Getting a Green Card in Florida

Getting a Green Card doesn’t have to be a long, difficult ordeal. While it’s not easy for a non-citizen to become a Lawful Permanent Resident in America these days, you can save yourself a lot of stress by hiring a Citizenship Attorney to guide your decisions and handle all the paperwork and the worrisome details. There are a lot of ways to go about it, and many important decisions to make about the best way to apply. Call 407-644-2466 to speak with an Orlando Green Card Lawyer at the Rivas Law Firm. We can help you get a green card. 

Applying for Lawful Permanent Residence

A Green Card gives foreign nationals permanent authorization to live and work in the United States. This permanent residence status is assigned based on an appropriate category of Green Card Eligibility. Most non-citizens are generally sponsored by an employer or relative in America. In some cases, refugees, asylum seekers, and other individuals may qualify for a Green Card without a sponsor.

There are several distinctions within categories. For example, in the category of Family, a foreign national can apply as an immediate relative of a U.S. Citizen if he or she is a spouse of a U.S. citizen, an unmarried child under the age of 21 of a U.S. citizen, or the parent of a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old. Other types of relatives of a U.S. citizen can apply under a range of family-based preference categories.

Employer-based permanent residence may be granted for Immigrant workers, Immigrant investors, or doctors, based on the Physician National Interest Waiver.

Adjustment of Status

Foreign nationals already legally in the United States may get lawful permanent resident status without leaving the country through Adjustment of Status. Once the process is started you are generally allowed to stay in the country even if your visa expires while you are waiting for a Green Card.  If you have a sponsor and an approved immigrant petition, you need to fill out Form I-485.  The next step is to set up a Biometrics Appointment to provide fingerprints, photos, and your signature. After that, you’ll have an interview with a USCIS officer. If your interview is satisfactory,the officer will likely let you know right away, and you will receive your new Green Card in the mail.

Consular Processing

If living abroad, a foreign national may send an approved petition to the Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC), which will assign the next available visa number. After submitting immigrant visa processing fees (fee bills) and further documentation, the candidate undergoes an interview at the Consular Office or Embassy in their country. After a successful interview, the office issues an Immigrant Visa along with a “Visa Packet” to be opened at the U.S. point of entry by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. Before leaving for America, the foreign national must pay a USCIS Immigrant Fee. Upon admittance, lawful permanent resident status is granted.

There are many important steps to take and decisions to make.  It’s best to consult an Orlando Green Card Lawyer. The green card lawyers at the Rivas Immigration Law Firm in Orlando are ready to help you through the process of getting your Green Card. To get started, call 407-644-2466 to speak with one of our immigration attorneys.