Monday, June 29, 2015

Orphan Gets Green Card



Former INS Trial Attorney Carl Shusterman (1976-82) explains how a 16-year-old orphan from Canada was allowed to obtain a green card. Schedule a legal consultation (by Skype, telephone or in person) at http://shusterman.com/schedule-immigration-consultation.html

One afternoon, I received a phone call from a newspaper reporter about a teenager in Canada named Guy Taylor whose mother had died unexpectedly.  He never knew his father.  His grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all lived in Southern California.  He called his grandmother who immediately flew up to Vancouver to get her daughter's body and to bring her grandson to the US to live with her and her husband.

The INS was reluctant to allow Guy to enter the US, but eventually granted him a "humanitarian parole" good for one year.

I got involved in the case and quickly learned that there was no legal solution.  Since Guy was already 16 years old, even if his relatives adopted him, US immigration laws would not let them sponsor him for a green card.

The only possible solution was a huge long shot: getting a private bill through both the Senate and the House of Representatives and then signed by the President.

After we succeeded in getting a lot of publicity for our client, Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced a private bill in the US Senate on Guy's behalf.  This bill was ultimately signed by President Bill Clinton, and Guy became a green card holder.

As soon as Guy got his green card, he immediately joined the US Army.  He is now a proud citizen of the United States..

Please see http://shusterman.com/canadianorphangetsgreencard.html

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