PRACTICE AREAS
NONIMMIGRANT
VISAS
H-1B, E, L, B, F, J, O, P, R
Nonimmigrant visas are issued to foreign nationals (FN) seeking to enter the United States on a temporary basis - for tourism (B-2), medical treatment (B-2), business (B-1), temporary work (H-1B, E, L, O, R), study (F), exchange (J), or other similar reasons. The type of nonimmigrant visa needed is defined by immigration law and related to the purpose of travel. These visas generally have time restrictions on how long a FN can stay in the US, which can be found in his/her Form I-94 issued by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon entry into the country. With solid knowledge of the various visa categories, we can help clients to find the right visas and guide them through the usually complicated application process.
EMPLOYMENT-BASED IMMIGRATION
EB-1A, EB-2/NIW, EB-3, EB-4, EB-5
The US immigration law provides foreign nationals a variety of ways to become lawful permanent residents (Green Card) through employment in the United States. Every fiscal year (Oct. 1 - Sept. 30), approximately 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas are made available to qualified applicants. Thus, the EB visas are divided into five preference categories to share the visa numbers: EB-1 is reserved for those foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, outstanding professors and researchers, or certain multinational managers and executives; EB-2 for foreign nationals who are members of the professions holding advanced degrees or who have exceptional ability (including requests for national interest waivers); EB-3 for professionals, skilled workers or other workers; EB-4 for special immigrants (eg. religious workers, Afghan or Iraqi translators/interpreters); EB-5 for foreign investors who have made the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States.
FAMILY-BASED
IMMIGRATION
Spouses, Children, Parents, Siblings
Under US immigration law, US citizens and lawful permanent residents can petition their noncitizen family members for lawful permanent residence (green card) in the US. Immigrant visas are always available to immediate relatives of US citizens, including spouses, unmarried children under 21 years old, and parents of US citizens of 21 years or older. However, extended family members of US citizens and permanent residents are subject to an annual statutory quota on family-based immigration. They are thus divided into four preference categories to share the limited visa numbers: F1 for unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens; F2A for spouses and children of permanent residents and F2B for unmarried sons and daughters (21 years or older) of permanent residents; F3 for married sons and daughters of US citizens; and F4 for brothers and sisters of adult US citizens.
Other Immigration Services
Waivers, Deportation Defense, Naturalization/Citizenship
Some people are barred from entering the United States or obtaining lawful permanent residence because of reasons such as health, criminal convictions, immigration fraud and misrepresentation, membership in a totalitarian party, unlawful presence in the US, etc. (grounds of inadmissibility). We help these clients to obtain waivers of these grounds of inadmissibility so that they can enter the US with proper visas or get lawful permanent residence in the country. We also represent clients who have been placed in removal proceedings before the immigration judge and fight for immigration benefits that could save them from being removed from the US.
For many immigrants, the ultimate goal is to become a United States citizen. US Citizenship could be obtained through application for naturalization, automatic citizenship (certain people born abroad to a US citizen parent or parents), derivation of citizenship by naturalization of one or both parents, etc. We work closely with clients to find out the best and fastest way for them to get citizenship.