If you are legally residing in the United States, but are separated from your family members who are stuck in their home country, you may be able to help them with the first steps in qualifying for a green card when you work with an experienced family petitions lawyer Woodland Hills from the Law Offices of Edward M Weisz. Being separated from your family can be painful and can take a toll on anyone who goes through it. However, with help from an immigration lawyer, you can be guided through the family petitions process, and receive assistance in filling out and submitting your relative’s I-130 form to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, on their behalf, as their petitioner. As the family visa petition is only the start of the process, its approval does not give the intending immigrant the right to enter the United States, or even guarantee that a green card will be approved.
Family Petitions Lawyer Woodland Hills
When you are trying to submit a visa petition to have your family members from your home country legally obtain residential status in the United States, you will need to fill out forms and provide copies of records and other documents in order to have their application submitted and processed. To ensure that you have filled out the forms properly and have included the appropriate documents, it is in your best interest to work with a professional, such as an immigration lawyer who has prior experience in family visa petitions, to ensure everything is done as it should. It is vital importance to keep in mind that not all family members of US citizens or lawful permanent residents are eligible to have petitions filed on their behalf and can only be used for parents, spouse, children (married and unmarried for US citizens), and siblings, but cannot be used for the married children of lawful permanent residents.
After the petition for family visa has been submitted, it will take at least several months before hearing back. In cases where the family member is not an immediate relative, but in a preference category, like brothers and sisters, the way can take up to twenty years. Especially because of per-country limits on immigration, people from certain countries, such as Mexico, India, Philippines, and China have to wait even longer for approval of their petitions.
Progress on this waiting list can be measured by the immigrant’s Priority Date which comes from the date the visa petition was received. When an immigrant number is made available, the eligible relative can apply for an immigrant visa. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your family members; qualifications or need help with the filing process, call the family petitions lawyer Woodland Hills from the Law Offices of Edward M Weisz.
