Potsdam, NY Lawyers for Family-Based Green Cards
A Green Card for Family Preference Immigrants allows specified family members of people who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents to gain permanent residency in Potsdam, NY 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 (whether single or married) and siblings (if the citizen is 21 years or older). If someone is a lawful permanent resident, the relatives eligible for this green card include unmarried children no matter what age, and spouses.
Family preference permanent resident cards do not have the same process as green cards meant for immediate family, which are designated for a U.S. citizen's parents, spouses, and minor children. A family green card attorney in Potsdam, NY can assist your family in determining the appropriate category of green card to apply for, helping you unite with your family to begin and continue your life together in the United States.
How Do Potsdam, NY Family-Based Green Cards Work?
To get started, the family member located in Potsdam, NY who is either a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident needs to file Form I-130, which is the Petition for Alien Relative. This form helps demonstrate the family relation needed for sponsorship. Next, after USCIS approves the petition, the family member outside the United States are required to wait for visas to become available depending on when they applied and the annual visa quotas authorized by Congress. If the applicant is already in the U.S. legally, they can request for their immigration status to be adjusted through form I-485 and others.
Each category of eligible relative is given preference classification, which all have individual annual caps. For example, First Preference, or F1, is for over 21-year-old, unmarried children of U.S. citizens. F1 is allocated only 23,400 of 226,000 family preference green cards each year. It's common for Potsdam, NY applicants to wait for many years or in some cases, even decades for family preference green cards to open up.
The Benefits of Hiring a Family-Based Green Card Lawyer in Potsdam, NY
The legal immigration process takes a lot of time and hard work and legal knowledge. USCIS does not publish wait times for adjudication of family-based petitions, which can fluctuate substantially depending on the country you’re immigrating from and which preference category you belong to. However, there are many reports of fifteen-year or greater waits for sibling, or F4, visas. With that kind of waiting period, it's critical that you file as soon as you can and with complete accuracy. Potsdam, NY family immigration attorneys can help you present the requisite documents and ensure that you file it correctly for the proper visa type.
An immigration attorney in Potsdam, NY can also help you navigate ever-changing laws and regulations and understand complicated documents. They know the application’s schedules and can assist you and your family members in getting ready for visa interviews. When you have a strong legal team working with you and your family, you may be able to get the visa much quicker, experience a smoother application, and increase your chances of a favorable outcome.
Choose Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Potsdam, NY as Your Family Immigration Lawyer
When you or a family member decides to pursue a family-based green card, choose Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Potsdam, NY. Our founder moved to the United States as an immigrant, and a large number of our team members are also immigrants or have family members who immigrated here. Our multilingual, multicultural team of attorneys will assist your family through the legal immigration system and benefit from some of the immigration industry's highest approval rates.* 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 future outcomes.