On April 14, 2015, after two years of legal procedures, a Jamaican national immigrant woman who previously had been granted deferred action under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) finally obtained permanent residence in the United States.
VAWA was enacted to provide immigration protection for abused spouses, children and parents of United State citizens or lawful permanent residents, allowing the victim (or survivor) to self-petition based on the abuse they have endured. VAWA self-petitioners may also concurrently or subsequently apply for lawful permanent status.
Attorneys David F. Vedder and Silvia Manzanero prepared a compelling VAWA self-petition for their client, demonstrating that she had suffered both battery and extreme cruelty by her U.S. citizen abusive spouse.
However, this was only the first step in the two-part process. In this particular case, an old agency error jeopardized this immigrant woman’s chances of obtaining permanent residence. At an adjustment of status interview, attorney Manzanero persuasively explained the factual and legal arguments to the U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services officer, who rightly approved her client’s permanent residence application.
As a self-petitioner spouse of a U.S. citizen who has been battered or subjected to battery and extreme cruelty, Manzanero’s client will be able to apply for citizenship after three years as a permanent resident.
No comments:
Post a Comment