Gilbertsville, NY Lawyers for Family-Based Green Cards
A Family Preference Green Card permits specified family members of people who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents to themselves become permanent residents in Gilbertsville, NY and the entire United States. For U.S. citizens, family members that can be brought to the U.S. under this type of green card include children, spouses and siblings (as long as the U.S. citizen is at least 21 years old). For lawful permanent residents, relatives who could qualify for this type of green card include spouses and unmarried children of any age.
Family preference permanent resident cards do not have the same process as green cards meant for immediate family, which are meant for parents, spouses, and minor children of U.S. citizens. Your Gilbertsville, NY family green card lawyer can help you to decide the appropriate category of green card to apply for, helping your family to reconnect and build and grow your lives together in the United States.
How Do Family-Based Green Cards Work in Gilbertsville, NY?
To start, the family member in Gilbertsville, NY who is a US citizen or permanent resident files Form I-130, which is the Petition for Alien Relative. This form helps demonstrate the family relation necessary for the sponsorship. Once that petition is approved, the family member who is out of the country are required to wait for visas to become available based on their application date 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 through forms that include the I-485.
Each eligible type of relative is assigned a preference category, which each have their own annual limits. First Preference, or F1, for example is assigned to U.S. citizens’ children who are older than 21 and unmarried. Only 23,400 family preference green cards are allocated to F1 out of 226,000 total each year. Gilbertsville, NY applicants often wait for years and, in some cases, decades for family preference green cards to open up.
Should You Hire a Family Immigration Attorney in Gilbertsville, NY?
Going through the immigration process is time-consuming and requires significant efforts and in-depth expertise. USCIS does not publish wait times for adjudication of family-based petitions, which can vary significantly which varies based on your nationality and which preference category you belong to. However, there are many reports of fifteen-year or greater waits for sibling, or F4, visas. If you're facing the potential of such a long wait, you must apply as early as possible and with complete accuracy. A family immigration attorney in Gilbertsville, NY can help prepare all the necessary paperwork and ensure that you file it correctly for the proper visa type.
An immigration attorney in Gilbertsville, NY can also help you navigate regulations and laws that change regularly and clarify confusing paperwork. They know the application’s schedules and can help you or your family members prepare for visa interviews. When you have a strong legal team working with you and your family, you can minimize delays, undergo a more seamless process, and increase your probability of a positive result.
Choose Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Gilbertsville, NY as Your Family Immigration Lawyer
When applying for a family-based green card, pick Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Gilbertsville, NY. Our founder personally immigrated to the United States, and our team includes many individuals who are immigrants or have immediate family members who are immigrants. Our multicultural, multilingual team can guide your family through the immigration procedures and experience some of the industry's highest rates of success.* We're ready to help with your and your family's immigration necessities. Start today with a free case evaluation.
*Disclaimer: Previous results do not guarantee the same results.