Green Card Immigration Lawyer Chicago

Green Card Immigration Lawyer Chicago

Many people seek green cards if they are in the U.S. on some other temporary visa or want to come to work and live in the U.S. indefinitely. At Kriezelman Burton & Associates, we have experienced immigration attorneys who help clients in the Chicago area with obtaining green cards for themselves or for their loved ones. We are based in Chicago, but also take cases in Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and across the U.S.

Having a green card is beneficial for many non-US citizens. This is because a green card holder enjoys the same rights and privileges as a US citizen except the right to vote and ineligibility for consideration in certain federal government positions. 

The Green Card Application Process

Applying for a green card, like everything else one seeks from the government, requires one to go through a bureaucratic process, which can be long and tedious. Green card applications are, for the most part, processed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The agency is known for long delays in processing because of the voluminous number of cases they process daily and given the limits on green cards that can be issued each year.

To avoid even longer delays or denial of your petition or application, it is in your interest to have an immigration attorney to help you in navigating the complex immigration system by making sure the paperwork filed in your case is accurate and complete. 

The green card application process requires taking several steps:

1. Petition. Applying for a green card starts with someone sponsoring you unless you are eligible to sponsor yourself. Sponsoring simply means someone or an entity filing a petition to have you get a green card based on your family or employment relationship with them. The relationship can be a qualifying family member, such as a husband or wife in a family-based immigration or an American employer for employment-based immigration. 
2. Application. If the petition filed by your sponsor (or yourself) is approved, then you can apply for a green card based on that approved petition. In some cases, you can file the application for a green card at the same time the petition is filed, which speeds up the process. However, concurrent filing is only possible in cases where a visa is immediately available. 
3. Interview. At some point after your petition or application is received, and after your fingerprints and biometrics have been taken, you will receive an interview notice. When you go for your interview, an interview will be conducted to verify information and documents in your case. A decision will then be made to approve or deny your petition or application after this interview.

If you are applying for a green card and are in the Chicago area, contact us today to schedule an appointment to speak to one of our immigration attorneys. We are based in Chicago, but also accept cases in Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and across the United States.