There are a number of great sites with rankings of lawyers that help with green cards and immigration issues: Best Lawyers in America Super Lawyers Avvo Lawyers.com All of these websites contain a wealth of helpful data. A top rating in these directories says a great deal about about an Immigration Attorney.
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Jan 15, 2021 · You can file an application easily enough but many intelligent immigrants avail themselves of a lottery-based green card with the assistance of top immigration lawyers. Be aware that some people run scams with the visa lottery. Immigrant visa preference categories also affect waiting times What is an immigrant visa preference category?
Mar 21, 2022 · There are three common ways to qualify for a green card: 1) sponsorship by a family member, 2) sponsorship by an employer, and 3) through refugee or asylum status. In the past, the green card application process was long and …
Jul 30, 2021 · Here are the seven best ways to get your green card in the United States. 1. Marry Your Way In. To be eligible to get a green card this way, …
Call for help. 833-890-0666. Free no obligation consult with a lawyer. master:2022-04-13_09-33-18. If you are interested in obtaining a green card in order to live, work, and stay in the United States for more than just a temporary time period, then you probably know that the rules and procedures are complicated.
If you're a close relative to a U.S. citizen or a green card holder, they can petition for you to obtain legal permanent residency. This option is the fastest and most popular path to getting a green card. U.S. citizens are permitted to petition for immediate relatives, including: Spouses.Oct 20, 2021
The simplest way to get a Green Card is through the Green Card Lottery. The U.S. Department of State gives away 55,000 Green Cards through the Diversity Visa Program every year.
U.S. Immigration law does not require you to have a lawyer represent you for a green card. If you are already married, then the person who is already a U.S. citizen will petition for their partner. If this is the case, you must fill out three forms for a marriage green card.
Remember, we will mail your card or travel document to the address you provided on your application (unless you told us to mail it your representative on Form G-28, Notice of Entry or Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative).Sep 21, 2018
You can apply for the Green Card Lottery year-round with The American Dream either online or per post. All applications are then submitted to the US authorities, generally between October and November every year.
Most people who apply for a Green Card will need to complete at least two forms—an immigrant petition and a Green Card application (Form I-485). Someone else usually must file the petition for you (often referred to as sponsoring or petitioning for you), although you may be eligible to file for yourself in some cases.Jul 5, 2020
Apply for a Green Card If you are eligible, file Form I-485 - Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status with USCIS, including all supporting documents and fees. USCIS will review your application and schedule an interview with you. Once issued, your Green Card will be valid for 10 years.Jan 4, 2022
In most cases, it takes about two years for a green card to become available, and the entire process takes around three years.
An immigration lawyer cannot magically speed up your applications process once it has been submitted, however by hiring an immigration lawyer you can greatly decrease your chances of unnecessary delays caused by mistakes in your application.
Effective October 2, 2020, USCIS will begin us U.S. Postal Service's Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery service for all USCIS secure identification documents (such as Permanent Resident Cards and Employment Authorization Documents).Oct 2, 2020
As part of the new delivery method, applicants must present identification to sign for their documents upon delivery.Apr 27, 2018
After you become a permanent resident, we mail you a welcome notice. Then we mail your new Permanent Resident Card(Green Card). If you move before you get your card, change your address online or call the USCIS Contact Center.Jan 12, 2021
A "green card" is the proof of lawful permanent resident status needed to live and work within the United States as a non-citizen. Most green cards...
Your fees will vary based on the type of green card you're applying for. For example, a green card through marriage will cost $1,200 if the applica...
Mistakes on the forms, missing documents, lack of financial resources and failure to prove your eligibility are the most likely reasons your green...
That will depend on the type of green card for which you're applying. For instance, if your application is marriage-based, expect a timeframe betwe...
If you already have a valid work visa (e.g. H-1B or L-1), yes. Otherwise, you'll need to file Form I-765 to get a work permit in order to work lega...
A green card service helps you fill out your application accurately, to avoid any mistakes that could get your paperwork delayed or rejected. Some...
No. Depending on what level of service you need, you can expect fees ranging from $30 to $300 - though some of the more in-depth packages that give...
Unfortunately, there's no way to guarantee that your green card application will be approved - service or no service. However, using a green card s...
There are so many lawyers out there, and everyone is going to tell you they are the best. But when you — or a loved one — find yourself trying to remain in the United States, you can’t afford to make any mistakes, or have the wrong lawyer make them for you. So how do you cut through all the static and find the best green card lawyer you can find?
Be wary of overblown promises and unethical advice#N#We all want to believe in the best outcomes for ourselves or our families. It seems easy to go with the lawyer that says what you want to hear the most. But can the lawyer actually deliver? Make sure you aren’t just going with the person that is making unrealistic promises to you.
I first met Mr. York in 2011 and prior to that I had other immigration attorney's for my case. I waited around for 15+ years with different attorney's to resolve my case - which Mr. York's and his team (Lauren and Riki) took 2 1/2 years to resolve.
They have the easiest path to a green card of any family members and typical waiting times are between two months and two years.
What is an immigrant visa preference category? U.S. immigration laws use specific preference categories to assign “immigrant visa numbers.” Immigrant visa numbers essentially assign your spot in the waiting line for a green card. The preferences are broken into two categories:
Green Card Experts specializes in one thing: the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, also known as the green card lottery. They help prepare your application and maintain it in the lottery system for anywhere from one year to a lifetime ("until selected"). Green Card Experts has a great reputation, but many people hoping for permanent resident status may not be eligible for the one type of green card that this service covers.
If you are not a citizen of the United States, having a green card enables you to live and work legally in the country. This identification card proves that you have permanent resident status and must be carried at all times if you are 18 and older.
Simple Citizen harnesses the power of technology to process green card applications quickly, inexpensively, and accurately. Using a strictly-online interface with a process similar to popular software TurboTax, this service walks you through all of the questions you need to complete your application. Live help is readily available and your application is reviewed by an attorney. SimpleCitizen is our top choice among the best green card services.
Citizen Path helps you determine the forms you'll need for your green card application or other immigration status; you only pay for the forms you need. Customers have great things to say about this service and their support team. The only downside is that Citizen Path does not have any attorney review as part of their process.
Green Card Family offers do-it-yourself paperwork packages for the green card application. However, your application will not be reviewed for accuracy, and they will only answer general questions about the process, not anything specific to your situation. We recommend you select a more comprehensive service for your green card needs.
Visa Pro offers one-on-one help for clients who need help with immigration issues. Their experienced attorneys work directly with clients to complete all necessary forms. They offer a free 10-minute consultation with an immigration lawyer to determine your eligibility. Unfortunately, they do not publish any details about how much their services cost, bringing them down in our rankings compared with more transparent green card companies.
If you are offered the chance to work in the USA, your employer can petition for you to get a green card. The employer just has to fill out a form on your behalf. Once it's approved, you'll get a visa that will allow you to come and fill out the rest of the paperwork. You can complete this process within or outside the US, but you will need your employer's help regardless. If you are living in the US at the time of this process, you will also need to complete several items such as the USCIS Medical Exam and an inspection.
If You are a Refugee or Asylee. Unfortunately, some people are living in tough times. If you are a refugee or asylee, you can get a green card after one year. A refugee is someone that moved to the USA because of either natural or political hardships in their country.
The American Dream is an idea known and loved by people around the world, and the first step to achieving it is to get through the red tape. It can be a difficult process that takes time, paperwork, and patience, but if it is what your really want, it will feel like the easiest thing in the world.
The Green Card Lottery is probably the most surprising ways to get into the States. The technical name for it is the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. This program is designed to raise diversity in the USA. Each year, 50,000 visas are given randomly to citizens of countries that don't normally immigrate to the US.
Keep in mind that you are required to renew green card. If it is a 10-year card, it will need to be renewed every 10 years, and you should start the process at least six months before it expires.
An asylee is someone that is going through a more personal hardship in their country such as religious persecution or being the victim of an unjust law. A refugee is required to get a card after one year, but an asylee is simply allowed to apply for one if he or she wants to do so. 5.
To be eligible to get a green card this way, a foreign citizen must be sponsored by an immediate relative who is at least 21 years of age and is either a U.S. citizen or U.S. lawful permanent resident. Marriage is a common way this is done, but the marriage must be genuine and not simply undertaken for immigration purposes—intent is key.
The EB-5 direct investor program currently enables investor immigrants to get green cards by investing as little as $ 500,000 in their businesses, provided they create ten new jobs. This opportunity is temporary and is likely to close by the end of the year with the amount required likely to go up to $ 900,000 as it was before.
Think Toyota sends its Tokyo manager to New York to manage its New York Office. That is a classic example of an inter-corporate transfer that can result in a green card. Your petitioning employer must be a U.S. employer and intend to employ you in a managerial or executive capacity. The petitioner must have been doing business in the U.S.
Get a student visa to study at a U.S. college to get a bachelor’s or master’s degree. That will entitle you to a one-year post-graduate work permit called Optional Practical Training. Following the one year, get your boss to apply for an H1B work visa for you.
Either apply for a H1B work visa and then get a green card through labor certification as described in the student example, or apply for an EB-2 extraordinary worker green card based on a national interest waiver.
Drake is someone who would qualify as an extraordinary worker to get a green card. (Photo by Mike ... [+]
Apply for a green card under the annual Diversity Green Card Lottery where 55,000 applicants are chosen to apply to come to the U.S. These are applicants from countries that are under-represented in terms of immigrants coming to America—countries like Estonia, Fiji or Ukraine for example.
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The U.S. immigration system is widely regarded as "broken." The law itself is torturously difficult to understand. It takes lawyers years just to become comfortable with the ins and outs of various types of visas, green cards, and other benefits.
A few hours trying to fill out immigration forms, and you might just change your mind.
A person with U visa status can apply for a green card if they pass other eligibility requirements like: 1 must have lived in the United States for at least three years before applying for the green card. 2 must not have left the United States between the time they submitted their green card application and when USCIS gave them a decision on their application. 3 must agree to assist U.S. police with crime investigations between the time USCIS granted their U visa and the time USCIS decided on their green card application.
A green card is also sometimes called a permanent resident card. It is the document you receive when you become a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Permanent residence is a type of immigrant visa that allows foreign nationals to live and work lawfully in the United States.
There are family-based green cards, including marriage-based green cards for both same-sex and heterosexual couples. There are also humanitarian green cards, employment-based green cards, and other special categories of green cards.
There is a no different process for marriage-based green cards for same-sex couples under U.S. immigration law. As long as you can prove that you have a real and legal relationship with your U.S. citizen or green card-holding spouse, you can apply for the green card.
Family-based green cards allow immediate relatives of U.S. green card holders and U.S. citizens to live and work in the United States. “Immediate relatives” are close family members, namely spouses, parents, unmarried children, and siblings. Widows and widowers of U.S. citizens can also apply for this kind of green card.
Asylees, however, are those who fled into the United States before officially applying for protection. Refugees and asylees can apply for a green card once they have been physically present in the United States for at least one year. Children and spouses of asylees may also get asylum status and eventually, a green card.
The diversity visa lottery (green card lottery) is another way for foreign nationals to become U.S. permanent residents. Every year, the U.S. Department of State publishes a list of countries whose citizens can participate in the lottery for a diversity immigrant visa.
Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) Are a Liberian national who has been continuously physically present in the United States since Nov. 20, 2014, or. Are the spouse, child under age 21, or unmarried son or daughter over the age of 21 of a qualifying Liberian national. Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
VAWA self-petitioner– victim of battery or extreme cruelty. The abused spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The abused child (unmarried and under 21 years old) of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The abused parent of a U.S. citizen.
family-based preference categories. Family member of a U.S. citizen, meaning you are the: Unmarried son or daughter of a U.S. citizen and you are 21 years old or older. Married son or daughter of a U.S. citizen. Brother or sister of a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old.
Fiancé (e) of a U.S. citizen or the fiancé (e)’s child. Person admitted to the U.S. as a fiancé (e) of a U.S. citizen (K-1 nonimmigrant) Person admitted to the U.S. as the child of a fiancé (e) of a U.S. citizen (K-2 nonimmigrant) Widow (er) of a U.S. citizen.
Widow (er) of a U.S. citizen. Widow or widower of a U.S. citizen and you were married to your U.S. citizen spouse at the time your spouse died. VAWA self-petitioner– victim of battery or extreme cruelty. Abused spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
as a member of the media for the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) or a USAGM grantee. Employee of an international organization or family member or NATO-6 employee or family member.
Are the spouse or child of a lawful permanent resident who received his or her Green Card based on the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (HRIFA) An abused (victim of battery or extreme cruelty) spouse or child under HRIFA.
a. Form I-140 is available to U.S. Companies to sponsor a Green Card for an alien worker to become a permanent resident in the United States. A Foreign national may also file this petition on his or her own behalf without an employer if he or she has extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics; or is a member of the profession holding an advanced degree, or is claiming exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business, and is seeking an exemption of the job offer requirement in National Interest (NIW).
a. A Permanent Foreign Labor Certification from the Department of Labor allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers to work permanently in the U.S. In most instances, before the U.S. employer can submit an immigration petition to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), ...