How a Family-Based Immigration Lawyer in Fresno Can Help You with Your Immigration Case

Family-based immigration to the United States may be available to foreign nationals who are the siblings or children of one or more U.S. citizens, or the spouse of a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States and are sponsored by these relatives. Other requirements include your sponsor’s ability to support you financially and to prove that you are related. The sponsor in the United States must submit the necessary forms and documentation to a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office, which will then either approve or deny the visa petition. If the petition is approved, it will be sent to the Department of State’s National Visa Center.

The Center will notify you when an immigrant visa number is available, at which time you may complete the processing of your visa application. The process of applying for and receiving an immigration visa to the United States through family-based immigration can be a long and complicated process. An experienced immigration lawyer from Bains Law Offices can guide you through the process and help you to achieve the best possible outcome for your situation. Call our Fresno office today at 559-890-1007 to get started.

How are Immigrant Visa Numbers Allotted for Family-Based Immigration?

There is a list of preference categories based on the status of the sponsor that is used in the allotment of immigrant visas to the United States. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, which are defined as the sponsor’s parents, spouse, and unmarried children under 21 years of age, do not have to wait but are granted visa numbers as soon as the application is approved by USCIS. After that, the first preference is given to over-21, unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. The second preference is given to spouses of Lawful Permanent Residents and their unmarried sons and daughters of any age, and the third preference goes to married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. Finally, the fourth preference goes to the brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens.

What Do I Do Once an Immigrant Visa Number Becomes Available to Me?

Once you are notified that an immigrant visa number is available to you, you can apply to have that number assigned to you. For those already living in the United States, this changes your immigration status to Lawful Permanent Resident. If you are living outside the U.S. when an immigrant visa number becomes available, you must complete the processing of your visa at the U.S. Consulate in the country in which you are living.

What if Circumstances Change After I Apply but Before an Immigrant Visa Number Becomes Available?

If there is any change in status that would affect your application for an immigrant visa number under the rules of family-based immigration, you should contact the National Visa Center. Changes that would require you to notify the Center include such things as an address change, a change in the personal status of you or your sponsor such as a divorce, or the attainment of adulthood (21 years of age), marriage, death, or any other change that could affect your eligibility for a visa.

Following all of the required steps and completing all required paperwork is crucial to your chances of success in gaining Lawful Permanent Resident status in the United States through family-based immigration. The experience and knowledge of a skilled immigration lawyer can help to ensure that your case has the best outcome for you. Call Bains Law Offices today at 559-890-1007

Is Hiring an Attorney for my Family-Based Immigration Case Worth it?

Immigration lawyers in Fresno have knowledge and experience that the rest of us do not have. The skill of an accomplished immigration attorney could possibly be the deciding factor in the success or failure of your family-based immigration case. Hiring an experienced immigration attorney can help to alleviate the stress and headaches of trying to decipher complex immigration law, and can give you peace of mind knowing that you have a skilled professional on your side.