Coral Gables immigration lawyers
Residency, citizenship and family petitions. The part that takes longest is the waiting, and we tell you how long before you sign anything.
- I-130
- I-485
- N-400
Permanent residency
A green card authorizes you to live in the United States indefinitely. There are two routes, and which one applies depends on where you are today.
Before preparing anything we verify that you qualify. Filing a petition that does not apply costs money, costs months, and sometimes leaves a record that complicates the next one.
- DS-260From outside the country: consular processingHandled at the embassy or consulate, with an interview. The immigrant visa application is Form DS-260. We prepare that interview with you.
- I-485From inside the country: adjustment of statusIf you are already here on a work visa or other authorization, you become a resident without leaving. The application is Form I-485.
Eligible categories include employment-based applicants, family members of citizens, religious workers, nationals who worked with the U.S. government in Iraq or Afghanistan, refugees and asylees.
The government often requests additional evidence or schedules an interview before deciding. That does not mean your case is going badly: it means the answer has to be right and on time.
Becoming a citizen
Naturalization is the end of the road for most of our clients. The application is Form N-400. It is several years and seven requirements, all of which must be met, not most of them.
- 1Five years with a green cardThree if you are married to a U.S. citizen.
- 2Physical presenceHaving been in the country for at least half of that period.
- 3Three months in the districtResiding in the USCIS jurisdiction where you file, for a minimum of three months before.
- 4Good moral characterNo offenses or conduct that would disqualify you.
- 5EnglishReading, writing and speaking. There are exceptions for age and for disability.
- 6The testUnited States history and civics. It is given in English.
- 7The oathThe allegiance ceremony closes the process.
Bringing your family
A citizen or a permanent resident can petition for certain relatives. The process starts with Form I-130 before USCIS; once approved, the person proceeds with the immigrant visa or with adjustment of status.
The distinction that matters most is between immediate relative and preference category. An immediate relative of a citizen over 21 does not wait for a visa number. In the preference categories there is a wait, and the timeline changes with the relationship and with the country where the person was born.
We tell you how long you will wait before you sign anything. A real, long timeline is better news than a short one that will not hold.
A serious criminal record, or an offense committed while already here, can end in denial and even in removal proceedings. If you are already in the process and a problem surfaces, do not wait for the interview to raise it.
Questions about residency and citizenship
Tap a question to see the answer.
Can I leave the country while I wait?
It depends which filing is in progress and what stage it is at. There are moments when leaving without the right permission is treated as abandoning the application.
It is not a general question: it is answered by reading your file, before you buy the ticket.
Does a mistake on an earlier form ruin the case?
Not necessarily, but it has to be said up front. What does the damage is not the mistake: it is the mistake surfacing later, after you have stated something else.
Inconsistencies between what you filed before and what you file now are used against you. Better that we know on the first call.
Should I wait until I am a citizen to petition for my family?
Sometimes yes and sometimes no: the relationship and the country of birth change the wait, and in some cases the difference is years.
That is exactly the calculation we run in the consultation, with your case and not with an average.
Bring whatever paperwork you already have. The first thing we check is which of the three roads you are on, because the waiting time changes with each.
The consultation costs $70, the attorney takes it within 24 a 48 hours, and it is credited toward the contract if you retain the firm.