Visa U Ajuste de Estatus y Ciudadanía Estadounidense
Denice Flores • August 3, 2023
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¡Si su visa U fue aprobada, puede ser elegible para solicitar convertirse en residente permanente legal de los Estados Unidos y convertirse en ciudadano estadounidense! Aquí está lo que necesitas saber:
A un individuo con estatus de No Inmigrante U (U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-5), se le otorga un permiso de trabajo por 4 años bajo la categoría de visa U (A19) o (A20), esta es la “visa U”. La persona debe tener su estatus de no inmigrante U durante al menos 3 años, a partir de la fecha en que fue aprobado, para ser elegible para solicitar una green card y convertirse en residente permanente legal ("LPR") de los Estados Unidos. Este proceso también se conoce como “ajuste de estatus”.
Tenga en cuenta que al solicitar convertirse en LPR y ciudadano estadounidense ("USC"), el solicitante debe
seguir siendo una persona de buen carácter moral. Esto significa que el solicitante debe evitar meterse en cualquier tipo de problema con la ley, para ser considerado una persona de buen carácter moral y un buen candidato para convertirse en LPR y USC.
Después de tener una visa U durante 3 años, el destinatario de la visa U debe solicitar convertirse en un LPR con los Servicios de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los EE. UU. ("USCIS"). Es importante tener en consideración que si un destinatario de la visa U solicita convertirse en LPR durante el tiempo que todavía tiene la visa U vigente y válida, su estatus de no inmigrante U se extiende automáticamente hasta que USCIS emita una decisión sobre la solicitud de ajuste de estatus. Esto significa que incluso si el permiso de trabajo de la visa U vence, el solicitante todavía tiene estatus de no inmigrante U hasta que USCIS emita una decisión para la solicitud de ajuste de estatus. El solicitante puede demostrar que todavía tiene el estatus proporcionando su permiso de trabajo con visa U y el Aviso de recibo del Formulario I-485, Solicitud de ajuste de estatus. (El formulario I-485 es la solicitud de tarjeta verde para convertirse en LPR).
Algunas de las pruebas que deben incluirse con la solicitud para ajustar el estatus a un LPR son pruebas documentales que demuestren que el solicitante ha residido en los EE. UU. durante el tiempo que ha tenido la visa U (al menos 3 años). Algunos ejemplos de evidencia para demostrar esto incluyen los talones de pago de empleo del solicitante, contratos de arrendamiento/alquiler, facturas de servicios públicos, estados de cuenta bancarios, declaraciones de impuestos sobre la renta y fotografías.
Como beneficiario de una visa U y solicitante de ajuste de estatus, una diferencia en este proceso es que generalmente no se requiere que el solicitante asista a entrevista ante USCIS. Esto significa que el solicitante recibirá su decisión por correo, así como su tarjeta de Residente Permanente, en caso tal se aprobase.
Después de que el solicitante ajusta su estatus a un LPR, el solicitante debe mantener la residencia permanente legal durante 5 años en los EE. UU., para ser elegible para solicitar la ciudadanía estadounidense. Al solicitar la ciudadanía estadounidense, el solicitante será entrevistado y deberá cumplir con todos los demás requisitos de elegibilidad (prueba de educación cívica, prueba de inglés, prueba de escritura) como la mayoría de los demás solicitantes que solicitan la ciudadanía estadounidense.
Tenga en cuenta que un titular de visa U que solicita convertirse en LPR y luego en USC no requiere un patrocinador o peticionario. Más bien, el solicitante es un auto peticionario, lo que significa que está solicitando por su cuenta para obtener un estatus legal en los EE. UU.
Si tiene alguna inquietud sobre cómo solicitar su tarjeta de Residente Permanente, y luego la ciudadanía, como beneficiario de una visa U, programe una consulta con uno de nuestros abogados experimentados en el área.
Esperamos con interés trabajar con usted.
Este blog no busca constituir una asesoría legal y nada de lo que aquí lea debe interpretarse como el establecimiento de una relación abogado-cliente. Programe una consulta con un abogado de inmigración antes de actuar basado en cualquier información contenida en el presente.
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Denice Flores
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A letter from USCIS asking for more evidence can be unsettling, especially after months of waiting. A Request for Evidence, commonly called an RFE, gives you an opportunity to address questions about your immigration application or petition. It is not a final denial, but it requires a timely and carefully prepared response.
You attend your visa interview expecting a clear answer, then check your case online and see the word “Refused.” For someone planning to reunite with family, begin a job, or return to an established life in the United States, that message can be unsettling.
An artist receives an invitation to join a new production. A business professional is offered a consulting role alongside an existing position. A musician wants to perform for several organizers during the same season. For professionals whose careers involve multiple projects, an important immigration question often follows: can an O-1B visa cover work for more than one employer? The answer can be yes, but the employment arrangements must be covered by the appropriate petition structure. An O-1B approval does not provide unrestricted permission to accept any job in the United States. Your approved work arrangements matter The O-1B category allows qualifying individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement to work in their area of expertise. However, eligibility based on professional accomplishments is only part of the case. The petition must also establish the proposed work and the relationship between the professional and the petitioner. Before accepting an additional position, your attorney should review who filed the existing petition, the work it covers, and how the proposed opportunity fits into that arrangement. A valid visa and an unexpired approval notice do not answer those questions on their own. Separate employers or an agent petition When an O-1B beneficiary works for multiple employers during the same period, each employer generally files a separate petition unless an established U.S. agent files a petition covering the arrangement. An agent petition can be useful when a professional’s work involves several employers or engagements. Depending on the arrangement, the agent may act as an actual employer as well or only represent the employers and the professional. The petition must document the agent’s role and the proposed employment. For an agent petition involving multiple employers, the supporting documents include contracts and an itinerary identifying the engagements, their dates, the actual employers, and the locations where services will be performed. Your attorney will determine the documentation needed for your particular structure. A new opportunity may require another filing If you change employers while in the United States, a new petition is generally required. When the original case was filed through an agent, an amended petition may be necessary to address the new employer. Material changes to the approved employment terms can also require an amendment. There is a specific provision allowing petitioners for artists and entertainers to add qualifying performances or engagements during the petition’s validity without an amended petition. That flexibility should not be treated as blanket permission to change employers or accept unrelated work. Your attorney should assess whether it applies to the proposed engagement. Review the opportunity before agreeing to a start date A promising offer can come with a short deadline. Sharing the proposed contract, duties, employer information, and anticipated dates with your attorney early can help clarify the immigration requirements before business commitments are made. Your attorney will confirm whether the work is already covered, whether another petition is needed, and when you may begin. Do not assume that submitting a new petition automatically authorizes work for the new employer. Contact Santos Lloyd Law Firm, P.C. If you believe you may qualify for the O-1B status and to discuss a filing strategy that fits your professional plans.
