CA Immigration Specialist study plan
CA Immigration Specialist · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Nonimmigrant Visas and Temporary Status & Immigration Law Foundations and Professional Responsibility
Map the full nonimmigrant visa taxonomy (B, F, J, H-1B, L, O, TN, E, R, P, U, T) into a comparison chart with eligibility, duration, dual intent, and dependent rules
Explain dual intent versus nonimmigrant intent and identify which classifications permit it
Distinguish the roles of USCIS, DOS, CBP, EOIR, and DOL in adjudicating status and describe how each agency's decision interacts with the others
Identify the core professional responsibility duties (competence, diligence, communication, confidentiality, conflict checks) and how they apply to a high-volume immigration practice
Your checkpoint
A one-page nonimmigrant visa comparison chart covering at least 10 classifications plus a 10-item self-quiz on agency jurisdiction, scored and corrected
Nonimmigrant Visas and Temporary Status
Walk through the H-1B lifecycle: registration, cap selection, LCA, I-129 filing, consular processing, and portability under AC21
Compare change-of-status, extension-of-stay, and consular processing procedures and list the documents each requires
Analyze the 90-day rule and misrepresentation consequences for status violations and unauthorized employment
Draft a short client advisory explaining the difference between visa validity and period of authorized stay
Your checkpoint
A timed 25-question practice set on nonimmigrant visas with a written error log identifying the rule behind each missed item
Family-Based Immigration and Adjustment of Status
Diagram the I-130 petition process for immediate relatives versus preference categories, including derivative beneficiaries
Compute priority dates and chargeability under the Visa Bulletin, including the difference between filing dates and final action dates
Sequence the adjustment of status packet (I-485, I-864, I-693, I-765, I-131) and identify common grounds of inadmissibility raised at this stage
Explain consular processing and the National Visa Center steps as the alternative to adjustment
Your checkpoint
A completed flowchart of the family-based path from petition to green card with at least three worked priority-date scenarios and correct answers
Employment-Based Immigration and Labor Certification & Family-Based Immigration and Adjustment of Status
Outline the PERM labor certification process: prevailing wage determination, recruitment, audit file, and ETA-9089
Compare EB-1, EB-2 (including national interest waiver), and EB-3 requirements and identify when each is the better strategy
Trace the I-140 filing and the adjustment-of-status interface for employment cases, including priority date retention
Review family-based adjustment scenarios for admissibility traps such as unlawful presence and public charge
Your checkpoint
A side-by-side employment-based strategy memo for three hypothetical clients plus a 30-question mixed practice set on family and employment topics, scored at 75 percent or higher
Milestones
Week 4: Score 75 percent or higher on a timed 30-question set covering domains 2, 3, and 4, and demonstrate the ability to compute a priority date and identify dual intent without notes