Senior moments from the IPC

By Susan Doody - Interim Senior Program Coordinator

Email me at susan@ipcboston.org or call 617.265.5300 x 13

Senior Program Happenings

Cara Club Seniors were in great form as usual on Monday afternoon at the Veronica Smith Senior Center in Brighton. Volunteer Kevin O’Sullivan led the group in Irish and other old favorite songs. Mike Finnerty and Connie McEleney also gave wonderful solo performances, and all joined in with the choruses. Seniors enjoyed coffee and tea and a selection of delicious baked goods that were prepared by the seniors and served by Cara Club’s dedicated volunteers.

At Café Eireann in Dorchester, seniors welcomed a group of doctors who are doing residencies at Carney Hospital, specializing in family practice. Each shared some information about themselves, and about the family practice clinic and hospital services. Members of the group also spoke about the importance of health care for seniors and answered questions from the seniors about various senior health topics.

Upcoming Events

During the month of August, the senior program at the IPC will be on hiatus. Regular program events will resume again in the fall – Café Eireann will be on September 3rd and the Cara Club will be September 8th with the Monthly Mass & Luncheon on Thursday Sept 18th.

We wish all IPC Senior Program participants a wonderful August break, and hope you enjoy your time at home or on vacation. If you are a senior who would enjoy getting together with other seniors for some Irish breads and sweets, some good conversation, Irish music, occasional guest speakers and visits to interesting places throughout the year, please call and sign up for our mailing list. You will receive the monthly calendar of IPC senior program events. To contact us, please call 617.265.5300 ext 13.

Immigration News

By Kieran C. O’Sullivan - Immigration Counselor

Email me at: Kieran@ipcboston.org

Marriage related visa cases

We continue to field questions from people on legal permanent residency (green card) applications based on marriage to U.S. citizens. One couple I spoke to this week were about to file their paperwork without having an attorney review the package. We always recommend people have a review of the file before it is sent to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). We review the paperwork in these cases at our monthly clinics and our next clinic will be Tuesday night, August 5th, at 6:30 pm in The Banshee.

Returning from Ireland

We’re getting calls from people who now seek to return to live in the U.S. One call this week was from a man who had previously overstayed in the U.S. by over a year. His prior overstay means he’s subject to a ten year bar from the U.S. In his particular case, there is no waiver available on the bar from the U.S.

Future visa options

As we near the end of summer each year we get inquiries from people who want to see what options there are for returning to work in the U.S. In the weeks ahead, we will publish information on the more popular visa options. These will include the J, F and H1b visa programs.

Absences from the U.S.

Legal permanent residents (green card holders) are always at risk of losing their green cards if they spend long periods of time outside the U.S. Anyone contemplating leaving the U.S. for an extended period of time should check in with us by phone or email so we can determine whether or not they should file for a reentry permit before leaving the U.S. Absences from the U.S. can also have an impact on U.S. citizenship applications.

Monthly Free Legal Clinic

Each month at our free legal clinics, we see people on U.S. citizenship matters. Applying for citizenship can be a complicated process for some people, and matters of eligibility, residency and physical presence need to be examined before filing the USCIS N400 form. We will have a clinic at The Banshee, 934 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, on Tuesday August 5th at 6:30 pm. Attorneys will be present to answer questions on visas, legal residency cards and U.S. citizenship.

Disclaimer: Please note that the information contained in it is provided to inform generally, and is not intended as a substitute for individual advice. Immigration law is subject to frequent changes and individual circumstances can affect the application of certain legal provisions. For individual legal advice, please contact the Irish Pastoral Centre directly regarding upcoming legal clinics or consultation with an immigration attorney.

Help Wanted

Part-time babysitter required in the Andover area.

Part-time Home Health Aid required in Quincy; experience with American Sign Language an advantage.

For further information on these positions or to post a position with us please call Kathleen at 617.265.5300 X 11