INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY IMMIGRATION SOLUTIONS

Are you a United States citizen or lawful permanent residence (i.e. a green card) who wants to sponsor a family member to live permanently in the United States?

U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (i.e. green card holders) may petition on behalf of close family members to allow them to immigrate to the U.S. As an immigration attorney, it is a truly rewarding experience to help reunite or create new families. Our Firm has the experience and compassion to identify your best option and work towards achieving your family’s ultimate immigration goals.

It is important to understand that U.S. immigration law defines immediate relatives different from how the term is commonly used. Under U.S. immigration law, an immediate relative is a spouse, unmarried child under the age of 21, or parent of a U.S. citizen. This does not mean you cannot sponsor other family members as a U.S. citizen or that lawful permanent residents cannot sponsor family members. The process simply varies depending upon your immigration status and your relationship with who you wish to sponsor. Immediate relatives are not subject to annual visa quotas and therefore, can typically become lawful permanent residents much faster. On the other hand, non-immediate relatives are subject to annual visa quotas and therefore, wait years to immigrate to the United States.

Lawful permanent residents (i.e. green card holders) are expected to live in the U.S. permanently. You are free to travel overseas and temporary travel abroad does not impact your lawful permanent resident status. However, if you do not intend to make the United States your home, you risk losing your lawful permanent resident status. This is why lengthier trips outside the United States can be problematic. You are presumed to have abandoned your lawful permanent residence if you remain outside the United States for a year or more. But trips of less than a year can still be an issue if you did not intend to make the United States your permanent home. In determining your intent, Customs and Border Protection (i.e. CBP) officers will consider factors including whether your intent was to stay abroad temporarily, you maintained family and community ties to the United States, you maintained employment in the United States, you filed income taxes as a resident, you kept a United States mailing address, you continued to hold United States bank accounts, you had a valid driver’s license, and/or you owned property or ran a business in the United States.

Obtaining U.S. citizenship is the ultimate goal of many foreign nationals who emigrate to the United States. Naturalization is the process through which foreign-born individuals typically obtain U.S. citizenship. The naturalization process requires you to submit an application, attend an interview, and take an Oath of Allegiance. By taking an Oath of Allegiance, you will be rewarded with rights, freedoms, and privileges including the right to vote, right to hold public office, ability to sponsor additional family members for lawful permanent residence, right to live abroad without time limitations, and immediate acquisition of U.S. citizenship by qualifying minor children. There are several paths to U.S. citizenship including: