Cris is a paralegal with our office who is known for her compassion, kindness, and tech savvy. Cris has been with the firm for 4 years. She is a pro with preparing U-visas, VAWA self-petitions, I-751 petitions, family petitions, fiance visas, naturalization cases and more. Originally from Cuba, Cris immigrated to the U.S. at age 14. Cris is a supermom to three handsome boys, and with a seemingly endless reserve of patience, she makes balancing work/mom life look easy. Cris is fluent in Spanish. […]
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Our Team, Paralegal Elizabeth “Liz” Batista
Liz is a senior paralegal with the Law Office of Karen Winston who brings smarts, passion, and excellence to everything she does. Liz has been a part of our team for 5 years and is highly experienced in #waiver cases, family petitions, #adjustment of status, consular processing, removal of conditions, naturalization, DACA, and humanitarian forms of relief. Originally from Mexico, Liz has lived in the U.S. for over 14 years. Liz is a new mom, a loving wife, and an awesome cook. She is fluent in Spanish. […]
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How can the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) help an abused spouse obtain lawful permanent residence (green card)?
Under VAWA, noncitizen victims of domestic violence may “self-petition” for U.S. residence without the cooperation of an abusive spouse. Victims may also self-petition if they are divorced as long as the marriage to the abusive spouse was terminated within two years of filing the petition. An approved VAWA self-petition provides the applicant with work authorization, […]
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5 Common Myths about the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitions
The abuse must be physical. One requirement to qualify under VAWA is that the petitioner has been subjected to battery or extreme cruelty. Domestic violence may be physical, but verbal abuse or emotional abuse are also forms of domestic violence and depending on the specific circumstances, may amount to extreme cruelty. Only women qualify for […]
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What is the Current Status of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)?
The fate of over 650,000 young immigrants, who are American in every way except for being undocumented, rests in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. Although the DACA program is flawed in that it does not offer a pathway to permanent status in the U.S., it is critical as it protects its recipients from […]
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Frequently Asked Questions about President Trump’s April 22nd Presidential Proclamation on Immigration
When does the order go into effect? The order goes into effect April 23, 2020 at 11:59 pm and is effective for 60 days, although it may be modified at any time. What does the order do? Temporarily suspends new immigration into the U.S. for certain categories of people who are not already in the […]
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