U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are allowed under the law to file papers with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to give their relatives legal immigration status. At Kriezelman Burton & Associates, we have experienced family immigration attorneys who assist clients in the Chicago area seamlessly go through this family immigration process. We also help clients in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
The legal status a U.S. citizen or permanent resident can obtain for their relatives is usually a green card which the relatives can obtain in the United States if they are already in the country, or they can have this processed outside the US and then come and join their sponsoring relatives in the US.
Family-based immigrant visas (green cards) are available in two categories, and each has several subcategories, depending on the family relationship.
Immediate relatives are spouses, parents, and unmarried children (under age 21) of U.S. citizens. This is the most desired category of family-based immigration because these family members obtain their green cards the fastest compared to all other categories.
All the US citizen relative of any of these relatives needs to do is to file an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative with USCIS, and because there is no waiting time for a visa number for relatives in this category, the I-130 petition can be concurrently filed with the I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status for the relative. Once the I-130 is approved, the I-485 is processed, and the relative gets their green card if they are in the United States, or the process is completed at a consulate in the country where the relative resides.Â
The other category in family-based immigration is the “family preference” category, which is comprised of all other qualified relatives of U.S. citizens and certain relatives of lawful permanent residents.Â
This category is further subdivided into subcategories as follows:
A major drawback of being classified in this category is the number of immigrant visas available for this category is limited. As a result, there is a huge backlog of cases causing long waiting times for many in this category to obtain their green cards.
Obtaining a family-based green card for a relative is a complicated process, so having an experienced family immigration attorney can make a big difference in successfully completing the process without unnecessary delay. Do not risk getting denied by going through the process without the benefit of an immigration lawyer. Contact us today for a consultation. We are based in Chicago but offer services for our clients in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
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I am incredibly grateful to Mr. Burton for his outstanding legal assistance in my immigration case, from my first consultation he heard me patiently demonstrating exceptional professionalism, expertise, and a genuine commitment to my case. Immigration process can be overwhelming and stressful, but he and his team provided clear guidance every step of the way, always answering my questions promptly and reassuring me with their deep expertise. Thanks to their…
I had an outstanding experience working with Brittni Rivera. From our very first consultation, she demonstrated deep expertise, professionalism, and genuine care for my case. Navigating immigration processes can be incredibly stressful, but Brittni made the entire journey much more manageable and transparent. She were always responsive to my questions, provided clear guidance at every step, and never made me feel like just another case. Thanks to her hard work…
Highly recommend this firm. I had the pleasure of working with Lauren McClure and she is absolutely the best. She was very helpful and walked me through every step of the process, she is patient and she got the job done. I am very grateful with her and her team for helping me with the process of my case. Thank you so much.
I have worked with Kevin Raica for my VAWA application. Let me tell you he has been AMAZING. Unlike other lawyers Kevin has always went above and beyond for me. Kevin is not in it for the money he is in it to HELP people and make a difference. He has walked me through the entire process and always answers any questions I have no matter what. This law firm…
Mr. Burton helped my mother with her case. He was always polite, clear, and always answered my questions in a professional and diligent manner. Our case ran smoothly, and we never ran into any issues. I also want to greatly thank the paralegal that also managed my case, Stephanie Nunez, she was always willing and very helpful with my mother, a genuinely good person. I will forever recommend Justin and…
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mr. Justin Burton! He is an outstanding specialist in his field and an attorney who quite literally changed our family’s life. Mr. Burton demonstrated a highly professional approach and exceptional dedication to our case. He stands out for his extensive knowledge of immigration law and, beyond that, is a person of great integrity. I can wholeheartedly recommend Mr. Justin Burton and…
I would like to start this review with a big thank you for the immigration lawyer, Nicole Provax, who has done a successful and amazing work on my dad’s case! She was dedicated in walking us through the whole process, keeping excellent communication with us, and despite the little hurdles that came up along the way, she was able to get the case to continue progressing! I’m forever grateful of…
We had the pleasure of having Justin Burton on my parents case. From the moment we reached out, his staff was incredibly welcoming and took the time to really listen to our concerns. We never felt rushed or like just another case, Justin made sure we understood every step of the process and answered all our questions with patience and clarity. What really impressed us was how Justin and staff…
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