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Law Office of Channa M. Gordon LLC Law Firm

10/24/2026

Work permit? Renew early. ⏰
USCIS has made it official: most work permit renewals no longer get an automatic extension while they're pending. If your card expires before the renewal is approved, you may have to stop working until it is.
What to do:
✅ Check the expiration date on your work permit today
✅ File your renewal as early as USCIS allows, generally up to 90-180 days before it expires in some cases.
✅ Some TPS holders are covered by separate notices, so check before you assume
Questions about your renewal? Send me a message.

I'm an immigration attorney in Meriden, Connecticut.

Follow Channa M. Gordon | Immigration & Estate Planning Lawyer CT for weekly immigration updates
General information, not legal advice.

Is it a scam? 4 red flags to watch for. 🚩With the green card lottery reopening and fees changing, scammers are busy. Swi...
10/23/2026

Is it a scam? 4 red flags to watch for. 🚩
With the green card lottery reopening and fees changing, scammers are busy. Swipe through before you pay anyone for help.
1️⃣ They promise a result. No one can guarantee an approval, a visa or a lottery win.
2️⃣ They say they can get you into the green card lottery. Entries go only through the official State Department website, and no one can raise your odds.
3️⃣ They're a "notario," not a lawyer. In the U.S., a notary public cannot give immigration advice.
4️⃣ They ask you to sign a blank form, or to lie. You are responsible for everything on your application.

Before you pay, look the person up. Licensed attorneys appear on the state's attorney search. Accredited representatives are listed by the Justice Department.

I'm an immigration attorney in Meriden, Connecticut, licensed in Connecticut and New York.

🔁 Send this to someone who's filing. It could save them money and their case.

Follow Channa M. Gordon | Immigration & Estate Planning Lawyer CT for weekly immigration updates.

General information, not legal advice.

10/22/2026

🚨 The 2027 green card lottery is coming back.

On October 14, a federal judge ordered the State Department to open registration for the 2027 Diversity Visa Program, the "green card lottery." Registration had never opened this year.

What to expect:
📅 Official dates announced by Oct. 29
📅 Registration opens by Nov. 1
📅 Open for at least 30 days

Protect yourself:
🚩 Enter only on the official State Department website
🚩 One entry per person. Duplicates are disqualified.
🚩 No one can raise your odds, so don't pay anyone who says they can

Not every country qualifies. The eligible list comes with the official announcement. Dates could still change if the order is appealed.

🔁 Send this to someone who has been waiting for the lottery to open.

Follow Channa M. Gordon | Immigration & Estate Planning Lawyer CT. I'll post the official dates as soon as they're announced.

Immigration attorney in Meriden, Connecticut. If you're selected, I can help with what comes next.

General information, not legal advice.

"I'm not a citizen yet, so I don't need a will." I hear this a lot. It isn't true. 📝If you live in Connecticut, own prop...
10/21/2026

"I'm not a citizen yet, so I don't need a will." I hear this a lot. It isn't true. 📝
If you live in Connecticut, own property here, have a bank account here or are raising children here, Connecticut law applies to you. Your immigration status doesn't change that.
Without a will:
🏠 Connecticut's rules decide who inherits what you own here, and the order may not match your wishes.
👶 A court decides who raises your minor children.
🌍 Relatives abroad can be hard for the court to reach, which slows everything down.

A basic plan is a will, a power of attorney and a health care directive. For most families it comes together faster than expected.

I prepare estate plans for families across Connecticut, including families whose lives span more than one country.

📌 Save this. Send it to someone who keeps saying "I'll do it after I get my papers."

Follow Channa M. Gordon | Immigration & Estate Planning Lawyer CT for weekly updates.
General information, not legal advice.

Green card expiring? Don't panic, and don't wait. 🪪An expired card does not end your permanent residence. But you need a...
10/19/2026

Green card expiring? Don't panic, and don't wait. 🪪
An expired card does not end your permanent residence. But you need a valid card to prove your status for work, travel and ID.

If you have a 10-year card:
✅ File Form I-90 to renew. USCIS lets you file within 6 months of the expiration date.
✅ Your I-90 receipt notice extends your card for 24- 36 months. Keep it with your card.

If you have a 2-year card (conditional residence):
⚠️ Don't file an I-90. You need a different form, usually filed in the 90 days before the card expires. Missing that window is serious.

Also a good moment to ask: are you eligible for citizenship instead?

I help green card holders in Meriden, New Haven, Hartford and across Connecticut.

Questions about your card? Tap Send message and I'll point you in the right direction.

General information, not legal advice.

Family in another country? Your estate plan needs to know. 🌍This is where my two practice areas meet, and where standard...
10/16/2026

Family in another country? Your estate plan needs to know. 🌍
This is where my two practice areas meet, and where standard documents often fall short:
🏠 Property abroad may be governed by that country's rules, not just a Connecticut or New York will.
👨‍👩‍👧 Heirs abroad may need clear instructions and contact details so the court and your executor can reach them.
✍️ Your agent and executor should be someone who can actually act here, in person, when it counts.
💍 A spouse who is not a U.S. citizen can be treated differently under federal estate tax rules.

As an immigrant myself, I plan for families whose lives span more than one country. Clients in Meriden, Wallingford, Hartford, across Connecticut and New York.

How many countries does your family live in?

General information, not legal advice.

10/15/2026

🚨 Some USCIS fees go up for filings postmarked Oct. 16, 2026 or later.
If your package goes in the mail on or after the 16th with the old fee, USCIS rejects it and sends the whole thing back, unprocessed.

What's going up:
📄 Parole (I-131): $1,020 → $1,050
📄 TPS (I-821): $510 → $520
📄 First work permit for asylum, parole or TPS: $560 → $570
📄 Annual asylum fee: $102 → $105

Not changing in this notice: work permit renewals, green card fees, citizenship fees. The initial asylum filing fee stays at $100.
Already wrote a check or money order for the old amount? Replace it before it goes in the envelope.

I help clients in Meriden, New Haven, Hartford, across Connecticut and the U.S file correctly the first time.

Filing something this month? Tell me which form 👇

General information, not legal advice. Confirm current fees at uscis.gov/g-1055 before filing.

Who can you name as your power of attorney? 📝Any adult you trust to manage your finances and paperwork if you become una...
10/14/2026

Who can you name as your power of attorney? 📝

Any adult you trust to manage your finances and paperwork if you become unable to. Most people choose a spouse, a grown child, a sibling, or a close friend.
What matters more than the relationship:
✔️ They are organized and honest with money
✔️ They live close enough, or are comfortable handling things remotely
✔️ They are willing. Ask them first.

Two things people miss:
1️⃣ Name a backup agent. If your only choice is unavailable, the document can stall.
2️⃣ A financial power of attorney does not cover medical decisions. In Connecticut that is a separate health care document.

I prepare powers of attorney, wills and health care directives for families in Meriden and across Connecticut and New York.

Who would you name?

General information, not legal advice.

What actually happens at your naturalization interview? 🇺🇸It follows a predictable order:📄 You are placed under oath, an...
10/12/2026

What actually happens at your naturalization interview? 🇺🇸

It follows a predictable order:
📄 You are placed under oath, and the officer goes through your N-400 with you. Expect questions about your travel, addresses, work, and anything you answered "yes" to.

🗣️ The English test: reading, writing, and speaking, which is mostly your conversation with the officer.

📚 The civics test. If you filed on or after October 20, 2025, you are asked up to 20 questions from a bank of 128 and need 12 correct. Earlier filers take the older 10-question version.

Bring your appointment notice, green card, photo ID, and passports.

If your history has anything complicated in it, review your file with an attorney before the interview, not after.

I help clients in Meriden, New Haven, Hartford and across Connecticut prepare for naturalization.

Have a citizenship interview coming up?

General information, not legal advice.

That thick envelope from USCIS is not always bad news. ✉️A Request for Evidence means they need more proof of something ...
10/08/2026

That thick envelope from USCIS is not always bad news. ✉️
A Request for Evidence means they need more proof of something before they can approve your case. It is not a denial.

Three things to do:
1️⃣ Note the deadline. It is firm, and missing it can mean a denial.
2️⃣ Read exactly what they asked for. Not what you think they meant.
3️⃣ Answer all of it in one response. Partial answers lead to more delay.

People often send what feels relevant rather than what was requested. That is the most common reason a second RFE arrives.

Ever received one? How long did it take you to understand what they wanted? 👇

Immigration attorney in Meriden, Connecticut.

General information, not legal advice.

Address

240 Pomeroy Avenue #205
Meriden, CT
06450

Telephone

+17165080123

Website

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