Immigrants to the US from the Philippines most often need a family-based visa, an H-1B visa (for specialty jobs, particularly in healthcare or IT), an EB-3 visa (often for nursing jobs), or a J-1 visa (for an exchange program). Whatever your situation, if you need help immigrating to Massachusetts from the Philippines, contact me, Boston immigration attorney Giselle M. Rodriguez. I help clients with the full range of immigration challenges, from visas to citizenship. I work with clients throughout Greater Boston and Massachusetts. Contact me today to discuss your case, or read on to find out more about achiveing the immigration status you need.
Why come to the US from the Philippines?
The establishment of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 paved the way for many Filipino medical and military professionals to settle in the Greater Boston area. Today, more than half a million Filipino immigrants, including students and working professionals, reside in the Greater Boston area in Brookline, Cambridge, Lexington, Malden, and Quincy. Farther afield, relatively high numbers of Filipinos reside in the towns of Southborough, Townsend, and Mattapoisett.
The United States and the Philippines share political and economic ties dating back to the United States’ annexation of the Philippines in 1898. While the first wave of immigrants from the Philippines to the U.S. was primarily agricultural laborers, nowadays, most Filipino immigrants in the U.S. work in industries such as health care, hospitality, manufacturing, and education. Filipinos are the fourth largest immigrant group in the U.S., with nearly two million Filipinos residing here, the highest concentration of Filipinos in a country other than the Philippines.
If you need help immigrating to MA from the Philippines, contact Boston immigration attorney Giselle M. Rodriguez. Giselle helps clients with the full range of immigration challenges, from visas to citizenship. She is bilingual (English & Spanish), and works with clients throughout Greater Boston and Massachusetts. Contact Giselle today to discuss your case, or read on to find out more about protecting your immigration status in the United States.
Community Resources
Filipino immigrants in and around Massachusetts have founded civic organizations to support and connect their communities, such as the Philippine Medical Association of New England, Pilipino-American Association of New England, and the Philippine Nurses Association of New England. In addition to these career-focused organizations, cultural and educational organizations exist throughout Massachusetts. One of these organizations, Iskwlahang Pilipino of Boston, is devoted to preserving and celebrating Filipino culture amongst the immigrant community. They provide opportunities for children of Filipino immigrants to learn about their heritage.
Processing Times in Boston
If you plan to apply for a visa, allow plenty of time for the application process. Visa processing times can range from 7 to 24 months. If you need your visa in time to meet a school or work deadline, it’s important to work closely with my office in advance to ensure your visa will be processed in time.
Unsure which type of visa or status to pursue? I can help. Contact me to discuss your situation and goals, and I will assist you in selecting the program that best suits your unique needs.
Past and Current Clients from the Philippines
Our law office has helped several Filipino clients work towards their desired immigration outcome.
An example of one of these clients was a woman from the Philippines who applied for an adjustment of status. She entered the U.S. on a fiance visa and married her husband, a U.S. citizen. One of the unique aspects of their case was that the petitioner, the woman’s U.S. citizen husband, is currently unemployed. In order to petition for a spouse, or any family member for that matter, the petitioner must prove that they make enough money to support their relative who plans to live in the U.S.. This typically means the petitioner must submit records of where they work and how much money they make. However, in this couple’s case, we used records of the husband’s Social Security benefits and his pension to show that he makes enough money to support his wife.
Another thing we did to strengthen their application was to include plenty of evidence. There is a common belief that if a couple has already applied for a fiance visa, they don’t need to submit as much evidence when they want to apply for an adjustment of status. Regardless of whether or not this is accurate, I always submit an abundance of evidence. For this couple, that meant submitting their honeymoon photos, as well as other photos of them together post-marriage.
If you are planning on coming to the U.S. from the Philippines, consider reaching out to my office. We’ve worked with Filipino clients in the past, and are eager to help you achieve your desired immigration goals.