Great case today. My two clients — brother & sister from Guatemala — received their green cards today at an interview at USCIS in downtown Los Angeles. We were the ninth immigration law office they went to. Their cases stretched back 25 years with literally decades of disappointment. Denied asylum applications; revoked work authorizations; approved I-130s nonimmigrant petitions but with a wait of 10+ years. Then their petitioner died. Fortunately, we were able to show them how the law has evolved over the past years so that now they could take advantage of “survivor” rights in cases with deceased petitioners. It was a long process — 25 years — but finally this great brother and sister couple are officially welcomed in the United States. We look forward to naturalizing them in 5 years.

This case emphasizes the importance or working with dedicated immigration attorneys who have kept current with changes in the immigration laws.