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Helping Families Immigrate to the United States
For many around the world, coming to the United States of America to build a life for themselves is a lifelong dream. But what good is such a dream if you have to dream it alone? Many immigrants would never imagine going through the long and complicated process of becoming legal permanent residents of the U.S. if they could not also bring their family members with them. Luckily, U.S. immigration law allows for several different types of family-based immigration, allowing an immigrant to come to the U.S. while accompanied by their spouse, children, and other close family relations.
A U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident (LPR) has the ability to sponsor relatives for a green card by filing a family immigration visa petition. If successful, the sponsored foreign national can obtain a green card to live, work, and seek education in the U.S. This process can be long and arduous, especially for those unfamiliar with the USA’s labyrinth-like immigration system. It’s highly recommended that you seek legal professionals when looking to sponsor a family member for permanent residency in the USA.
The law offices of Elizabeth Rosario Law, PLC are experienced in assisting clients in achieving their dreams of uniting their families in the United States. Please contact our law firm to speak with a member of our team as you seek family-based immigration legal options.
What Are Family-Based Immigration Visas?
In order to sponsor a relative or family member for immigration, you must either be a U.S. citizen, have legal permanent residency (be a green card holder), or be a refugee or asylee admitted within the last two years.
There are two main categories for family immigration visas: the category for immediate relatives and the family preference category.
What is the Immediate Relative Category?
Immediate relatives, such as the sponsor’s children or someone related to the sponsor by marriage, do not have to wait for a visa number after petitioning the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Thus, the pathway to an applicant receiving a green card is more streamlined than the family preference category.
Immediate relative visas include the following:
- IR-1: The spouse of a U.S. citizen.
- IR-2: A U.S. citizen’s unmarried son or daughter under the age of 21.
- IR-3: An orphan child adopted in a foreign country by a United States citizen.
- IR-4: Orphan children adopted Stateside by a U.S. citizen.
- IR-5: The parent of a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years of age.
What Are the Family Preference Categories?
Relatives that fall under the family preference category must wait for a visa number, and there are a limited number of such visas allocated to hopeful immigrants every year.
Family preference categories include:
- First preference: The unmarried sons and daughters of a U.S. citizen, plus the minor children of those sons and daughters (if applicable).
- Second preference: The spouses, minor children, and unmarried adult children of a legal permanent resident.
- Third preference: Married sons and daughters of United States citizens, their spouses, and any children under the age of 21.
- Fourth preference: A U.S. citizen’s brother or sister and their spouses and any minor children.
What Relatives Are Not Valid for the Family Immigration Process?
A U.S. citizen or green card holder cannot sponsor an aunt, uncle, sibling, grandparent, cousin, or their in-laws under family immigration law. Only immediate family members and their minor children are considered for family-based immigration. For a better understanding of these restrictions, please contact our law firm to speak with our legal staff.
What Legal Services Does a Family Immigration Attorney Offer?
At the law offices of Elizabeth Rosario Law, PLC., we proudly offer legal services to help unite families in the United States.
A family immigration lawyer at our law firm can assist you with several matters, including:
- Adjustment of status.
- Family-based waivers of inadmissibility.
- Fiancé and fiancée visas.
- Green cards for close relatives.
- Naturalization.
- Petition for alien relative.
- Removal and deportation defense.
Can Family-Based Immigration Lead to U.S. Citizenship?
Family-based immigration can help an immigrant obtain lawful permanent residency, allowing them to live and work in the U.S. The most common pathway to citizenship is to be a lawful permanent resident for at least five years and then apply for naturalization. Certain eligibility requirements also apply, however, and are dependent upon each individual situation.
Examples of such requirements include:
- Ability to read and speak English.
- Be a person of ‘good moral character’ during your five years of lawful residency.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Establish that you are dedicated to the ideals of the United States.
- Prove that you have lived at least three months in the state that has jurisdiction over your place of residence.
- Show that you have been physically present in the U.S. for 30 months or more during the past five years.
- Take an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America.
Contact Our Law Firm to Schedule an In-Depth Consultation with Experienced Family Immigration Attorneys Today
Like all matters related to immigration to the United States, family immigration can be complex and difficult, especially if you try to navigate the system on your own. It is strongly recommended that you retain the legal counsel of a professional with extensive experience representing clients in family immigration cases.
Elizabeth Rosario Law, PLC has years of experience helping clients pursue the American Dream through the process of family immigration. Our law office offers family-based immigration legal services to clients nationwide.
To schedule your initial case evaluation with our legal team, please contact our law firm today at616-530-0101. We look forward to hearing from you.