The Assistant Chief Counsel (“ACC”) is the attorney who represents the interests of the US government in removal proceedings. The correct role of the ACC is not to act as prosecutor but to see that the law is correctly applied and that relief from removal is given only to those who deserve relief. I have […]
immigration
There are still nice Immigration Officers
Had a great interview today with a nice Immigration Service Officer. There are those who work for CIS who think that their job it to be tough, and to deny applications that are not easily approvable. The love to cite “Matter of Brantigan” when denying cases that are not established to their satisfaction. While their […]
Green Card delays
Bad news for new lawful permanent residents as green cards, which used to come a mere three to four weeks following approval — will now take some time longer as CIS “improves” the green card making process. How come all of their improvements do not improve anything? From uscis.gov Permanent Resident Card Production Delays USCIS […]
The greatest part of the job
I enjoy the fact that by doing my job well I reunite families and help people live in the greatest country in the world. What I really enjoy, though, with a kind of oversuperior relish, is helping people who have already been told by other immigration attorneys that they have “no chance” at relief from […]
Marriage Interviews at Tampa USCIS
One who has applied for adjustment of status (“AOS”) as the spouse of a US citizen will be invited to what is called an AOS interview at their local USCIS Office. In Tampa the alien files are screened for fraud indicators, i.e., evidence or material in the file that could show the presence of marital […]
Americans and Immigrants
From what I have seen, those who do not like immigrants do not know any immigrants. Everyone I meet dislikes immigrants in the abstract, but believe that their friend “Jose” from Mexico should be allowed to stay here with his family and kids because he is a good guy. Shocker! They are mostly good guys […]
General Information about local immigration
The main Citizenship and Immigration Services (“CIS”) office is located at 5524 West Cypress Street, Tampa, FL 33607. There is no phone number for the public. You may make an appointment to speak with an immigration information officer by going to www.uscis.gov and utlizing the Infopass system. This CIS office handles the following counties: Citrus, […]
Neil F. Lewis — Tampa Immigration Attorney since 1997
I have been an immigration attorney since 1997, and have only focused on immigration law since I started my own practice. I am a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where I got my B.A. on Journalism, and then I went on to the College of William and Mary for law school, graduating in […]