Surin & Griffin, P.C.
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Surin & Griffin, P.C. is proud to announce that Elizabeth C. Surin and Thomas M. Griffin have been selected to the 2022 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list for their work in immigration law. Elizabeth C. Surin is a top-rated immigration attorney with over 20 years of experience. At the firm, she focuses her practice on immigration,…

The K-1 fiancé visa is a nonimmigrant visa allowing a foreign fiancé of a United States citizen to enter the country for the purpose of marriage, particularly if the citizen cannot travel to marry abroad. Marriage offers a more direct path of immigration and eventual citizenship; however, the fiancé visa process is a much quicker…

More than one million international students throughout the world travel to the United States each year to earn college degrees. Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs allow these students to obtain valuable hands-on experience and use their education in America immediately. Without an OPT, most international students must leave the United States upon completion of their…

In the United States, citizenship is a constitutional right under the 14th Amendment, which states that anyone born in the United States or naturalized is a lawful American citizen, regardless of nationality or immigrant status. Under the amendment, all American citizens, regardless of birthright, nationality, or race, are afforded equal rights and protections. The right…

Becoming a United States citizen allows immigrants endless opportunities for an improved life, better work, and bestows on them freedoms and protections. Naturalization is the legal process of becoming an American citizen. The process is lengthy and requires much of the applicant, including extensive documentation, background investigations, biometrics screenings, English and civics testing, and an…

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has put the entire world on edge. For Ukrainians in the United States, their anxiety is greater because there are those whose temporary visas will expire soon, and they have no place to go because their home country is under siege. However, for more than 20 years, the United…

The process to achieve asylum status in the United States is one of the most rigorous and scrutinous paths to immigration. All applicants must undergo an extensive vetting process through multiple government agencies, and asylum status will not be granted until the vetting process is complete. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,…

The interview is the final step to becoming a United States citizen. The interview typically takes place between seven and 15 months after your application is approved. You will receive an appointment letter with the date, place, and time your interview will be conducted. The interview process is generally the same for all visa types.…

The School District of Philadelphia recently announced a sweeping revision of the admission policies for the city’s magnet schools in order to provide more equitable diversity among the student population. The move is intended to increase the diversity of previously underrepresented students, such as black and Latino students, and neighborhoods in parts of the city,…

One of the most common methods for foreign nationals to live and work in the United States is through employment-based visas. American companies may petition to sponsor foreign workers and provide them with lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a green card. Employers can also sponsor qualified workers already living in the United States…