Penrose, NC Lawyers for Family-Based Green Cards
A Green Card for Family Preference Immigrants allows particular family members of current U.S. citizens and permanent residents to gain permanent residency in Penrose, NC and the United States in general. For U.S. citizens, family members that can be brought to the U.S. with this category of green card include spouses, children (whether single or married) and siblings (providing that the citizen is over 21). With lawful permanent U.S. residents, relatives who could qualify for this type of green card include unmarried children no matter what age, and spouses.
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. Family green card attorneys in Penrose, NC can help you to decide the right green card category to pursue, helping you reunite with your family and build and continue your life together in the United States.
How Do Family-Preference Green Cards Work in Penrose, NC?
To begin, the Penrose, NC family member who is either a United States citizen or permanent resident files Form I-130, known as a Petition for Alien Relative. This form proves the family relationship that qualifies for the sponsorship. As soon as that form is approved, the family member who is out of the country are required to wait for visas to become available dependent on the date of submission and the annual visa limits that Congress authorized. If the family member is legally in the United States, they can apply for their status to be adjusted through form I-485 and others.
Each category of eligible relative is assigned a preference category, 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. Only 23,400 family preference green cards are allocated to F1 out of 226,000 total each year. Many Penrose, NC applicants end up waiting for years or in many instances, decades for family preference green cards to be available.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Family-Based Immigration Lawyer in Penrose, NC?
Going through the immigration process is time-consuming and requires significant efforts and legal understanding. The USCIS does not disclose estimated processing times for family-based petitions, which can fluctuate substantially depending on your country of origin and which preference category you belong to. However, some have reported fifteen-year or more wait for an F4 (sibling) visa. With this kind of potential wait, it's critical that you file as soon as you can and with complete accuracy. A family immigration attorney in Penrose, NC can help you with the documentation and ensure that you file it correctly for the proper visa type.
Your Penrose, North Carolina immigration attorney can assist you with understanding constantly changing laws and regulations and interpret complex documentation. They have a grasp of application timetables and can help your family get ready for eventual 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 increase your chances of a favorable outcome.
Choose Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Penrose, NC as Your Family Immigration Lawyer
When you or a family member is applying for a family preference green card, pick Weinstock Immigration Lawyers in Penrose, NC. Our founder immigrated to the U.S. herself, and numerous members of our team are immigrants or have immigrant family members themselves. Our multicultural, multilingual 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 member's immigration needs. Start today with a free case evaluation.
*Disclaimer: Past results do not ensure similar outcomes.