Paths to Permanent U.S. Residency
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Many U.S. immigrants eventually hope to make the United States their home, and while the path to citizenship is difficult, it is not impossible. For those individuals, the first step toward obtaining permanent residency involves becoming Lawful Permanent Residents. Lawful Permanent Residence status allows individuals to live in the United States on an indefinite basis so long as he or she does not commit any crimes or other violations that would result in deportation. Eventually, those individuals are given the opportunity to apply for Citizenship.
If you are interested in obtaining permanent residency so that you may eventually apply for U.S. citizenship, there are a few paths you can take to get there. Talk to the Chicago immigration lawyers at Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC, to discuss your options and to work your way toward permanent residency today.
You Are an Immediate Relative of a U.S. Citizen
One of the easiest ways to obtain permanent residency status in the U.S. is to be an immediate family member of an existing U.S. citizen. Immediate relatives include individuals who are:
- Spouses of U.S. citizens;
- Children (single and under the age of 21), step-children, and stepparents of U.S. citizens, so long as the marriage took place prior to the child turning 18; and
- Adopted children, so long as the adoption took place before the child was 16.
You Are an Employee in the U.S.
Every year, a total of 140,000 green cards are reserved for individuals whose skill sets cannot be found on the U.S. market and that are needed by U.S. employers. In these instances, a job offer is necessary for the individual to obtain lawful permanent resident status, and even with a job offer, permanent residency is not guaranteed. The employer needs to begin the process and remain actively involved in it through the entire application process.
You Won the Green Card Lottery
Every year, 50,000 visas are reserved for the diversity lottery, a lottery to which only citizens of certain residents may apply. The countries eligible for the lottery are those that have sent over the least number of immigrants in the past.
To apply, you must submit your application during the one-month window, which is usually at the end of the year. Unfortunately, because the government is so slow to process applications, few actually ever make it through the system on time.
You Are a Long-Time Resident and Are Forced to Leave
If you have been a long-time resident of the U.S.—meaning, you have lived here for 10 years or more—have good moral character, have a spouse and children in the U.S., and have been placed in removal proceedings, you may have a chance at obtaining permanent resident status. However, you must be able to prove that your spouse and children would face significant hardship if you were removed from the country. Though the process is complicated, you stand a chance of winning your case with a skilled Chicago immigration lawyer by your side.
Contact an Immigration Lawyer Near You
If you want to become a permanent resident of the U.S., you have a few more options outside of those mentioned above. Talk to the Chicago immigration attorneys at Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC, to learn more about all of your options and to begin the application process today.
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We sincerely thank the entire team for the professionalism, responsiveness, patience, and dedication shown throughout our case. From our very first visit, Justin reassured us that everything would be all right. Thank you, Khiabett, for your expertise, professionalism, and calm guidance before and during the interview, which greatly reduced our stress and gave us confidence. We also deeply appreciate Kamila's hard work, patience, and responsiveness throughout the process. For sorting…
I would like to sincerely thank Attorney Justin Burton and PL Kamila Lada for support with my adjustment of status case. I have been working with the firm for over a year now, and I have received nothing short of exceptional services and support throughout various cases for myself and family members. Highly recommend consulting and retaining this firm.
We have been in the dark with our case for over 2 decades, while working with other big firms who just kept me in the dark and sat on our case without making any effort to move it forward until I met the wonderful team at Kriezelman & Burton. AO and JP are truly God-sent angels who with their knowledge, collaboration, sense of direction and outside the box thinking, managed…
Highly recommend attorney Kevin Raica and attorney Agata Bigdanowicz. They were super helpful, responded on time, and won my case in record time. It took about a month and half in total for me to get my approval after filing!
Brittni Rivera and her team (Carina Lopez) are fantastic! They are responsive, efficient and beyond compassionate. Brittni Rivera and her team treated me with dignity and respect as they patiently answered all of my questions. They didn't move on without making sure I understood each step. Their work ethic was impressive. It felt like they were an extension of my personal team. I can't say enough to convey my gratitude…
Thank you all, I found this group to be a great service. Thank you all, blessings to you. especially Khiabett
We are incredibly grateful for the help and support we received from this office. From the very beginning, they understood the urgency of our situation and treated our case with real care, professionalism, and speed. They were extremely responsive, clear, and compassionate throughout the entire process. They moved quickly when timing was critical, kept us informed, and helped us navigate a very stressful immigration situation with confidence. Thanks to their…
Kevin Raica and his team handled my immigration application and i can other recommend them enough. They made a stressful process very easy. They are very knowledgeable in this area and helped us at every stage from beginning to end.
Brittni Rivera. She is my Attorney from 2017. Thank you so, so much. This truly wouldn’t have been possible without you, Brittni. Can’t wait to file for the green cards.
We hoped and prayed for this day, not knowing if it would ever come. Deportations are incredibly scary and overwhelming. We wanted to give a very special thank you to Jennifer Peyton of Chicago for securing this victory for us! With Jennifer on our side we were able to get our loved one back. On behalf of our family, thank you. When we started this journey, we had hoped and…
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