Family-Based Immigration Law

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29 01, 2023

8 Things to Know About Family Sponsorship in the US

By |2023-02-20T08:35:02-06:00January 29th, 2023|Categories: Family-Based Immigration Law|

Immigrating to the US is a big commitment for those that choose to go through with the process, including for the U.S. petitioning family member. As of 2022, there are about 13 million people in the United States holding green cards. Unfortunately, this is not always a simple process. Obtaining a green card to reside permanently in the U.S. without a qualifying family member to petition you, or without particular job skills and a petitioning employer, can prove to be more than a little challenging. In the realm of family based immigration, if you are a United States citizen or a [...]

2 10, 2022

How Do You Petition a Family Member for a Visa? Ask a Chicago Immigration Attorney

By |2022-10-02T09:16:59-05:00October 2nd, 2022|Categories: Family-Based Immigration Law|

Family-based immigration accounts for nearly 65% of annual lawful immigration to the U.S. In recent years, this number has been as high as 85%. Family reunification continues to be the backbone of the immigration system, and despite long backlogs of applications, it's still one of the best ways to immigrate to the U.S. So read on to learn from a Chicago immigration attorney about how to petition a family member for lawful immigration to the U.S. (aka Green Card status) Types of Family-Based Visas Family reunification visas are for relatives of U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). There are two classes of [...]

31 10, 2021

Battered Spouses and U.S. Immigration – 2021 Update

By |2021-10-31T09:16:23-05:00October 31st, 2021|Categories: Conditional Permanent Residence Based on Marriage, Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., Family-Based Immigration Law, Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Removal / Deportation Proceedings and Court Hearings|

By, Richard Hanus, Esq. Published October 31, 2021 In the world of U.S. immigration law, a foreign national battered husband or wife, and sometimes child, may be eligible for special immigration benefits, including permanent resident status – and all without the cooperation of their abusive U.S. citizen or resident spouse or parent.   Indeed, foreign nationals who marry U.S. citizens or residents are often vulnerable to the whims, cruelty and even brutality of their U.S. spouse, and accordingly, Congress enacted a variety of laws aimed at protecting these foreign nationals.   The following is a summary of the legal options available to achieve […]

22 03, 2021

The Green Card and Naturalization Processes Just Got Easier

By |2021-03-23T06:16:46-05:00March 22nd, 2021|Categories: Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, Family-Based Immigration Law, General|

Published March 22, 2021 By Richard Hanus, Esq. The Biden Administration recently removed two significant Trump-era obstacles for applicants seeking lawful permanent residence (Green Card) and U.S. Citizenship.  These obstacles were seen by many as purposeful government strategies aimed to cut down on the issuance of U.S. immigration benefits for foreign nationals and without a solid public policy purpose.  Just as important, it seemed the Trump administration’s implementation of the rules were designed to send a loud political message to a particular audience, that we have enough foreigners as part of U.S. society, even ones with legal status. Obstacle to Green [...]

22 02, 2021

Biden Reaches For the Stars and Starts an Important Immigration Conversation

By |2021-02-22T17:44:49-06:00February 22nd, 2021|Categories: Amnesty for Immigrants in the U.S., Asylum in the United States, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., Employment-Based Immigration Law, Family-Based Immigration Law, General, immigration reform, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation, Undocumented Immigrants and Workers in the U.S.|

Published February 22, 2021 By Richard Hanus, Esq. It’s been more than 20 years since our nation has enacted any significant legislation to allow our nation’s undocumented population an avenue to legalize their status.  The most recent provision,  Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, was neither simple nor straightforward.  It was potent, though, affording hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of otherwise law abiding foreign nationals without immigration status a path to permanent residence (green card).  Its primary requirements included having a qualifying family member or employer to petition them along with the payment of a financial penalty for violating their status. Fast [...]

8 01, 2021

Facebook Live Event: Save the Date – Post Inauguration Immigration Law Update and Q & A

By |2021-01-08T16:58:50-06:00January 8th, 2021|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), DHS / Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Employment-Based Immigration Law, Family-Based Immigration Law, General, immigration reform, Non-Immigrant Visas for Temporary Workers / H-1B, Removal / Deportation Proceedings and Court Hearings, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation|

Published January 8, 2021 By Richard Hanus, Esq. Join us on Thursday, January 28, 2021 @ 7:00 pm CST when we will be getting the first glimpse of any new immigration policies Joe Biden has in mind for the start of his presidency as well as his possible agenda for major immigration legislation.  Richard Hanus will discuss the immediate and near future impact a Biden presidency will have on our immigration system and how it might affect your immigration filing.  He will also provide feedback on your specific immigration law questions.  To register for the Facebook event, visit: https://fb.me/e/1WWc6eNG3 Please forward [...]

30 12, 2020

How to Get a Green Card For Your Parent

By |2021-01-04T09:47:57-06:00December 30th, 2020|Categories: Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Family-Based Immigration Law, Green Cards, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S., United States Embassies Abroad|

Published December 27, 2020 By Richard Hanus, Esq. There are a couple dozen ways a foreign national can come live in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident (aka as a “green card” holder) with most involving either a family or employer/employee relationship.  When it comes to family relationships, an adult U.S. citizen’s petition for their foreign national parent is among the most popular and efficient processes available. The basic requirements: 1) the child filing on behalf of their parent must be 21 years of age or older, and 2) the petitioning child must be a U.S. citizen.  The adult child [...]

1 12, 2020

How to Get a Green Card for Your Child

By |2021-01-04T09:48:05-06:00December 1st, 2020|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Family-Based Immigration Law, General, Green Cards, Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S.|

Published December 1, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. A foreign national has more than a few ways available to facilitate lawful permanent residence, aka “green card” status, for their child.   The exact path the process takes depends on a variety of factors, including whether the child’s parent is a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident or is just in the process of obtaining permanent resident status.  Also important is whether the child being petitioned is under 21 years of age at the time of a visa petition and how soon they will turn 21, factors that will determine the ultimate timeline for processing, start [...]

9 11, 2020

How To Get A Green Card Through Marriage

By |2021-01-04T09:48:13-06:00November 9th, 2020|Categories: Conditional Permanent Residence Based on Marriage, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., Family-Based Immigration Law, General, Green Cards, Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S.|

Published November 9, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. Obtaining lawful permanent residence, or green card status, by way of a genuine, bona fide marriage to a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident is one of the more commonly used processes under U.S. immigration law. Much of the time processing of a marriage based filing remains straightforward, although a number of factors can complicate things, such as sudden changes in the law or questions surrounding the sincerity of the marriage. Other complicating circumstances include an applicant’s history of previous immigration violations or even criminal offenses. Below is a discussion of: a) [...]

3 11, 2020

Save the Date – Facebook Live Event – Post Election Immigration Law Coverage and Q & A

By |2020-11-03T19:45:34-06:00November 3rd, 2020|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), DHS / Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., Employment-Based Immigration Law, Family-Based Immigration Law, Green Cards, Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Immigration and Criminal Law / Detainees, immigration reform, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S.|

Published November 3, 2020 Save the Date - November 23, 2020, 7:30 pm CST - when Richard Hanus will break down how the outcome of the presidential election impacts our nation’s immigration law landscape.  Richard will also entertain all of your questions and provide practical feedback and insight.  We look forward to your participation at this live event at: https://fb.me/e/285dn9Pmo.   Please forward your questions in advance to [email protected] or through our website contact form  https://www.usavisacounsel.com/contact OR on the day of and we will include your question for discussion. During our October event, Richard provided feedback on a wide variety of questions and topics, [...]

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