Elizabeth, NJ Lawyers for Family-Based Green Cards
A Green Card for Family Immigrants enables certain relatives of current U.S. citizens and permanent residents to be granted permanent residence in Elizabeth, NJ and the United States in general. For U.S. citizens, relatives eligible to come to the U.S. with this type of green card include spouses, children and siblings (providing that the citizen is over 21). With lawful permanent U.S. residents, eligible family members for this type of green card include unmarried children no matter what age, and spouses.
Family preference permanent resident cards have a different path from green cards for immediate family members, which are designated for a U.S. citizen's parents, spouses, and minor children. Family green card attorneys in Elizabeth, NJ can help you to decide the correct type of green card category, helping you reunite with your family and establish and grow your lives together in the United States.
How Do Family-Based Green Cards Work in Elizabeth, NJ?
To begin, the Elizabeth, NJ family member who is either a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident needs to file Form I-130, also called the Petition for Alien Relative. This form helps demonstrate the family relation that qualifies for the sponsorship. Once that petition is approved, the family member who is out of the country must wait for visas to become accessible based on their application date and the yearly visa caps that Congress imposed. If the relative is legally in the U.S. already, they can request a status adjustment by filing forms including I-485.
Every eligible kind of family member falls into a category of preference, which all have individual annual caps. As an example, F1, or First Preference, is for the unmarried, over 21-year-old children of United States citizens. F1 is allocated 23,400 of 226,000 available yearly family preference green cards. It's common for Elizabeth, NJ applicants to wait for many years or in many instances, decades for family preference green cards to be available.
The Benefits of Hiring a Family-Based Green Card Lawyer in Elizabeth, NJ
Going through the immigration process is time-consuming and requires consistent effort and legal knowledge. The processing times for family-based petitions are not made available by the United States Citizens and Immigration Services, which can fluctuate substantially based on where you're immigrating from and your preference category. However, some have reported fifteen-year or more wait for an F4 (sibling) visa. With that kind of waiting period, it's critical that you file as soon as you can and with complete accuracy. A family immigration attorney in Elizabeth, NJ can help you present the requisite documents and ensure that you file it correctly for the proper visa type.
Your Elizabeth, New Jersey immigration attorney can assist you with understanding constantly changing laws and regulations and clarify confusing paperwork. They know the application’s schedules and can coach you or your family members prior to visa interviews. When you have a strong legal team working with you and your family, you can shorten potential delays, experience a smoother application, and improve your family's chances to achieve the desired outcome.
Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Elizabeth, NJ: Your Family Immigration Attorney
When you or a family member is applying for a family preference green card, pick Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Elizabeth, NJ. Our founder immigrated to the U.S. herself, and many of our team members are immigrants or have immediate family members who are immigrants. Our multilingual, multicultural team of attorneys can help your family navigate the legal immigration process as we offer some of the industry’s highest success rates.* We're ready to help with your and your family's immigration necessities. Get started with a free case evaluation today.
*Disclaimer: Past results do not ensure similar outcomes.