HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: STEVEN RIZNYK, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY, WARNS GREEN CARD AND VISA HOLDERS NOT TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE U.S.

By Miriam Raftery

April 10, 2017 (San Diego) – Immigration attorney Steven Riznyk, CEO at San Diego Biz Law, was a guest on our East County Magazine Radio Show aired on March 24^th on KNSJ Radio.  (Listen to our interview by clicking the audio link.)   He offered important advice in the wake of President Donald Trump’s travel ban, speaking about little-known provisions that could lead to deportations or refusal to readmit some travelers with green cards or visas who leave the U.S. on vacation or business travel.

If you’re a permanent legal resident with a green card or visa,  Riznyk cautions, don’t travel outside the U.S.  if you’ve ever been arrested, charged, or even merely accused of any crime, however minor –or you may not be allowed back into the U.S.

In some cases, there are steps you can take to protect yourself, such as apply for a waiver, which takes time. 

If you’ve actually been convicted of a crime, even an expunged record won’t protect you from deportation or being refused reentry.  A pardon, however, does.  So applying for  a pardon is one potential solution for some individuals.

Ironically, the law allowed serious felons with pardons to avoid deportation,  yet no such protections exist for people who have merely been accused of a crime, even if they are innocent and have not yet had their day in court. 

Riznyk says he’d be willing to challenge that lack of due process in court, if an individual who can afford the legal costs steps forward to file a challenge.

He also offers  additional insights and tips for those at risk of deportation.  Listen to this fascinating interview to learn more.