Green cards
A family petition, from the first form to the card
If a citizen or a permanent resident in your family can petition for you, the path has two parts.
First the government approves the family relationship. Then it decides whether you can receive a green card, whether you are in the United States or abroad. I prepare both, and I tell you early if something in your history will slow either one down.
Cases I take
Spouses and children of citizens
Parents of adult citizens
Adjusting status inside the country
Interviews at a U.S. consulate abroad
Removing conditions from a two-year card
Naturalization when you become eligible
Where forms go wrong
Four small mistakes that cost months
A missing page
A form returned for one blank line restarts the wait.
Old addresses
Every address for the last five years has to match your records.
Names that don't match
A birth certificate and a passport spell the name two ways, and the file must explain it.
A late answer
A request for evidence has a deadline printed on it, and it doesn't move.
Questions about a family petition
When will I get an answer?
It depends on the relationship, the country and the office handling it, and the government's estimates change. At the consultation I'll show you where your category stands today.
Can I get a work permit while I wait?
Sometimes. People who apply to adjust status inside the country can usually ask for a work permit at the same time. I'll tell you if that applies to you.
What if I entered without papers?
That can limit the options, but it doesn't always close them. Bring the full story to the first meeting, including what you'd rather leave out. I can only plan around what I know.
Start with the relationship
Tell me who your petitioner is and where you each live. That's enough to book.