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Jacksonville Family-Based Immigration Attorney
Dedicated to Bringing Families Together: Call (904) 296-9232
The Law Office of Joanne M. Fakhre truly cares about helping you with all of your family-based immigration needs. We understand the stress and anxiety you may be under in seeking legal permanent residence for your family member. The immigration process can seem long, involved, and complicated. Ensuring that your paperwork and documentation are done correctly is important to achieving your goals. That is why it is essential to seek the legal services of our Jacksonville family-based immigration lawyer.
Ms. Fakhre has personal experience with the immigration system in the U.S. and knows firsthand how difficult this time can be for you and your spouse, children, and other relatives. Our Jacksonville family immigration lawyers take the extra time in pursuit of handling your case thoroughly and precisely.
Why Choose Our Family Immigration Lawyer?
- Compassionate & Understanding Representation
- Rated 10 Out of 10 by Avvo
- An Attorney Who Understands the Immigrant Experience
- Limit Our Caseload so Each Client Gets the Attention They Deserve
What is Family-Based Immigration?
Obtaining a green card for employment typically involves the steps below. Each may vary depending on your situation:
U.S. citizens (USC) and legal permanent residents (LPR) are able to petition for certain family members to become permanent residents and eventually citizens.
- U.S citizens may petition for their spouse, parents, children, and siblings
- Legal Permanent Residents may petition their spouse and unmarried children (any age)
The U.S. Family Immigration Process
To begin the process of sponsoring a family member in either of the above categories, the U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident must file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to establish the relationship.
The foreign national is then able to apply for permanent residence at either the United States Citizenship or Immigration Services if they are in the United States or at a U.S. Consulate abroad.
Visa Categories
The following two groups of visa categories exist for family-based immigration.
1) Immediate relative category: Individuals in this category do not have to wait for a visa number to be available to migrate.
- IR1: Spouse of a U.S. Citizen
- IR2: Unmarried children (under 21) of a U.S. Citizen
- IR3: Orphan adopted overseas by a U.S. Citizen
- IR4: Orphan adopted in the United States by a U.S. Citizen
- IR5: Parent of a U.S. Citizen who is at least 21 years old.
2) Family preference category: There is a limited number of visas available for this category. Individuals in this category must wait for a visa to become available to migrate.
- F1: Unmarried sons and daughters, 21 years or older, of U.S. citizens
- F2: Spouses and unmarried sons and daughters (under 21 years) of legal permanent residents.
- F3: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
- F4: Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens who are at least 21 years old
Consular Processing & Adjustment of Status
Our Jacksonville immigration lawyer provides dedicated legal help in handling consular processing for those individuals outside the U.S. For those foreign nationals who are already residing in the U.S., eligibility to become a legal permanent resident can be pursued by filing an Adjustment of Status (AOS). Certain individuals may not be eligible for this process, however. Our office is here to help you in understanding and pursuing an AOS or finding other legal options should this not be available to you.
Marriage-Based Petitions & Conditional Permanent Resident
A foreign national will be admitted as a conditional permanent resident if the marriage occurred less than two years at the time the permeant resident status (green card) is granted. This status is valid for two years. Within the 90 days before the expiration of the conditional permanent resident status, you will need to file a petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. This must be done to avoid losing resident status. If this petition is approved, Permanent Resident status will be granted for 10 years.
This petition can be filed jointly with your U.S citizen or LPR spouse, or individually if your marriage has ended in divorce, your petitioning spouse is deceased, you were the victim of domestic battery or subjected to extreme cruelty at the hands of your spouse, or your removal would result in extreme hardship.
Our family-based immigration lawyer in Jacksonville can ensure that your application is prepared and submitted according to all of the requirements and rules in an effort to avoid any future delays or problems.
Marriage/Immigration Fraud
At the Law Office of Joanne M. Fakhre, we are committed to the success of each of our clients. However, we will not assist anyone in perpetrating immigration fraud. This is a federal crime and comes with severe criminal penalties (up to five years in prison) and civil penalties (fines of up to $250,000) for both the United States citizen and the foreign national. A finding of marriage fraud under section 204(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act could result in a permanent ban for the foreign national.
However, if you are falsely accused of or facing charges of marriage fraud and your marriage is a bona fide or legitimate marriage, it is best not to answer any questions or sign any documents, regardless of what the government may threaten. Talk to an immigration lawyer immediately. We at the Law Office of Joanne M. Fakhre are here to fight for you if you are being wrongly accused. Please contact us immediately to discuss your options.
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If you have any legal questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to send us a message. Your message is important to us, and we will respond promptly to address your needs.
