to grant residency to John and Elisabeth Iminovici.
Mr. Robert Perkins’ colleague, US Immigration Attorney Petra Micu helped put together the petition and ran off to file the case in Federal Court. Before the case was filed, they sent a copy off to the government’s attorneys. Right on the steps of the Federal Court, as Attorney Micu was about to file the case, the US Government reversed its position and granted permanent residence to John and Elisabeth Iminovici – just a few hours before the 2008 lottery program ended.
John and Elisabeth Iminovici are very grateful to Attorney Robert Perkins, aka “The Immigration Professor” and his staff for helping them achieve their 16 year dream of immigrating from Romania to the United States. They currently live in Oak Park, Illinois where Elisabeth runs several day care centers and John works as a contractor.
From John and Elisabeth Iminovici…
Hello Robert,
We still cannot believe what had happened to us!
We are very grateful to you that you believed in our case and that you did not give up even when we were afraid to continue the process. God help you as much as you helped us and God give you happiness as much as to give us with this win!
Thank you again.
We are going to advertise your name as much as we could.John & Elizabeth
Secretary Napolitano and USCIS Director Mayorkas Launch Redesigned Website
WASHINGTON – 22 Sep 2009
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Chief Performance Officer Jeff Zients today launched a redesigned USCIS website—available in English and Spanish—a major effort which fulfills President Obama’s pledge to offer enhanced navigation tools for the public to access immigration information and review case status.
“Transparency and openness are critical to effective immigration and citizenship policies,” said Secretary Napolitano. “USCIS’ new website provides the public with the latest tools—from text messages to emails—to improve responsiveness and access to immigration services.”
“The redesigned website we are launching today reflects our commitment to listening to the public and creating a better experience for the hundreds of thousands of USCIS customers we serve,” said USCIS Director Mayorkas. “This effort is the first step toward creating a more innovative, customer-centric experience that meets the nation’s citizenship and immigration needs.”
Secretary Napolitano and Director Mayorkas made the announcement at a press conference at USCIS Headquarters, highlighting the Obama administration’s commitment to achieving government accessibility and transparency using online and new media tools.
The new USCIS website provides a one-stop location for immigration services and information—including an innovative service called My Case Status, which allows immigration customers to receive alerts on the status of their applications via text message and e-mail.
Other new features include a Where to Start tool to guide users through the navigation process; a simplified way to track individual case status; local and national case processing times; an improved search engine; and a new Information Dashboard feature allowing users to access national immigration trends associated with immigration petitions and applications.
Visit the new sites at www.uscis.gov and www.uscis.gov/espanol.
Illegal Cuban Immigration Drops Dramatically
The number of Cubans attempting to cross the Florida Straits has fallen by more than half, putting 2009 on track to be perhaps the lowest for migration from the communist island in almost a decade. (AssociatedPress – Aug. 27, 2009)