Chevy Chase, MD Family-Based Green Card Attorneys
A Green Card for Family Preference Immigrants allows specified family members of United States citizens and permanent residents to be granted permanent residence in Chevy Chase, MD and the entire United States. With U.S. citizens, relatives eligible to come to the U.S. with this green card include children, spouses and siblings (if the citizen is 21 years or older). For lawful permanent residents, the relatives eligible for this green card include spouses and unmarried children of any age.
Family preference green cards have a different path from green cards for immediate family members, which are designed for the parents, minor children, and spouses of U.S. citizens. A family green card attorney in Chevy Chase, MD can help your family decide the most fitting category of green card, helping you unite with your family to create and grow your lives together in the United States.
Family-Based Green Cards: How Do They Work in Chevy Chase, MD?
To begin, the Chevy Chase, MD family member who is either a United States citizen or permanent resident must file Form I-130, known as a Petition for Alien Relative. The form demonstrates the connection needed for sponsorship. Once that petition is approved, the family member outside the United States has to stand by for visas to be available based on their application date and the annual visa limits that Congress authorized. If the applicant is already in the U.S. legally, they can petition for a status adjustment through form I-485 and others.
Every eligible kind of family member is assigned a preference category, which has a set annual cap specific to that category. As an example, F1, or First Preference, is assigned to U.S. citizens’ children who are older than 21 and unmarried. F1 is allocated 23,400 of 226,000 available yearly family preference green cards. Many Chevy Chase, MD applicants end up waiting for years or even decades for family-sponsored green cards to become available.
The Benefits of Hiring a Family-Based Green Card Lawyer in Chevy Chase, MD
Going through the immigration process is time-consuming and requires significant efforts and legal knowledge. USCIS does not currently release specific wait times for the processing of family-based petitions, which can fluctuate substantially depending on your country of origin and your assigned preference category. With that being said, there are reports of more than fifteen-year waits for F4, or sibling, visas. With this kind of potential wait, you must apply as early as possible and with complete accuracy. Family immigration lawyers near you in Chevy Chase, MD can assist with all the required paperwork and help ensure that it is properly filed for your desired visa.
Your Chevy Chase, Maryland immigration attorney can also help you navigate laws and regulations that change constantly and clarify confusing paperwork. They understand the tight application timeline and can coach you or your family members prior to visa interviews. With experienced attorneys representing you and your family, you may be able to get the visa much quicker, undergo a more seamless process, and increase your probability of a positive result.
Choose Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Chevy Chase, MD as Your Family Immigration Lawyer
If you or a family member plans to apply for a family preference green card, choose Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Chevy Chase, MD. Our founder moved to the United States as an immigrant, and numerous members of our team are immigrants or have family members who immigrated here. Our multicultural, multilingual team will advise your family throughout the legal immigration structure as we offer some of the industry’s highest success rates.* We're ready to assist with all of your family's legal immigration needs. Reach out today for a case evaluation at no cost.
*Disclaimer: Past results do not ensure similar outcomes.