How the U.S. Immigration System Works

The AILA is hosting a live online course, "Immigration and Naturalization for Military Attorneys." Hodgson Russ attorney David Wilks will speak in Session 1 of Week 1.

About this presentation:

Military service members across the country and abroad must navigate the U.S. immigration system for their own path to citizenship or for the immigration of their close family members. Our panel of experts will discuss immigration law terminology, government agencies and their roles in immigration cases, and the most common immigration issues faced by service members and their dependents.
• Terminology used in family-based immigration
• Immediate relatives vs. preference categories: who can come and when?
• Government agencies and their roles: USCIS, DOS (NVC, embassies, consulates), ICE
• Common service member immigration case requests

Faculty: Russell H. Putnam, Jr. (DL), AILA Military Committee, Fort Stewart, GA; David J. Wilks, AILA Board of Governors, Rochester, NY; Makoto Messersmith, AILA Military Committee, Honolulu, HI

About this course:

Explore the fundamentals of immigration and naturalization law in this free live online course designed specifically for lawyers dealing with individuals serving in the military and their families. All sessions are led by nationally recognized American Immigration Lawyers Association attorneys with significant experience and expertise in handling military cases. This webinar series was made possible by funding provided by the American College of Trial Lawyers with the goal of expanding military service members’ access to immigration assistance.

The course consists of six sessions, presented over two weeks. Each week will cover three sessions. Week 1 sessions introduce the nuts and bolts of immigration and naturalization, addressing how the immigration system works, terms frequently used in practice, and common pitfalls. Week 2 sessions examine the immigration laws and practices specific to military members and their families, including consular processing issues, marriage-based adjustment, and parole in place. In addition, our expert faculty will provide practical training on how to handle frequently used forms and advise on best practices for recognizing and resolving red-flag issues. Each session concludes with an opportunity to ask our experts any questions you may have to further your understanding of what’s been covered.

For more information or to register, visit the AILA website