Tiffney Johnson

Tiffney Johnson

J.D.

Tiffney Johnson served as a consular officer with the U.S. Department of State for 15 years.  Her postings include Honduras, Australia, Cuba, Juarez, Mexico, New York, and Washington D.C. After a domestic tour in the Visa Office Legal Directorate in Washington, D.C., her first assignment abroad was to Juarez, Mexico, where she also served as the Deputy Fraud Prevention Chief. In Havana, Cuba, she served as the Immigrant Visa Chief and implemented the Cuban Family Reunification Program. In Sydney, Australia, she served as Deputy Consular Section Chief, started the first fraud prevention unit and interviewed applicants from almost every country. She also served as Deputy Consular General in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In her last tour, Tiffney was the Assistant Director of the New York Passport Agency; the largest passport agency in the U.S., where up to 400 emergency same-day passports are processed. In her career, she interviewed over 150,000 immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants, completed the Advanced Consular Course, and trained over 60 junior Foreign Service officers.  

Tiffney has significant experience in the field of consular "crimmigration" (visa eligibility consequences of criminal convictions), complex citizenship issues, and visa and passport policy. She also focuses her practice on O visas for performing artists and procuring national interest waivers for self-employed professionals applying for immigrant visas. 

Tiffney graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and has a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and currently works as an immigration attorney and freelance legal writer in Tucson, Arizona. Find her at tiffneyjohnsonlaw.com.

Articles By Tiffney Johnson

Obtaining Proof of U.S. Citizenship
If you believe you are a U.S. citizen, you'll want a document to prove it.
Renewing Your F-1 or M-1 Student Visa at a U.S. Consulate
The F-1 or M-1 student visa that is stamped in your passport does not represent the date you must leave the U.S.; only the dates through which you can use your visa to ENTER the United States.
Will a Foreign Criminal Conviction Mean My U.S. Visa Will Be Denied?
Sometimes even a minor foreign criminal conviction leads to a denial of one’s visa application, whether it was for a nonimmigrant (temporary) visa such as B-2 visitor, F-1 student, or H-1B worker; or an immigrant visa, leading to a green card.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and U.S. Immigration
Although HIV was removed from the list of inadmissibility grounds in 2010, HIV positive applicants still face possible immigration challenges, especially when applying for a green card. Delays and inadmissibility due to lack of financial resources to pay for medical care are among the risks faced by HIV+ applicants for U.S. visas and green cards.
How Foreign-Born Children of American Citizens Can Prove or Obtain U.S. Nationality
There are several instances where you might need proof of your U.S. citizenship – such as to apply for a U.S. passport or a job with the federal government.
How to Increase Your Chances of Getting a U.S. Visitor Visa
Find out how consular officers make their decisions and what you can do to increase the chances that your visitor visa application is approved.
Proving U.S. Citizenship for a Child Born Outside of a Hospital
Every year, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) initially denies thousands of U.S. passport applications because the applicant has a “non-institutional birth,” despite the fact that the applicant has a valid U.S. birth certificate.
Why Was My U.S. Visitor Visa Renewal Denied?
There's no guarantee that your U.S. visitor visa will be renewed. Many applicants are shocked to discover that what they thought would be a routine visa renewal turns to a denial.
Denied Entry Under Visa Waiver Program: Can I Come Back to the U.S.?
The fact that you have been refused entry under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will indeed go on your permanent immigration record, and could impact whether you are allowed into the U.S. in the future.
What Happens Between I-130 Approval and Consular Interview
Gathering documents, paying fees, and other steps in preparation for your family-immigrant or diversity-visa interview at a U.S. consulate.