Merchantville, NJ Family-Based Green Card Attorneys
A Green Card for Family Immigrants enables certain relatives of United States citizens and permanent residents to gain permanent residency in Merchantville, NJ and the United States in general. For U.S. citizens, relatives eligible to come to the U.S. with this green card include children, spouses and siblings (as long as the U.S. citizen is at least 21 years old). For lawful permanent residents, eligible family members for this type of green card include unmarried children no matter what age, and spouses.
Permanent residency cards based on family preference have a different path from green cards for immediate family members, which are meant for parents, spouses, and minor children of U.S. citizens. Family green card attorneys in Merchantville, NJ can help you to decide the correct type of green card category, reconnecting you with your family so you can establish and grow your lives together in the United States.
How Do Family-Preference Green Cards Work in Merchantville, NJ?
To start, the family member in Merchantville, NJ who is either a United States citizen or permanent resident files Form I-130, also called the Petition for Alien Relative. This form verifies the familial connection needed for sponsorship. Next, after USCIS approves the petition, the family member who lives abroad are required to wait for visas to become available based on the date they apply and the annual visa quotas authorized by Congress. If the relative is legally in the U.S. already, they can request for their immigration status to be adjusted with various forms including I-485.
Each category of eligible relative is given preference classification, all of which have annual limits. For example, First Preference, or F1, is for over 21-year-old, unmarried children of U.S. citizens. Only 23,400 family preference green cards are allocated to F1 out of 226,000 total each year. Often, Merchantville, NJ applicants have to wait for years and, in some cases, decades for a family-sponsored green card to come.
The Benefits of Hiring a Family-Based Green Card Lawyer in Merchantville, NJ
The legal immigration process takes a lot of time and hard work and particular know-how. USCIS does not publish wait times for adjudication of family-based petitions, which can fluctuate substantially depending on your country of origin and your assigned preference category. However, some have reported fifteen-year or more wait for an F4 (sibling) visa. With this kind of potential wait, it's imperative that you apply as soon as possible and with complete accuracy. Family immigration lawyers near you in Merchantville, NJ can help you present the requisite documents and correctly file it for your specific visa type.
Merchantville, NJ immigration lawyers can help you understand the regulations and laws that change regularly and understand complicated documents. They know the application’s schedules and can coach you or your family members prior to visa interviews. With knowledgeable legal professionals in your corner, you can reduce wait times, undergo a more seamless process, and increase your chances of a favorable outcome.
Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Merchantville, NJ: Your Family Immigration Attorney
If you or a family member plans to apply for a family preference green card, partner with the professionals at Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Merchantville, NJ. Our founder personally immigrated to the United States, and a large number of our team members are also immigrants or have close family who are immigrants. Our team of multicultural and multilingual lawyers will assist your family through the legal immigration system and benefit from some of the immigration industry's highest approval rates.* We're eager to assist with all of your immigration requirements. Reach out today for a case evaluation at no cost.
*Disclaimer: Prior results do not guarantee a similar result.