Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.2026-09-02T09:15:08Zhttps://www.immiglawus.com/feed/atom/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/sites/1103435/2023/10/cropped-site-icon-32x32.pngOn Behalf of Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.<![CDATA[3 common mistakes on the US citizenship application]]>https://www.immiglawus.com/?p=2568702026-09-02T09:15:08Z2026-09-02T09:15:08ZUnreported travel history outside the US
You must list every trip outside the country that lasted 24 hours or longer during your 3-year or 5-year residency period. Quick trips that take less than one day do not count as days outside the country. You can look at several personal papers to verify your dates:
Passports and stamps
Airline ticket receipts
Bank statements showing foreign purchases
Checking these items helps you prove your required time inside the country.
Unresolved tax or financial obligations
Failing to pay taxes can hurt your application. Owning back taxes or falling behind on court-ordered child support can lead to a denial for lack of good moral character.
Officers allow you to show proof if you have a valid reason or an active payment plan. Gathering payment records helps show you follow the rules:
IRS payment plan agreements
State tax payment receipts
Court records for monthly child support payments
Showing these official documents keeps your application moving forward.
Omission of minor criminal or traffic records
You must report all arrests, citations and expunged records on Form N-400. Leaving out a past arrest looks like a lie to the government, which creates worse trouble than the original incident.
Traffic fines under $500 do not require court papers, but you must still list them on the form. Having certified court papers ready helps clear up past issues:
Receipts for paid traffic tickets
Official court dismissal papers
Expungement orders from a judge
Bringing these papers to your interview helps you answer questions with confidence.
Steps to secure your citizenship approval
If you have questions about your travel, taxes or past records, speak with an experienced immigration lawyer before you file Form N-400. Professional legal support helps you fix potential issues early and prepares you for a smooth interview.
]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.<![CDATA[Can the government revoke my U.S. citizenship years later?]]>https://www.immiglawus.com/?p=2568682026-08-28T09:06:43Z2026-08-28T09:06:43ZWhat does it mean to have your citizenship revoked?
Denaturalization is when the government takes away someone's citizenship. This is not the same as choosing to give up your citizenship on your own. It happens when the government goes to federal court and argues that you never should have received citizenship in the first place.
A letter from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) alone cannot take your citizenship away. It requires a judge.
When can the government take away your citizenship?
There are two main reasons this can happen:
Providing false information during application: If you left out information that would have disqualified you, such as a serious criminal record, the government can use that against you later. The hidden information must have actually mattered to whether you should have been approved.
Naturalization was obtained illegally: This means you did not meet the legal requirements at the time you were approved, even if no one caught it right away.
One important note: an honest mistake is not the same as intentional fraud. The government must prove you deliberately lied, not that you simply forgot something. Also, if a parent's citizenship is revoked, their children who got citizenship through that parent may also be affected.
What is happening right now?
In June 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it is making denaturalization a higher priority than it has been in decades. This does not mean every naturalized citizen is at risk. However, if there are any concerns about your application or history, now is a good time to review your situation.
What can you do to protect yourself?
The best protection is honesty. If you were truthful when you applied, your citizenship is on solid ground. That said, if you receive any notice from USCIS or the DOJ about your citizenship, do not ignore it. Speaking with an immigration attorney as soon as possible may make a real difference in protecting what you have worked so hard to earn.
]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.<![CDATA[Can your spouse legally threaten to cancel a pending green card application? ]]>https://www.immiglawus.com/?p=2568652026-08-19T17:45:01Z2026-08-20T04:00:50ZSponsorship withdrawal and your pending case
A U.S. citizen or permanent resident can withdraw an I-130 petition before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) decides it and, in some cases, after its approval. The petitioner typically sends a signed request with details and receipt numbers to the office handling it. If USCIS accepts the withdrawal, your adjustment case can lose the petition needed for approval.
However, your spouse cannot deport you or revoke permanent residence that the government has granted. Moving out of the home also does not automatically end your pending adjustment case. You need not stay in an unsafe home solely to protect your application.
What immigration protections could remain available?
A spouse threatening to cancel green card sponsorship may cause real fear. Yet withdrawal does not always close every path. Immigration options for abused spouses may depend on your status and facts. Some choices include:
A VAWA self-petition: The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) generally allows an abused spouse of a citizen or permanent resident to file Form I-360. Both men and women can file without the abuser’s knowledge or consent.
Adjustment based on VAWA: If you qualify, you may file Form I-485 or ask USCIS to transfer a pending application to the VAWA basis. Timing, visa availability and other rules often shape this path.
Protection for your current residency: Separate rules may apply if USCIS granted you conditional or full permanent residence. Divorce or separation alone does not automatically let a former partner revoke that status.
These federal remedies often focus on immigration status. State law can offer separate protection. In Pennsylvania, domestic violence laws generally cover certain relatives, household members and intimate partners. A protection from abuse order includes no-contact terms and temporary custody.
How confidential support can protect your independence
A VAWA self-petition generally requires proof of several eligibility factors. You often need to show a qualifying relationship, good-faith marriage and battery or extreme cruelty. Health records, police reports, witness statements and financial papers might support your case.
An immigration attorney may assess your proof and withdrawal risk. The lawyer can help you request a change from the family-based case to a confidential VAWA filing. Counsel may ask USCIS to send all mail to a safe address so your partner is less likely to see it. If the filing stage and other rules allow, the attorney could seek an independent Employment Authorization Document (EAD). This work permit may provide a way to earn income without your spouse’s support.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.<![CDATA[What is a crime involving moral turpitude?]]>https://www.immiglawus.com/?p=2568622026-08-16T19:16:38Z2026-08-16T19:16:37Z“crime involving moral turpitude” (CIMT). There is no singular list of offenses that qualify. It depends on the nature of the offense, the applicable law and how it’s interpreted.
Why does a CIMT matter for immigration?
CIMTs are usually described as offenses that go against society’s rules of honesty, decency or good behavior. They often involve conduct such as fraud, theft or intentional harm to another person.
However, the analysis is more complicated than whether a crime seems “bad.” An offense that sounds serious may not necessarily be a CIMT, while an offense that seems relatively minor could have significant consequences on a person’s immigration status.
Offenses that are likely to raise CIMT concerns include:
Forgery
Identity theft
Tax fraud
Aggravated assault
Robbery
A CIMT can affect a person’s admission to the United States, their visa application, permanent resident status process or their path to citizenship. It can also result in deportation proceedings.
The consequences of a CIMT can also depend on factors such as the number of convictions, the sentence imposed and when the offense occurred. There are a couple of circumstances in which a person may avoid certain immigration consequences despite having a conviction for a CIMT:
The petty offense exception
The youthful offender exception
A criminal charge and a criminal conviction aren’t necessarily treated the same way under immigration law. However, in some situations, conduct that didn’t result in a conviction can still create immigration concerns. Therefore, noncitizens should take criminal charges seriously. It’s wise to get experienced legal guidance.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.<![CDATA[What is a green card marriage interview?]]>https://www.immiglawus.com/?p=2568592026-07-30T18:34:18Z2026-07-30T18:34:18ZA green card marriage interview is a meeting you may need to have with immigration officials when you are seeking permanent residency on the basis of your marital status. Your spouse may be a U.S. citizen, for example, while you came to the United States on a student visa or an employment visa. To keep your family together, the government may issue you a green card.
The goal of the interview, then, is simply to establish that your relationship is genuine and authentic. The government is concerned about green card marriage fraud. They do not want couples who are not actually in a romantic relationship to pretend that they are married so that one person can obtain a green card. During the interview, the officials just want to see that you are in a true relationship and that the green card is warranted.
You cannot study for the interview
What this means is that, while you can prepare in advance, there is nothing to study. There is no set list of questions you are going to be asked. With a naturalization test, there is a civics component where you will be asked questions about history and government procedures, so you can study. But a green card marriage interview is different.Often, what the officials are really looking for is simply that you and your spouse give consistent answers that make sense for your relationship. The questions posed may be relatively basic, like asking how you divide roles in the home, where you like to go out to eat, where you went on your first date or if you have plans to have children in the future. As long as you both provide consistent answers, that can show that you have an authentic relationship.Navigating the immigration process can be complex. If you run into any complications, it can be very helpful to work with an experienced immigration attorney.
]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.<![CDATA[If you have a green card, can you travel abroad?]]>https://www.immiglawus.com/?p=2568562026-07-22T15:32:47Z2026-07-22T15:32:47ZYou immigrated to the United States and started a new life with your spouse, who is a U.S. citizen. The two of you got married, and you were able to attain a green card through that marriage. You are now a permanent resident.
However, even though your family situation is stable in the U.S., you still have other family members who live in your home country. You would like to go visit them, but you are naturally worried about your status. Are you able to travel outside of the country when you have a green card, and will you face any complications returning?
Short-term trips and reentry permits
There are two main things to know. The first is that brief travel should not have any impact on your status as a permanent resident. If you want to go to your home country and visit your family for a week over the holidays, for example, that should not be a problem. You do want to ensure that you have all the correct documentation with you, but you are certainly legally allowed to leave the country and then return.For long-term trips, such as those lasting more than 12 months, a reentry permit may be necessary. You can get this by using Form I-131.The issue is that an extended absence could put your green card in jeopardy if the government believes that you have abandoned your status or never actually intended to remain in the U.S. By getting a reentry permit, you demonstrate that you do intend to stay in the country, and you give yourself the necessary documentation to return.It is very natural to be concerned about your status, and you do not want to do anything that would compromise the new life that you are building in the U.S. That is why it can be very helpful to work with an experienced immigration attorney to obtain all of the proper paperwork.
]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.<![CDATA[Could losing your job lead to deportation?]]>https://www.immiglawus.com/?p=2568542026-07-09T14:33:43Z2026-07-09T14:33:43ZDepending on the type of visa you have, losing your job could put you in violation of that visa. For instance, perhaps you applied for an H-1B employment visa. You do have to maintain employment, so if you get fired or laid off, it could mean that you have not upheld the terms of your visa.
This does not mean that you will be deported immediately, of course. But it may mean that you are out of status because you are technically in violation of the visa, and failure to rectify that status issue is what could eventually lead to your removal from the United States.
There is a grace period
The important thing to note about an H-1B visa is that it comes with a grace period. You typically have 60 days in which to find another job before you are counted as being out of status.After all, the government does understand that people lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Perhaps you were offered a position with a company that went out of business after you arrived in the United States. Perhaps that company ran into financial issues and had to lay off a large number of employees, even though you had technically done an exemplary job working for the business.In cases like this, it is not as if you have chosen to violate the terms of the visa. Rather, you are simply reacting to the things that are happening to you. The grace period gives you a chance to proactively address this by seeking other employment, protecting your livelihood and your ability to legally remain in the United States.It is very important to understand the terms of your visa and what types of issues could make deportation a risk. You also need to know exactly what legal options you have while navigating these challenges.
]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.<![CDATA[Can a DUI in Pennsylvania affect immigration status?]]>https://www.immiglawus.com/?p=2568522026-06-29T12:54:22Z2026-07-08T12:45:09ZDenial or deportation risk
In Pennsylvania, the law usually classifies first-time DUI as an ungraded misdemeanor. Provided there are no aggravating factors, a first-time drunken driving instance is not a deportable offense. Influences such as minors in the vehicle and accidents involving death or injury can turn misdemeanors into felonies. A felony puts you at a much higher risk for deportation.
First-time drunken driving may not be automatically deportable, but may earn you more scrutiny. Travel may become significantly more difficult at Customs as they can question you for your DUI. As a conviction permanently stays on your criminal record for immigration purposes unless vacated for legal defects, anyone who has access may view it. In addition, immigration authorities will still consider it a conviction.
Even a first-time offense may bar you from your goal to attain US citizenship. One naturalization criterion is Good Moral Character (GMC). GMC pertains to the ability to adhere to US standards of moral conduct. USCIS officers review your criminal record to assess your eligibility— so DUIs may result in application denials on the grounds of your GMC.
Specific state consequences
Each state has different laws on DUI penalties. Pennsylvania uses a three-tiered Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) system to classify the severity of drunken driving offenses. The three tiers of the system correspond to three ranges of drunkenness, as follows:
General Impairment (0.08 - 0.099% BAC): The lowest tier carries the lightest penalties but still creates a criminal record that can make life hard for immigrants.
High Rate (0.10 - 0.159% BAC): High Rate drunken driving offenses carry noticeably more severe penalties than General Impairment. First time offenders risk facing jail time and a yearlong license suspension.
Highest Rate (≥ 0.16% BAC): The highest tier of DUI can turn into felonies for a third or subsequent offense. Immigrants are at the highest risk of deportation with this tier of drunken driving offense.
Prior convictions (and refusals to take alcohol tests) can trigger worse penalties. In Pennsylvania, many influential aspects (i.e., aggravating factors) can result in worse charges. Depending on your DUI classification, immigration risks resulting from penalties can vary in severity.
Approaching possible DUI charges
A DUI conviction in Pennsylvania can impact your immigration status. When facing possible charges, you need to act quickly. Driving privileges, legal records and immigration status are at stake. If it is your first offense, look into your eligibility for the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program. Successful completion of the program may allow you to drop the criminal charge from your record, though it must still be disclosed to immigration authorities.
You may want to seek an experienced immigration law professional to advocate for you during crucial court processes. They can assist you in determining possible pathways for your defense.
]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.<![CDATA[How to defend yourself against deportation in Pennsylvania]]>https://www.immiglawus.com/?p=2568442026-06-16T23:13:40Z2026-07-01T09:01:38ZQualifying for the Cancellation of Removal
You may qualify for the Cancellation of Removal defense if you have lived in the United States for a long time. However, you must prove these factors:
You have exhibited good moral character during that window.
Your deportation will cause exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to a spouse, parent or child who is a U.S. citizen or green card holder.
Proving these factors can be a high legal bar. You need to present objective evidence, especially on how your family relies on you for medical, financial or psychological support.
Seeking safety through asylum
Seeking asylum in the U.S. means showing that you face harm based on your race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Generally, you must file for asylum within one year of arriving in the United States, though rare exceptions exist if your circumstances have changed.
Why you should not walk this hardship alone
Immigration law has nuances that require legal precision. Although you have options, these may not be available depending on your circumstances. You can still seek legal advice from an experienced attorney to learn more about what you can do. They can assess your case and provide insights on a possible defense you may use on the hearing.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of Troy J. Mattes, P.C.<![CDATA[The 90-day timeframe for a K-1 visa]]>https://www.immiglawus.com/?p=2568502026-06-24T12:44:25Z2026-06-24T12:44:25ZThe K-1 nonimmigrant visa or fiancé(e) visa allows you, as a U.S. citizen, to bring your foreign fiancé(e) to the United States to get married. If your petition is approved, your fiancé (e) can enter the country. However, several strict conditions must be met for an approved fiancé(e) visa to remain valid. One is the 90-day deadline.Here is what to know about this requirement:
90 days to legally marry each other
You and your fiancé(e) must intend to marry each other within 90 days of them entering the U.S. as a K-1 nonimmigrant. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) starts counting from the day your fiancé(e) is admitted to the U.S – the entry day counts as day one. You have exactly 90 days from this day to legally marry each other. The USCIS cannot extend the 90-day K-1 fiancé visa timeframe for any reason. Thus, it’s crucial to be prepared. For instance, start planning before your fiancé(e) arrives, especially if you want to have a traditional ceremony. Have a wedding date, pay deposits to vendors, book an ordained officiant and so on. If you will be having a civil ceremony, familiarize yourself with the process. Moreover, once your fiancé(e) arrives, go obtain the marriage license early to avoid last-minute rushes. Early preparation can reduce the chances of encountering delays that can threaten your fiancé (e)’s eligibility to be in the country. If you are not legally married within the 90-day timeframe, the K-1 visa status automatically expires.Your fiancé (e) will fall out of legal status immediately. Consequently, remaining in the country means accruing unlawful presence.It’s crucial to understand the fiancé (e) visa to avoid costly mistakes. Get more information to make informed decisions throughout the process. ]]>