Law Office of Jae Lee
If you want to immigrate to the United States to reunite with your family members, there are many steps to take. You will have to fill out forms, complete interviews and pay fees.
You will also likely need to complete a medical examination before your arrival in the U.S. But do you wonder about what that exam will cover and which tests the doctor will perform?
Texas is home to tens of thousands of immigrants. Each person's journey to the United States is unique although many people's experiences share certain issues in common. For instance, a great number of people enter the U.S. through the family immigration system.
This means that a U.S. citizen or someone who has green card status can petition the government on behalf of a family member to help him or her obtain a green card as well. Family members entering the U.S. on a family-based visa often include spouses, siblings, parents or children of petitioners. As with most immigration programs, there are strict requirements involved that must be fulfilled in order to process the proper documents.
Many immigrants choose Texas as their new home state. Details regarding how each person came to live in the United States greatly vary. Some people entered under urgent, sudden circumstances while others filed petitions for visas before gaining legal entry. The ultimate goal for many immigrants is to successfully navigate the citizenship naturalization process.
Becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen is a legal process. A person pursuing this process must first meet all eligibility requirements. One requirement is that an applicant must be age 18 or older. He or she must also have physically resided in the United States as a legal permanent resident for at least five years before applying.
Many Texas households include family members who are U.S. citizens who happen to be married to spouses who are not. The federal government often calls such marriages into question if it has reason to suspect that a relationship is fraudulent and that two people have gotten married simply to help one of them obtain permanent resident legal status. A non-citizen marrying a citizen, however, doesn't necessarily mean that person will gain green card privileges.
A person who marries a born or naturalized citizen has the option of petitioning the federal government for a green card. Numerous documents must be submitted to request permanent residency. Requesting permanent resident status is not a legal obligation; in fact, an immigrant spouse should only do so if he or she plans to remain in the United States on a permanent basis.
Many Texas immigrants hope to obtain a permanent resident legal status in the United States. Those who have married U.S. citizens will, at some point, attend a green card/marriage interview. Answering questions during an official immigration interview can be quite stressful, and not performing well can ultimately place one's status at risk.
The purpose of the marriage interview is to rule out fraud. The federal government is aware that some people try to abuse the system by entering marriage under false pretenses, perhaps even for money to help immigrant spouses gain permanent resident statuses. The marriage interview is designed to weed out those whose relationships are not legitimate.
That immigration is a complex matter is no secret. Whether you are trying to bring your fiancé to America, work in the United States or get your Green Card, the application process can seem demanding. Appeals may seem to take forever. And denials can often put hope to the test.
Regardless of your adjustment of status, you may not understand what rights you have. According to a professor from Yale Law School, Cristina Rodriguez, the U.S. Constitution applies to undocumented immigrants. Rather than “citizen,” the Constitution often refers to “person” or “people.” Therefore, Rodriguez says the rights apply to you, regardless of citizenship.
Under federal law, U.S. citizens are allowed to petition for green cards for certain relatives. This includes parents. Typically, U.S. citizens that are over 21 are eligible to pursue a green card for parents who are from another country.
Does this only extend to birth parents? No, it does not. Citizens generally are allowed to petition for adoptive parents and step-parents to be granted permanent resident status.
The rate of rejection of almost every kind of immigration visa has jumped in the first nine months of 2018, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The denial rate for most immigration applications jumped from 8.3 percent in 2016 to 11.3 percent in 2018. The denial rate from H-2A agricultural workers and H-1B high-skilled workers went from 16.8 percent in 2016 to 22.6 percent in 2018. The denial rate for green cards went from 5.9 percent in 2016 to 7.9 percent in 2018.
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6860 Dallas Pkwy
#200
Plano,
TX
75024
Phone:
972-905-2170
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