Chicago Green Cards & Adjustment of Status Lawyer
Proudly Helping Immigrants Obtain Lawful Permanent Status in the United States of America
When a non-citizen is able to get a green card (also known as a legal permanent resident card), a whole new world of possibilities opens before them. Opportunities related to employment, housing, government benefits, and many others are suddenly available. There are multiple ways to go through this immigration process — including consular processing and status adjustment — but in all cases, it could be beneficial to seek assistance with legal issues. A Chicago green card and adjustment of status lawyer may be able to help you with your immigration matters.
At Gilliam Law, you’ll work directly with a legal team that’s committed to securing favorable immigration outcomes on behalf of our clients. We handle all areas of immigration law, and this means we have the experience necessary to identify the surest path forward in your situation. The green card process can be a difficult one, but with a legal professional on your side, it’s possible to become a lawful permanent resident and focus on more important things in life.
To schedule a consultation with an experienced immigration lawyer, please contact our Chicago law offices today. Chicago immigration attorney Solomon D. Gilliam would be proud to lend immigration law representation to you as you pursue the most optimal outcome for your case.
What Are the Different Green Card Eligibility Categories?
When foreign nationals seek to become lawful permanent residents in the United States, it is important that they understand the different immigrant and non-immigrant visas as well as the green cards available for them. The immigration laws of the United States can be complex. Whether you are interested in family immigration law, a national interest waiver, obtaining employment-based visas for foreign workers, naturalization law, or are seeking to obtain legal permanent residence in the country to follow your American dream, it is highly recommended that you retain professional legal representation for these and other immigration issues.
There are several different types of green card eligibility categories in the United States. Depending on the unique circumstances of your immigration case, you may have several legal options for becoming a lawful permanent resident. Green card immigration lawyers can help you determine what category you meet eligibility for and help you through the immigration process to secure your place as a permanent resident.
The United States immigration system prioritizes uniting families across national borders. With a family-based green card, a United States citizen or green card holder has the option to sponsor certain family members for legal permanent resident status in the United States. Eligible family members may include spouses, parents, and unmarried children under the age of 21.
Employment-based or business immigration presents opportunities to individuals and companies seeking to come to the United States with their unique professional abilities and talents to receive green cards. It may be possible to obtain a green card from an immigration judge in situations where there are labor shortages, multinational executives coming to the US, and immigration cases involving significant investments into the US economy.
Those who have served in the US armed forces, religious workers, those who have worked at certain embassies or international organizations, and some international broadcasters may be able to obtain green cards via special immigrant status preferences.
Asylum seekers and refugees can also apply for green cards a year after having been granted asylum in the US. Obtaining a green card puts them on a path toward permanent residency and protects them from the conflict they’ve fled and the need to worry about deportation defense.
Victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other serious criminal offenses may also qualify for U and T Visas. Under certain circumstances, U visa and T visa holders may be able to pursue green card status. Additionally, green card eligibility may come through the USCIS diversity visa lottery program. To learn more about the lottery program and the other categories of green cards, please contact our law office to schedule your free case evaluation today.
Do U.S. Green Cards Expire?
With very few exceptions, green cards typically last a full decade. To keep your status as a legal permanent resident in the United States, you must renew your green card before it expires. Failure to renew your green card before its expiration date may void your legal resident status, resulting in travel issues, employment problems, and loss of access to important benefits.
The process for renewing a green card is similar to that of the initial green card application process. Foreign nationals must complete and submit the appropriate forms while adhering to applicable laws, filing supporting documentation, and paying a filing fee.
It may take several months for the USCIS to process your green card application and then issue their decision. That is why renewing your green card well before its expiration date is important. Once the USCIS has issued its final decision on your green card’s renewal, you should receive a new card in the mail if you have been approved.
For those seeking a legal assistant in the process of renewing their green cards, it is highly recommended that you retain professional legal counsel from experienced immigration attorneys. The green card attorney of our law firm is extremely professional and has years of experience assisting clients and their families with the complexities of applying for and renewing green cards in the United States. To learn more about our legal services, please contact our immigration law firm to schedule your free case review today.
How Can Chicago Immigration Lawyers Simplify the Immigration Application Process?
If you’re seeking a green card in America, there are a variety of ways you can simplify the task. The most important thing is to be prepared. A lot of planning goes into the immigration process, and this is true long before you fill out an application. For instance, have you already designated an immediate relative who will petition the federal government on your behalf? Do you have a financial sponsor who will ensure your economic stability? If not, have you researched your other immigration options?
Even when you work with a Chicago immigration lawyer, it’s important to remember that there’s a lot of work ahead. The Immigration and Nationality Act is clear in its eligibility criteria, but the complexity of the American immigration system is well-known. And if you’ve already overstayed a visa or are otherwise in violation of federal laws, your journey becomes that much more difficult. This is why you should take steps to secure permanent legal status as soon as possible.
At Gilliam Law, we don’t turn away clients because of their immigration status. We know that every situation is unique, and that’s why we offer a Free Case Evaluation to help potential clients better understand what they’re up against. Don’t wait for immigration authorities like Immigration and Customs Enforcement to start asking questions or seeking you out. The last thing you want to worry about is working on your removal defense. Contact our law firm today for a complimentary case review to learn your options and how to move forward with your immigration case.
Why Should You Seek an Adjustment of Status?
If you’re a non-immigrant or in America on a temporary visa, it may be possible to adjust your status without leaving the country. Clearly, this is the single most important benefit of seeking an adjustment of status. This is an option if you have eligible family relationships, can secure asylum or refugee status, fall into special immigrant categories, or meet other eligibility requirements.
The paperwork can be complicated when taking this route, but the immigration benefits are many:
Allows families to stay together — avoiding even temporary separations
The ability to obtain advance parole that allows temporary international travel
Ability to apply for employment authorization documents (EADs) while green card application is pending
Potential for public benefits
Begins the path toward becoming a United States citizen
These are merely the benefits of filing for an adjustment of status. If you are granted permanent legal residency, even more advantages will come your way. Of course, it’s never just as simple as submitting an application and hoping for the best. You’ll need to provide supporting documentation, sit down for an interview (typically multiple), and undergo an extensive process that some people find too complex to continue.
Fortunately, an immigration attorney at Gilliam Law may be able to simplify matters. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
Can You Hire Immigration Attorneys if You’ve Already Started the Green Card Process?
Even if you have already started the process of applying for a green card, an immigration attorney can still lend valuable legal assistance.
Experienced immigration attorneys can help review all of your forms and supporting documents to ensure that they are accurate and complete. Our lawyers will also help advise you on the necessity for additional evidence that may be required to strengthen your immigration case.
A green card attorney from our law firm can help you in and out of the immigration courts as you seek your green card so that you and others may become legal permanent residents in the United States. To learn more about green cards and how an attorney may be of legal assistance to you during this difficult process, please contact our law office to schedule your free initial case evaluation today.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a Chicago Green Card Lawyer to Discuss Our Immigration Services Today
Applying for a green card can look very different based on your situation. You’ll typically need to undergo either consular processing or a status adjustment. The former is for individuals residing abroad, while non-immigrants or American visa holders can undertake the latter. Other than these distinctions, though, the process tends to be fairly similar. You’ll still need to meet eligibility requirements, undergo background checks, and more — which can be difficult without the legal assistance of an immigration law firm.
At Gilliam Law, our legal team is experienced in all areas of citizenship and immigration services. We understand the complexities that you’re up against — because immigration law is all we do. For many people, the first step to achieving lawful permanent residency and citizenship is to contact a Chicago green card and adjustment of status attorney. Our law office can help review your eligibility status, prepare documentation, seek waivers, and so much more.
Contact us today at (866) 511-3422 to schedule your Free Case Evaluation. We’re here to assist you.
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