Finding Your Way Out of Walter Jay M.D. Institute Scam (February 2024)
In February 2024, our office assisted a client in overcoming allegations in a Request for Evidence (RFE) pertaining to their past association with the fraudulent school, Walter Jay M.D. Institute.
As an F-1 visa holder, a foreign student is permitted to study in the United States. Our client registered for classes with Walter Jay M.D. Institute and paid substantial tuition under the good faith belief that they would receive a qualified education. Unbeknownst to our client and other F-1 international students, Walter Jay M.D. Institute, a school suspected of committing immigration fraud associated with Prodee University/Neo-America Language School Network of schools, charged students tuition but did not require them to attend classes.
The Prodee University/Neo-America Language School Network of schools was owned and operated by an individual named Hee Sun "Leonard" Shim. Leonard Shim and his co-conspirators, Eun Young "Jamie" Choi and Hyung Chan "Steve" Moon, were indicted in March 2015 for visa fraud and conspiracy for engaging in a "pay-to-stay" scheme. In this scheme, Leonard Shim charged "tuition" to maintain F-1 status for students but did not provide actual classes. Leonard Shim admitted to issuing Form I-20s to F-1 students to enroll in the Prodee Network and submitted falsified transcripts and fraudulent bank statements to immigration officials. He was convicted in February 2017.
During our client’s I-539 extension of their H-4 status proceeding, the client was issued an RFE regarding Walter Jay M.D. Institute fraud. USCIS seemed to allege that our client’s past innocent association with Walter Jay M.D. Institute could render them ineligible to extend their H-4 status and potentially make her inadmissible.
Attorney Nguyen D. Luu and our legal team took on representation to assist our client in overcoming status violation allegations and navigated the client to establish that they did not make false representations to procure a benefit under U.S. immigration laws.
A finding of misrepresentation or fraud has severe immigration consequences. It would render a non-citizen inadmissible for life, possibly resulting in a permanent bar, and unable to obtain permanent residency until the inadmissibility is waived at the discretion of USCIS. Our firm is very pleased to learn that USCIS has approved our client's I-539 application, and our client’s H-4 status has been extended.
If you were a victim of Walter Jay M.D. Institute or The Prodee University/Neo-America Language School Network in any manner or capacity, it is important to consult with an experienced attorney to advise you immediately and to identify potential problems early in your case and develop a strong case strategy before applying for any immigration benefits.