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What is Adjustment of Status?
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Hi everyone. My name is Erin Cobb, and I am a partner here at the immigration law firm of Kriezelman Burton & Associates here in Chicago. Every day, I meet with people in my office who are new to the immigration universe, and they quickly run into a lot of phrases and terms that they haven’t encountered before. For that reason, we started this web series to help with this and let people know what some of these specialized immigration terms mean.
First up, we want to talk about adjustment of status. What is it, and how does it affect you?
Adjustment of status is a common term that you’ll see in a lot of places. In some ways, it’s exactly like it sounds. First, status is obviously regarding your status in the United States. Whether you’re a student, a visitor, and H1B, a refugee, or an asylee. Then, we have adjustment. This refers to adjusting or changing your status from one to another. Specifically, the act of adjusting from a temporary status to a permanent one, meaning our lawful permanent resident status, also known as a green card.
We use the phrase adjustment of status for every kind of green card application within the United States. A few examples include:
- A refugee or asylee in the U.S. applying for a green card
- An employee applying for a green card through a petition by an employer
- A visitor or a visitor who overstays applying through a family member who is a citizen
- A crime victim or victim of trafficking applying through their U or T visa
If you are within the United States and, importantly, you complete the entire process within the U.S., you adjust your status. Some cannot apply for adjustment of status and, instead, must apply for consular process. Those who have to apply for consular process have started applying for their green card while within the United Stated but must complete it outside of the country.
Since I am a former English as a second language teacher, I can’t help but resist giving you some verb forms for the phrase “adjustment of status.” You could say, “I am applying for adjustment of status,” “I applied to adjust my status,” or “I adjusted my status.”
We abbreviate AOS in writing, but we usually do not say AOS aloud, just adjustment.
That’s it for today! Thank you for reading, and be sure to check back for more blog posts explaining terms and other information regarding immigration law. As always, if you or someone you know is in the process of applying for permanent residency in the United States, or are dealing with other immigration-based issues, and need legal assistance and guidance, the immigration lawyers at Kreizelman Burton & Associates are here to help. To schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys, call or fill out our online contact form today.
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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
In the final stages of our employment based green card, Maya Flores was very helpful. She guided us through the details, made a mock up interview and then went with us to the actual appointment. We were able to see her expertise because she made some clarifications to the officer. Very good service, 5 well deserved stars.
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