Immigration questions we answer every day

Often yes, through adjustment of status, if you entered lawfully and an immigrant visa is available to you. If you entered without inspection, you usually need consular processing and sometimes a waiver first, which is the single biggest fork in the road we look at on the first call.

About 12 to 20 months when your spouse is a U.S. citizen and you file from inside the United States. Consular cases usually run 14 to 24 months, and cases with overstays, prior removals or criminal history take longer because a waiver has to be built first.

Yes, once your work permit is approved. We file the work permit application together with the adjustment package, and current processing is roughly three to eight months depending on the service center.

Most family green card cases are handled on a flat legal fee quoted in writing before you hire us, plus the government filing fees, which are set by USCIS and paid separately. Cases needing a waiver are quoted individually because the evidence work is much larger.

U.S. citizens can petition for a spouse, children, parents and siblings. Permanent residents can petition for a spouse and unmarried children only. The category determines the wait, which ranges from immediate to well over a decade.

Yes, with a K-1 fiancé(e) visa if you are a U.S. citizen, you have met in person within the last two years and you marry within 90 days of arrival. Processing typically runs 10 to 16 months before the interview abroad.

Usually not. Most long waits are visa bulletin queues, not errors, and the priority date controls when the case can move. Send us the receipt notice and we will tell you where you actually stand in the queue.

Yes, and this is where most denials happen. Joint finances, a shared lease, photographs over time, insurance and affidavits all carry weight; we tell you exactly what your file is missing before it goes in.

Do not miss the hearing date, and get the notice reviewed immediately. Missing an immigration court hearing usually produces an in-absentia removal order, which is far harder to undo than defending the case in the first place.

Frequently, yes. Cancellation of removal, adjustment through a relative, asylum, VAWA and prosecutorial discretion are all available in court, and some cases end in termination because the charging document itself is defective.

Call us the same day with their full name and A-number. Bond eligibility and the detention location shape everything that follows, and the first 72 hours matter more than any other point in the case.

Sometimes. Motions to reopen have deadlines, but in-absentia orders based on defective notice, changed country conditions and ineffective prior counsel are recognised exceptions. We review the court record before telling you whether it is realistic.

No. VAWA self-petitions are confidential by law, and USCIS may not disclose the filing to the abuser or rely on information the abuser supplies. Your safety is the reason the process is designed this way.

Not necessarily. Spouses, children and parents of abusive U.S. citizens or permanent residents can self-petition, and former spouses may qualify if the marriage ended within the last two years for reasons connected to the abuse.

A U-visa protects victims of certain crimes who help law enforcement. It requires a signed certification from the agency involved, and current waits are long, several years to reach a decision, with work permits available to many applicants while waiting.

Possibly. VAWA does not require a police report; medical records, counselling notes, photographs, messages and sworn statements from people who saw what happened can all establish the abuse. U-visas do require law-enforcement cooperation.

Yes, most commonly through EB-2 or EB-3 after a labour certification showing no qualified U.S. worker is available. The full process usually takes two to four years depending on your country of birth and the visa bulletin.

H-1B is a temporary status tied to one employer and subject to an annual lottery. An employment-based green card is permanent residence. Many people hold H-1B while the green card case runs in the background.

Usually yes, but the timing matters. H-1B transfers can start work on filing, while a pending green card case may need the new job to be the same or similar occupation to keep the petition alive.

Usually, but not always. EB-1 extraordinary ability and the EB-2 national interest waiver allow self-petitioning without an employer, though the evidence standard for both is high and we tell you honestly if the record is not there yet.

Generally after five years as a permanent resident, or three years if you are still married to and living with the same U.S. citizen spouse. You may file up to 90 days before that anniversary.

Yes. Trips of six months or more can break the continuous residence requirement, and a year or more usually resets it. Bring your travel history to the review before filing, not after.

Not automatically, but it must be handled carefully. Some offences bar good moral character for a period, and a small number can expose you to removal when you apply, so the record should be reviewed before anything is filed.

Usually yes, but there are exemptions. Applicants who are 50 or older with 20 years as a resident, or 55 or older with 15 years, may take the civics test in their own language, and medical disability waivers exist.