Puis-je accélérer mon autorisation de voyage ?
Santos Lloyd Law Team • October 13, 2023
Click here to read this article in English
Nombre de nos clients nous demandent s'ils peuvent accélérer le traitement de leur autorisation de voyager à l'étranger. Ils veulent rendre visite à leur famille, partir en vacances ou s'occuper de leurs affaires personnelles. Lorsqu'une personne demande un ajustement ou un changement de statut aux États-Unis, elle ne peut quitter le pays qu'une fois son dossier traité, au risque de se voir refuser l'entrée aux États-Unis et d'abandonner la demande en cours.
Vous pouvez toujours quitter le pays pour voyager à l'étranger si vous en avez besoin. Cependant, le problème est de revenir aux États-Unis et les conséquences sur votre demande en cours.
Le terme technique pour "autorisation de voyager" est "liberté conditionnelle anticipée" (advance parole en anglais). Il s'agit d'un document de voyage permettant aux ressortissants étrangers de rentrer aux États-Unis après un voyage à l'étranger. Ces ressortissants étrangers ont généralement des demandes en cours pour des prestations d'immigration ou des changements de statut de non-citoyen. La libération conditionnelle anticipée s'obtient en remplissant une demande I-131 avant de quitter les États-Unis. Si vous ne le faites pas, vous risquez de vous voir refuser l'entrée dans le pays et de perdre toute demande en cours, ce qui n'est pas une bonne chose.
Ce que vous demandez en fin de compte, c'est de ne pas faire la queue. Étant donné que l'octroi d'une demande accélérée signifie que l'USCIS statuera sur votre demande avant les autres personnes qui ont déposé leur demande plus tôt, ils évaluent soigneusement l'urgence et le bien-fondé de chaque demande accélérée. Vous avez donc intérêt à avoir une bonne raison de ne pas faire la queue.
L'USCIS est très prudent lorsqu'il s'agit d'accéder à ces demandes, et celles-ci sont généralement rejetées. Vous devez savoir que lorsque vous demandez un ajustement ou un changement de statut à l'intérieur des États-Unis, vous serez bloqué dans le pays pour un avenir proche. C'est la règle.
Dans cette optique, l'USCIS peut envisager une demande accélérée si vous pouvez faire valoir et prouver les éléments suivants:
- Perte financière grave pour une entreprise ou une personne.
Une entreprise peut démontrer qu'elle subirait une perte financière grave si elle risque de faire faillite, de perdre un contrat important ou de devoir licencier d'autres employés. Supposons que vous puissiez prouver de manière claire et convaincante que tout votre service sera licencié si vous ne vous présentez pas à une réunion d'affaires au Brésil. D'un point de vue plus personnel, la perte d'un emploi peut suffire à établir une perte financière grave pour une personne, en fonction des circonstances individuelles. Dans le même ordre d'idées que la situation décrite ci-dessus, si l'incapacité de voyager pour le travail vous fait perdre votre emploi, cela peut justifier un traitement accéléré. J'ai bien dit "pourrait le justifier". N'oubliez pas que vous devez étayer tous vos arguments par des documents légitimes. Ainsi, il ne suffit pas de dire à l'USCIS que votre entreprise vous licenciera si vous n'assistez pas à une réunion. Vous aurez besoin d'un document de votre employeur pour étayer votre argument, qui explique clairement que votre emploi est menacé. - Urgences et raisons humanitaires urgentes
Les raisons humanitaires sont celles qui sont liées au bien-être humain. La définition de l'urgence peut varier d'une personne à l'autre. Les exemples classiques d'une "véritable urgence" sont une maladie grave, un handicap ou un besoin impérieux de voyager pour obtenir un traitement médical à l'étranger dans un laps de temps limité. Là encore, il doit s'agir d'une situation grave. Votre désir de voyager pour rendre visite à votre famille ou pour prendre des vacances nécessaires et "urgentes" ne répond pas à la définition d'une urgence.
Si vous devez voyager à l'étranger pendant que votre dossier I-131 dûment rempli est en cours, et que vous risquez de subir de graves pertes financières ou que vous avez une urgence, n'hésitez pas à nous contacter, et nous serons heureux de vous aider.
Ce blog n'est pas destiné à fournir des conseils juridiques et rien ici ne doit être interprété comme établissant une relation avocat-client. Veuillez prendre rendez-vous avec un avocat spécialisé en droit de l'immigration avant d'agir sur la base de toute information lue ici.
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Many of our clients ask if they can expedite the processing of their authorization to travel abroad. They want to visit their families, go on vacation, or care for personal affairs. When someone applies for an adjustment or change of status in the United States, the person can only leave the country once the case is adjudicated, risking being denied entry into the United States and giving up the pending application.
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Navigating the United States immigration system can be complicated and stressful, and maximizing your chances of a successful outcome can have a huge positive impact on your personal or professional life. While hiring an experienced immigration attorney is an excellent first step toward securing a positive outcome, it is vital to remember that legal representation is fundamentally a partnership. Your attorney is your advocate, but the strength and efficiency of your case rely heavily on the preparation, collaboration, and transparency you bring to the table. To help you maximize the value of your legal counsel and build a seamless, robust application package, here are five essential tips for making your partnership with an immigration attorney a genuine success. 1. Streamlining Translated Documents: The Value of Advance Preparation Submitting an immigration petition requires an extensive paper trail of supporting evidence. This often includes vital records such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, police clearance certificates, or academic transcripts. A strict, non-negotiable rule enforced by USCIS is that any document used as supporting evidence that is written in a language other than English must be accompanied by a full and complete English translation. You can proactively save significant time and keep your legal process moving forward by arranging for these translations before sending documents to your attorney. However, you cannot simply translate them yourself or have a bilingual friend write it out. USCIS requires the translator to provide a formal, written attestation. While you don’t need to hire a professional translator, the certification must explicitly state that the translator is competent to translate from the foreign language into English and that the translation is accurate, true, and complete. Having these documents translated with proper written attestations beforehand allows your attorney to begin analyzing your evidence and compiling your packet immediately without administrative delays. 2. Understanding Legal Fees vs. USCIS Filing Fees Like any legal process, immigration law matters are expensive, and they involve two distinct types of cost- understanding these can help you to budget properly and avoid unnecessary friction or delays. When entering into a legal retainer agreement, it is crucial to recognize the operational difference between the legal fees charged by your law firm and the administrative filing fees mandated by the U.S. government: Legal Fees: These fees are paid directly to your immigration attorney for their professional expertise, time, legal labor, and ongoing representation. This covers strategy formulation, document drafting, compilation of the legal brief, and managing communications with government agencies. A good attorney will be clear about how much things will cost, at what point you will need to pay them, and why the costs may vary for certain situations (such as expediting a case to meet a deadline). USCIS Fees: These are flat filing fees established by the U.S. government to process specific immigration forms. These fees are mandatory regardless of whether you hire an attorney, and they are generally non-refundable—meaning the government keeps the money even if your application is ultimately denied. It is also important to remember that these fees will be charged to your account shortly after your case is filed, so make sure you have the requisite amount available in your account to avoid your filing being rejected due to payment failure. Review your legal contract carefully to ensure you understand how both fee types are structured. Your attorney will explicitly instruct you on how and when government fees must be paid, which typically requires separate checks, money orders, or specific credit card authorization forms made out directly to the "U.S. Department of Homeland Security." 3. Submitting Your Documents Properly When preparing documents for your attorney, ensure that they are properly scanned using a scanner or a dedicated mobile scanning app. If you must take photos of a document using a smartphone, ensure the camera is perfectly level, the lighting is bright and even, and the image displays the entire document —including all four corners, edges, and margins. Blurry, skewed, or cropped images look unprofessional and raise immediate red flags regarding document alteration. Furthermore, pay absolute attention to signature requirements. While electronic signatures are standard in commercial business, USCIS enforces strict guidelines. 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Clients are occasionally hesitant to disclose past complications, such as a prior visa denial, an unauthorized period of employment, an arrest or citation, or previous marriages. Concealing these facts from your attorney is incredibly risky. The U.S. government possesses expansive domestic and international databases and will uncover this information during background checks. If your attorney is blindsided by an undisclosed adverse fact mid-process, they cannot prepare a proactive legal defense, alternative strategy, or necessary waiver in advance. Remember that your disclosures are entirely protected by attorney-client privilege; your attorney is there to solve your problems, not to judge them! 5. Managing Expectations: Why Attorneys Cannot Guarantee Outcomes One of the most foundational elements of a healthy attorney-client relationship is alignment on expectations. 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Trust the counsel who gives you an honest assessment of your case's strengths and potential vulnerabilities, rather than empty promises. Conclusion: A Collaborative Approach to Success Achieving your immigration goals is a shared responsibility. Treat your application with the seriousness it deserves, work hand-in-hand with your legal counsel, and you will set yourself on the most reliable path to success. If you are ready to take action on your case and are seeking a competent, experienced, and trustworthy immigration attorney to work with you towards the outcome you are looking for, please contact us today and we will be ready to assist you.
