Practice Areas and Legal Definitions


Non-Immigrant Work Visas (H-1B, L1, O, P, Q, etc.):
Non-immigrant work visas (H-1B, L1, O, P, Q) require a CIS-approved petition from a U.S. sponsor.

The most common work-related visas are H-1B Visas and L1 Visas. The H-1B is a way to bring foreign-born professionals to the United States for a period of up to six years. A sponsor is required and the employment may only start up when the new employee is in the United States. The L1- Visa is for people working for an employer abroad for one year in a related business entity in a manager, executive or specialized knowledge staff capacity, and who will come to the United States to continue providing services for his or her employer. Visas can include:

• H1B (petition-based) Temporary worker in a specialty occupation
• H1C (petition-based) Registered nurses
• H2A (petition-based) Temporary worker performing agricultural services unavailable in the United States
• H2B (petition-based) Temporary worker performing non-agricultural services unavailable in the United States H3 (petition-based) Industrial trainee
• H4 (petition-based) Dependent of H1, H2 or H3
• L1 (petition-based) Intra-company transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with an international firm or corporation)
• L2 (petition-based) Dependent of L1
• O1 (petition-based) Aliens with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics
• O2 (petition-based) Aliens accompanying and assisting the above in a professional capacity
• O3 (petition-based) Dependent of O1 or O2
• P1 (petition-based) Athletes and entertainers for a specific competition or performance
• P2 (petition-based) Athletes and entertainers participating in reciprocal exchange program
• P3 (petition-based) Artists and entertainers performing under a program that is culturally unique
• P4 (petition-based) Dependent of P1, P2 or P3
• Q (petition-based) International cultural exchange visitor

Labor Certification / PERM (workers seeking to obtain permanent residence in USA):

Labor Certification - Companies that need qualified workers, but are unable to find enough U.S. workers to fill those positions, can use the labor certification process to sponsor workers from other countries. In most cases, these workers have specific medical skills, technical ability and bilingual experience and work in occupations like engineering, medicine, teaching, computer science or research.
It is critical that each application is meticulously prepared, all deadlines are met, all references are verified, data is exact and everything documented is in accordance with all current laws. The types of immigration law work employees and employers may require can include, but is not limited to:

• EB1 - National Interest Waiver, Alien Of Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Professor Or Researcher, Multinational Executive
• EB2 - Member Of Profession Holding An Advanced Degree Or Alien Of Exceptional Ability
• EB3 - Skilled Worker Or Professional
• EB4 - Any Other Worker
• EB5 - Immigrant Investor
• H-2A – Seasonal Worker Visas
• H-2B - Other Seasonal Work Visas

PERM (workers seeking to obtain permanent residence in USA) - A Permanent Resident is an alien admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident. Permanent residents are also commonly referred to as immigrants; however, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) broadly defines an immigrant as any alien in the United States, except one legally admitted under specific nonimmigrant categories (INA section 101(a) (15)). An illegal alien who entered the United States without inspection, for example, would be strictly defined as an immigrant under the INA, but is not a permanent resident alien. Lawful permanent residents are legally accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States. They may be issued immigrant visas by the Department of State overseas or adjusted to permanent resident status by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the United States.


Treaty-Trader or Treaty-Investor Visas:
Treaty-trader or treaty-investor visas (E1/E2) can be applied for directly by the individual as long as he or she is from a country with which the United States has a treaty.

• E1 Treaty trader, spouse and children
• E2 Treaty investor, spouse and children

TN visas:
When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was implemented on January 1, 1994, a category for Mexican and Canadian professionals was created to allow for temporary entry into the United States.

Under the NAFTA, Mexican and Canadian professionals are now eligible for Trade NAFTA (TN) status. Under TN status, Mexican and Canadian citizens in certain professions may enter the United States to work for a U.S. company on a temporary basis. Eligible professionals may also work for Mexican and Canadian companies in the United States.

In order to qualify for TN status, the applicant must be intending to be involved in a profession listed in Appendix 1603.D.1 of NAFTA and the applicant must possess the required credentials to be considered a "professional”. In most, but not all of the listed professions, a bachelor's degree or better is usually required. However, the list of eligible professions also includes occupations which do not necessarily require a bachelor's degree as a minimum requirement. Examples of these occupations are management consultants, hotel managers, librarians and graphic designers. The requirements for each of these categories appear in Appendix 1603.D.l of NAFTA.





Immediate Relative Petitions (Parents, Spouses, Unmarried Children Under Age 21):
Parents, spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age of U.S. Citizens are considered immediate relatives and are not placed under a quota system.


Preference Petitions (All Other Relatives):
The Preference Petition is for Alien Relatives and it applies to mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and children. Parents, spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age of U.S. Citizens are considered immediate relatives and are not placed under a quota system. The others are placed into preference order which determines who is given priority entry into the United States:

• First preference: Unmarried adult (21 years of age or older) sons/daughters of US citizens
• Second preference: Spouses of lawful permanent residents and unmarried sons and daughters of lawful permanent residents
• Third preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
• Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens

This process can take a very long time (several years) depending upon the preference ranking. The most current online visa bulletin will give those who are waiting an idea of how long they must wait for their immigration application or green card to be granted.


Fiancé / Fiancée visas:
For those seeking to bring a fiancé or fiancée to the United States, a K-1 visa application will allow the fiancé (e) to enter the United States. Both parties must be unmarried, legally divorced or annulled, or widowed. The marriage must take place within 90 days of entry into the United States.


Marriage-Based Visas:
Spouses are considered immediate relatives and are not placed under a quota system.


Citizenship / Naturalization:
Naturalization is the process by which a foreign person becomes a U.S. citizen. Almost everyone who goes through naturalization must first have held a green card for several years. A naturalized U.S. citizen has virtually the same rights as a native-born American citizen.

Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is conferred upon a foreign citizen or national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The general requirements for administrative naturalization include:

• a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States;
• residence in a particular USCIS District prior to filing;
• an ability to read, write and speak English;
• a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government;
• good moral character;
• attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution; and,
• favorable disposition toward the United States.

All naturalization applicants must demonstrate good moral character, attachment and favorable disposition. The other naturalization requirements may be modified or waived for certain applicants, such as spouses of U.S. citizens.


International Adoptions:
International Adoptions involve children who were born in another country, other than where the adoptive parents reside or are citizens. These adoptions not only involve the normal State and Federal laws that apply to all adoptions, but they also involve the laws of foreign countries and international treaties, they require immigration approvals from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.


Consular Processing:
If an individual is in another country, he or she may apply for a visa or green card in the U.S. embassy of his or her home country. Attorney Timothy Gambacorta is able to facilitate all of the paperwork and applications and contact the consular officers to facilitate approval of the application.





Deportation/Removal Defense:
Deportation (or removal) occurs when an alien is found to have violated certain immigration laws, consequences being that the alien forfeits his or her right to remain in the U.S., and is usually barred from returning.

If the DHS believes that you should be removed or deported from the United States, or an individual is found "inadmissible" to the United States, the DHS will issue a piece of paper called a "Notice to Appear" or "NTA" which initiates court proceedings to determine if an individual is removable, deportable or inadmissible from the United States. An Immigration Judge presides over these court proceedings which are held at US Immigration Courts across the country. These are formal court hearings and should be taken very seriously as your immigration record may be permanently affected and you can be physically deported from the United States. Only an Immigration Judge can determine if you are removable, deportable or inadmissible and whether you have relief from removal. If the Immigration Judge denies relief, you may appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals which has jurisdiction over decisions made by Immigration Judges.

Criminal Deportation/Removal Defense:
Immigrants in the United States who have been charged or convicted of a crime can be subsequently placed in deportation or removal proceedings. Since September 30, 1996, with the passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, (Pub. L. No. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009 "IIRAIRA"), the rights of aliens in the United States have been severely curtailed when past criminal conduct is a factor. Crimes that previously did not cause immigration consequences can now trigger deportation proceedings against an alien. Crimes as serious as murder, and as minor as shoplifting, can result in deportation.

There are three agencies, which may have jurisdiction or input into a deportation or removal proceeding:

• USCIS – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (for green cards and citizenship)
• ICE – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(for deportations and investigations)
• CBP – U.S. Customs and Border Protection(for airport and border crossing issues)

Asylum/Withholding of Removal/Protection under U.N. Torture Convention:
Asylum may be granted to people who are already in the United States and are unwilling or unable to return to their home country because of persecution or a well-founded fear or persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. As of 1996, persons in the United States have one calendar year to apply for asylum, unless the conditions of the country of persecution change or there are exceptional circumstances.

Withholding of removal is similar to asylum and is usually applied for with asylum. Withholding of removal allows an alien to stay in the U.S. if he or she would face persecution in his or her own country. Withholding of removal doesn’t require a one year filing deadline and does not lead to legal permanent residence in the U.S.

The United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is an international human rights program, which is governed by the United Nations, it was created to prevent torture around the world.

The Convention requires states to take effective measures to prevent torture within their borders, and forbids states to return people to their home country if there is reason to believe they will be tortured.

The Convention was created by the United Nations on December 10th, 1984.


Waivers of Inadmissibility:
An Application for a Waiver of Inadmissibility is an application for legal entry to the United States made by an individual who is otherwise inadmissible on one or more grounds. The application is submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a Bureau of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).


Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”):
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary immigration status granted to eligible nationals of designated countries (or parts thereof). In 1990, as part of the Immigration Act of 1990 (“IMMACT”), P.L. 101-649, Congress established a procedure by which the Attorney General may provide TPS to aliens in the United States who are temporarily unable to safely return to their home country because of ongoing armed conflict, an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. On March 1, 2003, pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296, the authority to designate a country (or part thereof) for TPS, and to extend and terminate TPS designations, was transferred from the Attorney General to the Secretary of Homeland Security. At the same time, responsibility for administering the TPS program was transferred from the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (Service) to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

During the period for which a country has been designated for TPS, TPS beneficiaries may remain in the United States and may obtain work authorization. However, TPS does not lead to permanent resident status. When the Secretary terminates a TPS designation, beneficiaries revert to the same immigration status they maintained before TPS (unless that status had since expired or been terminated) or to any other status they may have acquired while registered for TPS. Accordingly, if an alien had unlawful status prior to receiving TPS and did not obtain any status during the TPS designation, the alien reverts to unlawful status upon the termination of that TPS designation.


Administrative Appeals/Federal Court Litigation:
The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA or Board) is the highest administrative body for interpreting and applying immigration laws. The Board has been given nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals from certain decisions rendered by Immigration Judges and by District Directors of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a wide variety of proceedings in which the Government of the United States is one party and the other party is either an alien, a citizen or a business. In addition, the Board is responsible for the recognition of organizations and accreditation of representatives requesting permission to practice before DHS, the Immigration Courts and the Board.

Decisions of the Board are binding on all DHS officers and Immigration Judges unless modified or overruled by the Attorney General or a Federal court. All Board decisions are subject to judicial review in the Federal courts. The majority of appeals reaching the Board involve orders of removal and applications for relief from removal. Other cases before the Board include the exclusion of aliens applying for admission to the United States, petitions to classify the status of alien relatives for the issuance of preference immigrant visas, fines imposed upon carriers for the violation of immigration laws, and motions for reopening and reconsideration of decisions previously rendered.

While most immigration matters involve administrative court proceedings at the US Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals, federal courts such as the Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts have jurisdiction over very significant immigration matters.

If you or someone you love needs the assistance of an experienced Phoenix, Arizona Immigration lawyer, call Timothy A. Gambacorta today at 866-654-8398, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule a consultation.

If you or someone you love needs the assistance of an experienced Phoenix, Arizona Immigration lawyer, call Timothy A. Gambacorta today at 866-654-8398, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule a consultation.

ADDRESS OF THE FIRM:
THE GAMBACORTA LAW OFFICE LLC
668 North 44th Street, Suite 300
Phoenix, Arizona 85008
Phone: 866-654-8398
Hours: Monday-Saturday, by appointment only

MEMBERS OF THE FIRM:

Attorney Timothy A. Gambacorta

THE GAMBACORTA LAW OFFICE LLC was founded by Attorney Timothy A. Gambacorta. Before being admitted to practice in the year 2003, Mr. Gambacorta worked at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. where he assisted in the negotiation of maritime treaties with international bodies like the International Labor Organization and International Maritime Organization. The aim of these negotiations was to essentially re-draft the treaties to implement post-September 11, 2001, security measures in the face of promoting worker rights. Before that, Mr. Gambacorta worked at the U.S. Coast Guard in the International & Maritime law division where he also worked on public immigration legal matters.

• Date Admitted to the Bar: 2003
• Education: University of Arizona, Bachelors of Art in History, 1995; University of Illinois at Chicago, Masters in Education, 1999; Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 2002.
• Biography: Recipient, U.S. Department of State Certificate of Appreciation re: international human rights work, 2002.
  
• Languages: English and Thai