Immigration Law
Thousands of people seek entry to the U.S. every year. Some only wish to visit temporarily for tourism, medical treatment, temporary work or study. Others seek to live and work permanently, build a home and a life and raise a family in the country. Depending upon where you are traveling from and the reasons you are coming, your ability to immigrate successfully may be strictly limited. Whether seeking a non-immigrant visa for a temporary stay or an immigrant visa for lawful permanent residence (Green Card) and a pathway to citizenship, having the help and advice of qualified immigration attorneys can make all the difference.
Legal advice and representation can help you in all the following areas of immigration law:
Family-Based Immigration
Citizens and lawful permanent residents can bring over their spouses and unmarried children, and citizens can sponsor their parents, adult children and siblings through various processes. Family-based immigration procedures include family green cards, fiancé(e) visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions, and waivers of inadmissibility. An immigration attorney can advise you on the best procedure in your particular case and help you throughout the process, including filing petitions and appeals, seeking an adjustment of status or consular processing.
Employment-Based Immigration
Whether traveling to the U.S. for employment for a few days to several years, or even to make America your permanent home, an immigration attorney can help you obtain the proper employment visa. Immigrant visas are allotted according to different preference categories, such as workers with advanced degrees or extraordinary ability, and these allotments go quickly. Additionally, employers may wish to sponsor workers on a short or long-term but temporary basis, with visas available such as H-1B and foreign worker visas for workers in specialty occupations. Immigration attorneys help businesses ensure compliance with I-9 employment eligibility verification and ICE audits, obtain PERM labor certifications to fill long-term positions with qualified workers, or obtain permanent residency through investor visas.
Citizenship and Naturalization
A green card may give you status as a lawful permanent resident, but your stay is still within the discretion of the government. An immigration attorney can help you take the next step beyond lawful permanent residence toward becoming a naturalized citizen, where you can stay in the country as long as you wish and enjoy all the rights and benefits of a United States citizen.
Deportation and Removal
Once in the country on immigration status, there are a host of reasons for which you may be deported. These include illegal entry into the country, failure to register, providing false documents, certain criminal convictions, and more. But being deportable does not mean you will be deported. An immigration attorney can represent you at all stage of removal proceedings, including bond hearings to avoid ICE mandatory detention, representation in court, and help with a petition for review or immigration appeal.