Family Immigration Attorneys Chicago

Family Immigration Attorneys Chicago

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 Family Members

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. 

Preference Family Immigration

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. 

This category is further subdivided into subcategories as follows:

• First preference – unmarried children of U.S. citizens who are over the age of 21 
• Second preference – spouses and unmarried children of green card holders who are under the age of 21
• Second preference – unmarried children of green card holders who are over the age of 21
• Third preference – married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens; and
• Fourth preference – brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens if the U.S. citizen is 21 years of age and older.

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.

Contact Us Today!

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.