Green Card Approval through U-1 status for Ecuadorean National

We recently received an approval on an adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident (green card) for an Ecuadorean national who was a U-1 nonimmigrant. Congratulations to our client!

This case has been the culmination of many years of work and waiting for decisions from the USCIS and Immigration Courts. I initially met with this client in 2015 after he was the victim of an attempted felonious robbery. We applied for a U visa for him as the principal applicant (and his family members as derivatives). Although he crossed the border and had a prior order of removal under an alias, these grounds of inadmissibility could be waived through the U visa provisions. His U-1 nonimmigrant status was eventually approved in 2020, and after three years in U-1 status, he was eligible to apply for lawful permanent residence. We applied and then moved to reopen and terminate his removal order, which was eventually granted, so that he would be able to adjust. Most recently, we received an RFE for additional proof of continuous presence which we responded to with evidence of tax returns, international money orders, bank statements, medical records, and as much additional documentation that we could gather. His lawful permanent residence is now approved after this ten year journey. Some individuals have journeys that take many more years than this. I’m very happy for the stability that this new immigration status can provide to him.