We will discuss the eligibility requirements, application process, recent government policy, and latest practice tips for assisting U nonimmigrant clients in obtaining legal permanent residency through adjustment of status.
Presenters
Jessica Farb, Directing Attorney – Immigration Center for Women and Children
Jess joined ICWC’s San Francisco office in 2011. She got her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law in DC. She began U-vangelizing in 2003 during her AmeriCorps VISTA year at Casa Cornelia Law Center in San Diego. Jess represents a diverse group of U visa and VAWA clients, provides national trainings on the U visa, regularly appears on Univision, and is a co-author of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s U Visa Manual. She created and oversees the ICWC U Visa Zoho Database, a national and live web-based platform where over 1000 users share information on changing practices related to the U visa.
Veronica Garcia, San Joaquin Valley Law Fellow – Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Veronica joined the ILRC in December 2017 as a San Joaquin Valley Law Fellow. Prior to joining ILRC, Veronica completed an Equal Justice Works Fellowship at Centro Legal de La Raza as an DACA/DAPA Emerson Fellow. Veronica is a graduate of Howard University School of Law. During Law school, Veronica interned at various immigrant right organizations, including Kids in Need of Defense and New York Legal Aid. Additionally, Veronica was recognized by the Hispanic Bar Association of Washington D.C. (HBA-DC) for her commitment to the advancement of the Hispanic community by being awarded the inaugural HBA-DC Foundation Scholarship.
As an immigrant who grew up in Oakland California, Veronica strives to use her legal education and experience working directly with immigrant communities.
Catherine Seitz, Legal Director – International Institute of the Bay Area
Catherine is the incoming Legal Director at the International Institute of the Bay Area and the outgoing Legal Director at Legal Services for Children. She has a J.D. from U.C. Hastings and a B.A. in Latin American Studies from U.C. Berkeley. She has been working in the field of immigration law since 1990, starting out as a legal assistant and then a BIA Accredited Representative before her admission to the bar in December of 2001. Before joining LSC, she worked at Bay Area Legal Aid, Canal Alliance, the International Institute of the East Bay, and Simmons & Ungar. She is bilingual in Spanish and English. She is co-author of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s U Visa Manual and is an active member of the Northern California Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association.