Evanston Immigration Attorneys
Evanston Immigration Attorneys
Immigration lawyers help their clients with a wide range of issues relating to visiting and relocating to the United States. They may work with employment visas and asylum claims. But among the more emotionally significant cases, they help with family-based immigration claims.
What Is Family-Based Immigration?
Family-based immigration is the most commonly used basis for legal immigration to the United States. Under current US law, US citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) can sponsor certain family members for a visa that permits permanent residence – what most people call a green card.
Today’s family-based immigration comes from the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which established that family relationships would be the primary way people immigrate to the United States. Today nearly two of every three legal immigrants to the US does so through family-based immigration. The primary criticism of this type of immigration is its potential to create a chain of migration as each new immigrant can sponsor more immigrants.
Who Is Eligible for a Family Visa?
Citizens and LPRs can only sponsor certain relatives for family visas: Citizens and LPRs may sponsor
- Spouses of US citizens
- Unmarried children under 21 of US citizens
- Orphans adopted abroad
- Orphans to be adopted in the USE by a US citizen
- Parents of US citizens who are at least 21 years old
Family preference categories can also support a family visa. These include:
- Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens, their spouses, and their children
- Spouses, minor children, and unmarried sons and daughters over 21 of LPRs
- Married sons and daughters of US citizens and their spouses and minor children
- Brothers and sisters of US citizens and their spouses and minor children, provided the US citizens are at least 21 years old
Note that US citizens and LPRs cannot sponsor any family members not listed here, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws, and cousins, for immigration.
How Many Relatives Does an Immigrant Typically Sponsor?
Over the past few decades, each immigrant has sponsored an average of approximately 3.5 relatives, including their own spouse and children.
How Many Family Preference Visas Are Issued Each Year?
The government issues a maximum of 480,000 family preference visas each fiscal year. This limit was set in 1990 by Congress. Immediate relative visas have no limits, but the number issued gets subtracted from the 480,000.
Family-Based Immigration Backlog
Family-based applications have experienced a heavy backlog for decades, with some applications pending since 2001. As of last year, nearly 4 million people were stuck in this backlog. As one goes down the list of preferences, the backlog increases, with some married adult children (F-3) waits increasing by 900 percent. It can be worse for F-1s, some of whom have been waiting for a green card for over two decades.
Contact an Immigration Attorney Today
No immigration attorney can, of course, guarantee the speed or success of your family-based immigration application. However, the complexities of immigration law and regulation mean that using an attorney increases the likelihood of success and speed. If you face a family-based immigration issue, contact us to schedule an initial consultation and review your matter. See how we can assist you in handling your immigration matter.
Meet The Attorneys
What Our Clients Say
5-Star Rating | Based on 200+ Satisfied Customer Google Reviews
My aunt was recently detained by ICE and sent to El Paso, Texas to the East Montana Detention Facility. This place is essentially a prison in the middle of the desert, and the majority of the detainees here get deported. My family and I interviewed a dozen immigration attorneys around the country to help my aunt, and we decided to hire Kevin Raica, an attorney with Kriezelman Burton and Associates.…
Our case was very difficult, and at times it felt like there was no way out. My wife was detained for a long period of time, and it was an extremely challenging experience for our family. Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC truly changed our situation. I would especially like to thank our attorney, Brittni Rivera, as well as Natalia. They were attentive, honest, and always ready to help. It was…
I cannot recommend Kevin Raica highly enough. He helped me successfully obtain my U.S. green card, and the entire process was smooth and stress-free because of his expertise and dedication. From start to finish, Kevin was professional, organized, and extremely knowledgeable about immigration law. He made sure every document was prepared correctly and took the time to explain each step clearly. Anytime I had questions, he responded promptly and made…
Great experience with this attorney office. They helped me with my I-751 waiver after divorce. Kevin was very professional, and supported me through the interview. Everything went smoothly and my case was approved. Highly recommend!
We contacted Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC, based on a recommendation, when my wife was detained by ICE. Attorney Khiabett Osuna handled our case, and it turned out to be the right choice. From the very beginning, she proved herself to be a caring and competent professional, clearly explaining the process. You can tell she's truly invested in each case and achieving results for her clients. We've also heard of…
I would like to express my gratitude to Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC, and especially to attorney Khiabett Osuna, who handled my case. I contacted them based on a recommendation and have never regretted it. From the very beginning, she demonstrated high professionalism. I could tell she was genuinely committed to the outcome and was doing everything possible to protect her client.
Mr. Kriezelman, Mr. Burton and Ms. Erin Cobb, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for handling my case. Your knowledge and dedication to my case is truly appreciated. Thank you.
I highly recommend Brittni Rivera. We are very grateful to her and the entire team at Kriezelman Burton & Associates. Your dedication, responsiveness, and compassion made an enormous difference during an incredibly difficult time. Serving as the liaison between Brittni Rivera and our friend in ICE detention, I saw firsthand how tirelessly she worked guiding us through the process, answering every question, and never losing sight of the humanity at…
Andrea C. Ochoa is truly the best of the best. ❤️ Our family went through one of the most difficult and frightening experiences of our lives when Feruz was detained by ICE. We felt lost, scared, and unsure of what would happen next. From the very beginning, Andrea brought us not only her professionalism and deep legal knowledge, but also something even more important — hope. She guided us through…
Thank you Matthew for all your help with my case. Highly recommend
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