Depending on your current immigration status or situation, there are a number of visas available to foreign nationals wishing to permanently immigrate to the United States. There is a fiancé(e) visa (if you are a foreign national engaged to a U.S. citizen), family visas (if you have or are the relative of a U.S. citizen and wish to immigrate to the U.S.), a work visa (if you have unique skills or requirements which make you a hot commodity in a particular field or industry), and more. Give us a call to speak to us about your case.
Permanent residency, obtained through a Green Card, allows a foreign national to live and work in the United States on a potentially indefinite basis. However, some Green Cards are first issued as a temporary basis for two years. After the first two years, providing you have not been convicted of any criminal activity and have maintained your eligibility status, you can apply to remove your restrictions and get a green card that is valid for 10 years.
Once an individual has been granted a Green Card, and if they wish to obtain U.S. citizenship through the naturalization process, there are certain requirements that must be met. You must have been physically present in the U.S., as a Green Card holder, for at least 50 percent of the time. You must not be away from the U.S. for any more than one year, and ideally less than six months prior to your citizenship application. You must not have committed a serious crime of moral turpitude. You must be able to write and speak English, and more. Consult with Attorney Chavez in order to get a complete list of the qualifications and requirements.
If you receive a deportation order or notification, the first thing you must do is contact us so we can work with you closely to build your deportation defense. You need an attorney who understands and is skilled in all aspects of immigration law. Attorney Chavez is committed to providing you with the honest, aggressive representation you need.
If your visa has expired or will expire, the first thing you need to do is contact an immigration attorney from our firm. We can sit down with you, review your current status and situation, and then help you determine the best course of action to pursue. Time is of the essence when it comes to expired visas, so we advise you do not delay.
Adjustment of status is when an individual goes through the process of gaining resident status, as opposed to a visitor. Change of status, on the other hand, is when a person changes a temporary status to another temporary status. For example, a student could change their status to a temporary worker.
