Hiring A Family Immigration Lawyer

Posted on: 17 June 2021

There are numerous situations in which a person might find themselves in need of a family immigration lawyer. Immigration law within the United States of America can be extremely nuanced, and to the uninitiated novice the legal ins and outs of the federal immigration court system can be a veritable minefield of easy-to-miss pitfalls. While it can be outwardly tempting to go it alone when faced with a family immigration situation, especially when it comes to the associated court and processing fees, the opposite is actually true in the end. A family immigration lawyer can help you save countless amounts of money (and time) in navigating the system. Moreover, since immigration law is governed by the federal government, it is uniform across the United States (vis-à-vis local, and/or state courts), and a family immigration lawyer would be able to assist in any potential immigration court venue. 

It is true that attorneys have fees. However, when faced with all the potential additional fees and time that can be incurred without a competent immigration attorney, the alternative is by far the preferred method. For example, pretty much anyone would prefer to pay an attorney several thousand dollars in retainer fees to avoid paying several times that in unnecessary court and application fees (which is not uncommon when it comes to immigration requests). 

There are several unique categories of immigration law that a family immigration lawyer can assist with. They include the following.

Spousal Immigration - This is the simplest and fastest method of family immigration. This allows a non-citizen spouse to immigrate legally to the United States of America. Initially, this will be in the form of a temporary resident alien visa, but it can (and usually does) transition to full naturalization citizenship over time. Naturalization is also an aspect of immigration law that an attorney can assist with. There is no annual limit for how many people can bring a non-citizen spouse into the United States each year.

K-1 Fiancé(e) Visas - This comes into play when one is not yet married to the intended non-citizen spouse. This process requires both an extensive application and interview process by immigration authorities to determine the validity of the request and there should be no issues with the intended immigration to the United States. Since this process can be very time consuming and prone to delays, it is a very good idea to hire a family immigration attorney is you are seeking a K-1 visa for a fiancé(e).

K-3 and K-4 Visas - These residence visas are specifically for children of American citizens, and those of a non-citizen spouse (respectively). And, to be clear, by "children" this refers to any non-married minors of either spouse (i.e., those under eighteen-years-old). There is also no limit on how many children are allowed into the United States each year under K-3 and/or K-4 visas.

Family Preference Visas - These apply to any and all non-heretofore referenced family member and familial relationships (e.g. parents, grandparents, cousins, uncles, nieces, etc.). With family preference visas, the general rule is that the closer the familial relation, the higher the preference level in processing the request. This is a visa category for which there are annual caps placed on how many can be issued each year. When it comes to choosing a family immigration lawyer to assist you with any of aforementioned situations, it is advisable to set up a consultation. This is free of charge and allows you to get to know a potential attorney and for them to determine the legal particulars of your case so they can provide a concise and personalized plan. Family immigration lawyers can help one reach their goals with the least amount of delays, costs, and trouble. After all, when one hires a lawyer, their core responsibility is to act as their client's advocate.

Contact a family immigration attorney to learn more.

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