Benjamin, Gold & Troyb, P.C. - Benjamin, Gold & Troyb, P.C. | News / Blog

Attorney Aleksandr Y. Troyb receives highest “AV Preeminent” Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell

8/20/2018

The firm is proud to announce that Attorney Aleksandr Y. Troyb has received the highest possible “AV Preeminent” peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell. This rating signifies that he was deemed to have very high professional ethics and preeminent legal ability.

The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings evaluate attorneys based on the anonymous opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell conducts secure peer review rating surveys of attorneys across multiple jurisdictions and geographic locations, in similar areas of practice as the lawyer being rated. Reviewers are instructed to rate their colleagues’ general ethical standards and legal ability across various categories. The confidentiality, objectivity and independence of this ratings process are what has made this ratings system unique for many years. In addition, the fact that the ratings are determined by an attorney’s peers and the judiciary – the people who are best suited to assess the legal ability and professional ethics of their colleagues – have continued to ensure that this ratings system is highly regarded in the legal community.

Attorney Troyb is honored that his peers have evaluated him as being worthy of such a high distinction. It is a true testament to his work ethic and his love for the practice of law.

How Does the U.S. Visitor Visa (B-1/B-2) Process Work?

7/30/2018

How Does the U.S. Visitor Visa (B-1/B-2) Process Work?

Depending on the country from which one is visiting, the process to get a U.S. visa can be long and involve documentation, expensive fees and a personal interview at an overseas Embassy or Consulate, or it can be a relatively easy process of completing an electronic application online. In both situations, however, the process can often result in confusion when someone receives their visitor visa which shows that it is valid for multiple years. That is because many visitor visas state that they are valid for ten years, while others show a relatively short duration (such as three months).

It is not uncommon for a visitor to misunderstand the rules, and mistakenly think that they can remain in the U.S. for the entire 10 years (or the shorter duration of their specific visa). That is not the case at all!

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DHS and Consulates Warn Migrants of Telephonic Fraud Scams

7/17/2018

DHS and Consulates Warn Migrants of Telephonic Fraud Scams

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an advisory regarding telephone scams which target migrants. The scams, which seek electronic transfers of money to resolve some aspect of a family's immigration cases in the United States, have come to the attention of the Department of Homeland Security’s Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor (JTF-W STC) and consular officials from several neighboring countries.

According to the CBP advisory, people are receiving unsolicited calls from scammers posing as authority figures from several Department of Homeland Security (DHS) entities like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), as well as consular officers and shelter administrators. The scammers then request money to be sent electronically to help their family members obtain some service or consideration, or to purchase travel tickets. The scammers threaten an adverse action against the family members if the demand is refused.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Consulates DO NOT solicit money over the phone. CBP asks that if such calls are received, people decline to wire any funds, make a note of the number and any other pertinent details about the call, and report the incident to the authorities and the appropriate consulate for investigation.

New "Must Know" Rules For F, J and M Visa Holders

7/13/2018

On May 10, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum will soon impact F, J and M visa holders. The new policy changes when and how immigrants with these types of visas begin to accrue "unlawful presence" in the United States.

By way of background, generally, F visas are issued to students, J visas are issued to exchange visitors, and M visas are issued to vocational students. All are non-immigrant visas.

What is unlawful presence?

Unlawful presence is that amount of time a person remains in the United States (US) after the expiration of his or her approved visit, as listed on their Admission Record (Form I-94). When a person enters the US on a visa, they are generally inspected by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent at the port of entry (most often an airport). When their passport and visa are examined, the CBP agent determines a date by which the non-immigrant must leave the U.S., and he or she will issue an Admission Record that provides proof of someone’s lawful record of admission. That form (which is now electronic) also contains the date by which the visitor must leave.

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Attorney Aleksandr Troyb Scheduled To Meet With Members of the U.S. Congress To Discuss Various Immigration Issues

3/30/2018

Aleksandr Troyb Meeting Members of Congress

On April 12, 2018, as part of a delegation from the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Attorney Aleksandr Troyb is scheduled to meet with members of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. to discuss various immigration issues of interest to individuals and employers. He encourages his clients to contact him to discuss any immigration issues they may want him to address with members of Congress.

Tips For Selling Your Home

1/3/2018

Tips For Selling Your Home

Potential buyers usually decide within minutes whether or not a home is right for them. As you prepare your home to go on the market, try to view it through the eyes of a buyer. In this post, I will provide some tips to assist you in preparing to sell your home.

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Estate Planning: How to Make Life Easier for Your Family After Your Passing

11/6/2017

Estate Planning: How to Make Life Easier for Your Family After Your Passing

We are often approached by clients who need help with administering estates for family members who died without a will. Administering an estate, even when a person dies after executing a will, is a complicated and drawn out process. Not surprisingly, this process can become even more complicated when a person dies without a will.

According to AARP, only 4 in 10 Americans have a will. Most millennials, do not have one, though the proportion of people with a will does increase as people age. It may surprise some to learn that even some extraordinarily wealthy and famous people never get around to finalizing and executing a will and die without one (this is called dying “intestate”). For example, the entertainer, Prince, who died last spring (April, 2016), left no will. Neither did Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Pablo Picasso, and Howard Hughes.

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Aleksandr Y. Troyb Selected To The 2017 Connecticut Rising Stars List By New England Super Lawyers Magazine

10/25/2017

For a fifth year, Attorney Aleksandr Y. Troyb is honored to have been selected to the Connecticut Rising Stars list by the New England Super Lawyers Magazine. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys.

The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.

Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals ("DACA") Program Rescinded By The Trump Administration

9/5/2017

Earlier today, the Trump Administration announced its decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ("DACA") program. The program will wind down by March 5, 2017 (six months from today), and according to the Administration "no current beneficiaries will be impacted before March 5, 2018." As for new DACA applications, "no new initial [DACA] requests or associated applications filed after today will be acted on."

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Scam/Fraud Warning: Scammers Impersonating DHS/ICE Officers To Rob Victims of Hurricane Harvey

8/31/2017

Earlier today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that there are disturbing reports of people impersonating Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents. The importers knock on doors in the Houston area telling residents to evacuate -- presumably so that they can rob the empty homes. DHS wants to remind individuals that real HSI officials wear badges that are labeled "special agent," which members of the public can ask to see and verify. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) also wear badges labeled with ERO Officer. They also carry credentials with their name and organization. Members of the public who receive such visitors should ask to see these properly labeled badges, and their credentials.

In addition, DHS announced that these officers and special agents would be conducting hurricane relief operations with other local law enforcement agencies, and that during Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, ICE is not conducting immigration enforcement operations in the affected area.