Our office provides immigration legal services across a wide range of practice areas. Below, you’ll find our services organized by category, with links to detailed articles on specific immigration issues, processes, and legal challenges. Use this page to explore areas most relevant to your circumstances.
Table Of Contents
- Family-Based Green Cards
- I-130 Petitions And Visas
- Permanent Residence
- Fiancé (K-1) Visa Petitions
- Citizenship And Naturalization
- Immigration Court Defense And Appeals
- Immigration I-601 And I-601A Waivers
- Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
- Humanitarian Relief
Family-Based Green Cards
Family-based green cards enable U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to sponsor certain relatives for permanent residence. Eligibility, processing times, and legal requirements vary depending on the family relationship involved. U.S. citizens may petition spouses, children, parents, and siblings, while permanent residents are limited to spouses and unmarried children.
Don’t Make These 8 Marriage Green Card Mistakes
A discussion of frequent issues in marriage-based green card cases and how certain mistakes can create delays, requests for evidence, or denials.
Mistakes To Avoid When You Petition Your Parents For A Green Card
An overview of common challenges that arise when sponsoring parents for permanent residence and how those issues can affect case outcomes.
6 Keys To Understand About Winning Green Cards For Your Children
An explanation of green card options for children, including how age, family relationships, and immigration status can impact eligibility.
7 Insights About Winning Permanent Residence For Brothers And Sisters
A breakdown of how brother-and-sister green card petitions work, including preference categories, waiting periods, and long-term considerations.
I-130 Petitions and Visas
I-130 petitions start the family-based immigration process by establishing a qualifying relationship between two relatives, a petitioner and a beneficiary. Approval of the I-130 confirms eligibility within a family-based category, allowing the beneficiary to pursue permanent residence.
Family-Based Visa Petitions: How I-130 Petitions Begin The Immigration Process
An overview of how I-130 petitions are used to establish qualifying family relationships and initiate the family-based immigration process.
Remarriage And Green Cards: How Prior Marriages Can Affect Permanent Residence
An overview of how remarriage and prior marital history can impact green card eligibility and USCIS scrutiny in ongoing or future cases.
Widower Petitions: Immigration Options For Surviving Spouses
A discussion of immigration benefits available to surviving spouses, including eligibility requirements and timing considerations specific to widow(er) petitions.
Grandfathering Under INA §245(i): Preserving Eligibility For Adjustment Of Status
An explanation of how certain individuals may retain eligibility to adjust status based on earlier petitions or applications under INA §245(i).
Permanent Residence
Permanent residence services address issues arising after a green card application has been filed. These issues can include conditional status, questions about marital validity, evidentiary challenges, or denials. Requirements vary based on individual circumstances and the stage of the permanent residence process.
How Common Law Marriages Can Help Win Permanent Residence
An explanation of how common law marriages are evaluated in green card cases and when such relationships may be recognized for immigration purposes.
10 Facts You Should Know About I-751 Petitions To Remove Conditions
A discussion of conditional permanent residence and the process for removing conditions, including common issues that arise during I-751 filings.
Stokes Interview: How To Avoid Green Card Marriage Fraud Suspicions
An explanation of Stokes interviews, including why they are scheduled and what types of concerns USCIS may be investigating in marriage-based cases.
What Happens If Your Marriage Green Card Is Denied By USCIS
A discussion of potential next steps after a green card denial, including motions, appeals, and other post-decision options that may be available.
Fiancé (K-1) Visa Petitions
K-1 fiancé visas allow U.S. citizens to bring their foreign fiancé or fiancée to the United States to get married. These cases are subject to heightened review. A fiancé visa is temporary, and marriage must occur before the permanent residence process can begin.
Fiance Visas vs. Marriage Petitions: Which Path Should You Choose?
A comparison of fiancé visas and marriage-based petitions to help couples understand which option may better fit their situation.
What Types Of Questions Will You Be Asked At Your K-1 Visa Interview?
An overview of the types of questions applicants are commonly asked during the fiancé visa interview.
Abandoned K-1 Visa Fiancees And Spouses: How To Remove Your Two-Year Permanent Residence Conditions
Information on removing conditions on permanent residence when a fiancé or marriage-based case does not continue as planned.
K-1 Visa Process: 7 Red Flags That Can Sabotage Your Fiance Visa
An explanation of issues that can raise concerns during fiancé visa review and how they are evaluated.
Citizenship and Naturalization
Citizenship and naturalization matters involve acquiring U.S. citizenship through a variety of legal pathways. These matters may include naturalization eligibility, derivative or acquired citizenship issues, and birthright citizenship claims. Legal requirements and eligibility standards vary depending on the individual’s circumstances and the basis for the citizenship application.
Warning: How Good Moral Character Affects Your Naturalization Case
A discussion of how good moral character is evaluated in naturalization cases and the types of conduct that can impact eligibility for U.S. citizenship.
Denaturalization and Revocation: Loss of U.S. Citizenship
An overview of how U.S. citizenship can be revoked, including common grounds for denaturalization and the legal consequences that may follow.
Deported Immigrant Veterans and the Failed Promises of Military Citizenship
An examination of the challenges faced by immigrant veterans seeking citizenship and the legal and policy issues surrounding military-based naturalization.
Green Card Holders Beware: The Risk of Being Outside the U.S. Too Long
A discussion of how extended time outside the United States can affect permanent residents’ eligibility for naturalization.
Immigration Court Defense And Appeals
Immigration court and appeals cases involve defending against removal proceedings and challenging adverse immigration decisions. They include representation before immigration judges, preparation for evidentiary hearings, and pursuing post-decision remedies. These matters encompass both active court cases and legal options following an unfavorable outcome.
What You Should Understand About the Notice to Appear
An explanation of the Notice to Appear, including what it means, why it is issued, and how it initiates immigration court proceedings.
Thirteen Tips for Testifying at Your Immigration Court Merits Hearing
An overview of practical considerations and common issues that arise when testifying at a merits hearing before an immigration judge.
How to Win Your Cancellation of Removal Defense Trial
A discussion of cancellation of removal as a defense in immigration court, including key legal requirements and evidentiary considerations.
EOIR Motions to Reopen vs. Motions to Reconsider: A Second Chance at Immigration Court
An explanation of the differences between motions to reopen and motions to reconsider, and how each may be used to challenge an immigration court decision.
Immigration I-601 And I-601A Waivers
I-601 and I-601A waiver matters involve seeking forgiveness for certain types of violations that prevent an individual from obtaining lawful immigration status. These cases require demonstrating qualifying family relationships, substantial hardship, and favorable discretionary factors.
I-601 and I-601A Qualifying Relatives: How to Unlock Hidden Hardships and Win Family Unity Waiver Cases
A discussion of how qualifying relatives are defined in waiver cases and how hardship evidence may be evaluated to support family unity claims.
The New USCIS I-601 Hardship Waiver Guidelines: What Are the Differences?
An overview of recent USCIS guidance on hardship waivers and how changes in policy may affect I-601 waiver adjudications.
Beware the Role of Discretion in I-601 Hardship Waiver Decision-Making
An examination of how discretionary factors influence I-601 waiver decisions and why similar cases can result in different outcomes.
When Do You Need a Lawyer to Write an I-601 Waiver Hardship Letter?
A discussion of the role hardship letters play in waiver applications and when legal assistance may be critical to presenting a persuasive case.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
VAWA protects immigrants who have suffered abuse or extreme cruelty. The abuser must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident family member. It provides a path to lawful status and prevents deportation without the abuser’s involvement. Requirements vary based on whether the issue arises through the application process or in immigration court.
How VAWA Protects Immigrant Male Victims of Domestic Abuse
A discussion of how VAWA applies to male victims of domestic abuse and the immigration protections available regardless of gender.
VAWA Cancellation Secrets: How to Win Your Case at Immigration Court
An overview of VAWA-based cancellation of removal, including key legal requirements and issues that arise in immigration court cases.
VAWA Protections for Abused Immigrant Children
An examination of how VAWA protections apply to abused immigrant children and the legal considerations involved in securing relief.
Ten VAWA Keys to Prove Extreme Cruelty and Win a Green Card
A discussion of the legal standards for proving extreme cruelty in VAWA cases and the types of evidence commonly used to support a self-petition.
Humanitarian Relief
Humanitarian immigration services provide special protections in extraordinary circumstances. These include persecution and unstable home country conditions, as well as violence and victimization in the United States. Depending on the program, they provide temporary status, work authorization, and a path to permanent residence.
Asylum and Refugee Immigration Services
An overview of asylum and refugee protections, including who may qualify and the legal standards that apply to humanitarian claims based on persecution.
Are U Visas No Longer Safe for Immigrant Victims of Crime?
A discussion of U visa protections for crime victims and emerging concerns about adjudication risks and long-term immigration consequences.
Eight Ways TPS Beneficiaries Can Win Permanent Residence
An explanation of potential pathways to permanent residence for Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries, including options that may remain available after TPS expires or is terminated.
Will the U.S. Honor Its Permanent Residence Promises to Iraqi and Afghan Interpreters?
An examination of special immigration programs for Iraqi and Afghan interpreters and the challenges surrounding long-term status and permanent residence promises.
What Is the Cuban Adjustment Act?
An overview of the Cuban Adjustment Act and how it provides a unique path to permanent residence for eligible Cuban nationals.
If you would like to discuss an immigration matter, schedule a personalized strategy and planning session to better understand your options.
