Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram

Part 2: Family Immigration Options

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Part 2: Family Immigration Options

In order to relocate to any country you need to be able to satisfy particular immigration requirements. America is by far the most popular immigration destination in the world and for good reason. America was founded upon the principle of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. This principle was enshrined in the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4th 1776. Even today, families from all over the world risk life and limb to forge a new life here in America. We see this pursuit of the American Dream as – the dream to live the life you’ve always wanted, the liberty to build that life, and since we only have one life on this earth shouldn’t we pursue happiness?  There is nothing in the world more rewarding to us as an immigration law firm and as fellow immigrants to be involved in helping hundreds, if not thousands, of families realize their American Dream.

In this presentation series we’re going to do our best to inspire by presenting the various immigration options we can help you with.

Treat this video presentation series as if you were in an immigration consultation with us. Let us present some options to you so that you can evaluate them.  Some of our clients come to us with fixed ideas as to what might work best for them and they might be right, but it’s always a good idea to run through as many options as possible so that the client can make a well-informed decision.

Question 1: Do you have an American citizen parent, sibling or child (over 21) willing to sponsor you for residency?

Let’s talk about this briefly: immediate family members, as outlined in this question, can sponsor you for what is called a ‘Green Card’. A Green Card provides the holder to live permanently in the US with the right to work and/or retire at will.

If, as an alien, you have an American Citizen child over 21 they can sponsor you for a Green Card, and your wait time will be less than a year from start to finish in most cases.

If you are an alien over 21 years, and you have American parents, they can sponsor you and your wait time will be more than seven years. However, if you, as an alien are under 21, then the wait time will be less than a year from start to finish, in most cases.

If, as an alien, you have an American Citizen brother or sister over 21, they can sponsor you but your wait time could be more than 10 years.

Every month the US Department of State publishes the wait times for Green Cards based on family sponsorship and employment sponsorship. You can monitor these bulletins at any time. If this is an option that is of interest to you, please contact us so we can further examine your particular situation.

http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html

Question 2: Are You Married to an American Citizen

If you’re married to an American citizen then your American spouse can sponsor you for your Green Card. The process can be quite convoluted over a 6-12 month period and can be filed whether you are currently in the US or outside the US.  Some people think that immigration is simply a question of completing the right forms and all will be well. Whilst this may ring true in theory the reality can be very different indeed. All immigration is inconsistent and unpredictable even for experienced immigration lawyers. We have many people come to us who have attempted to represent themselves and who are now completely lost in the system. We prefer not to get involved in these types of cases, as we cannot run an efficient law office if all we end up to doing is cleaning up poorly prepared cases. So we would caution you not to try and do any immigration procedure without experienced attorney representation.

There are many questions to be asked and answered as to whether to file inside or outside America. Therefore, before making any firm decisions we would recommend a detailed consultation before getting started.

Question 3: Do you have an American Citizen Fiancé (e)?

If you have an American fiancé(e) then your American fiancé(e) can sponsor you to come to the US in order to get married. The application process can take 3-9 months to obtain the fiancé (e) visa. However, having entered into the US, you only have 90-days to actually get married.

Again, there are many questions still to be asked and answered on this issue, so please do not hesitate to book a consultation so we can go over these issues in detail.

In the next presentation, we’re going to review the main employment-based immigration options.

Immigration Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram

Immigration Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram

US Immigration Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram
Chris M. Ingram LL.M., ESQ – Immigration Attorney
Admitted in New York.
Practice Specializing in US Immigration Law
401 Wilshire Boulevard, 12th Floor,
[Cross Streets 4th and Wilshire]
Santa Monica,
California 90401
Tel: 310 496 4292

Everyday the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram provides a comprehensive range of US Immigration expertise. We also provide a free consultation for our prospective clients.

Please note that nothing contained in this website or link therefrom shall be regarded as providing legal advice. Please contact us directly for legal advice specific to your situation. Thank You.

Specializing in the E2 Visa, EB1 Green Card, L-1A Visa and O1 Visa and K1 Visa Marriage-Based Immigration. Attorney Chris M. Ingram is dedicated to providing the very best in US Immigration legal representation. Enjoy our website.

Important Notice: Please note that all videos created by the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram are intended as general information only and not specific legal advice pertaining your case. If you would like specific legal advice on any immigration matter please do not hesitate to contact this law office accordingly. All pictorial images used in these videos and the website in general are licensed stocked images and not portraits, or otherwise, of anyone from the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram, nor of its clients unless otherwise indicated by name. All images are used solely for illustrative purposes only. Copyright 2010-2015 All Rights Reserved.