PRACTICE AREAS
Non-immigrant Visas
Non-immigrant work visas provide individuals with temporary work authorization in the United States.
Our office assists clients with obtaining non-immigrant work visas, such as the H-1B visa, the L-1 visa, the TN visa, and the O-1 visa.
Permanent Residency
There are various routes to permanent residency. Most people become permanent residents either through a petition by a qualified family member or through employment.
US citizens can petition for permanent residency for their immediate relatives. An immediate relative of a US citizen includes a spouse, child, step-child or parent. There is no limit on the number of immediate relative petitions that can be approved each year in the United States. For this reason, the process of obtaining permanent residency through an immediate relative of a US citizen is often the quickest route to permanent residency in the United States.
US citizens can also file petitions for brothers or sisters, or for sons or daughters over the age of 21. US permanent residents can file petitions for a spouse, child or step-child. The total number of permanent resident cases that can be approved in these categories is limited to 480,000 per year. Because of this, there are long waiting lists to immigrate to the United States in these categories.
Individuals may also petition for permanent residency through employment. The total number of individuals who can be approved for permanent residency through employment each year is 140,000. For some types of employment based permanent residency cases, there is a waiting list, known as Visa Retrogression. For others there is no waiting list. Whether an individual is affected by the waiting list depends on the preference category of the application. Employment-based first preference cases are for individuals with Extraordinary Ability, for Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and for Multinational Executives and Managers. Employment-based second preference cases are for individuals seeking National Interest Waivers or for individuals with advanced degree labor certifications.
Labor Certification is by far the most common route to permanent residency through employment. Individuals and their employers may seek labor certification for jobs that are hard to fill with US workers, or for university or college teachers. Jobs requiring advanced degrees (or the equivalent) qualify for Employment-based second preference. Employment-based third preference cases are for individuals with Labor Certification for positions requiring a Bachelor’s degree or at least two years of training or experience.
Another route to permanent residency is through the Diversity Visa Lottery. The government grants 50,000 individuals permanent residency through the Diversity Visa Lottery program. We encourage individuals from eligible countries to apply for the Diversity Visa Lottery. For information, check the State Department's Website.
The above information is not exhaustive. There are other ways individuals may seek permanent residency in the United States, such as asylum or pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act. Additional information is available through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service at www.uscis.gov. Individuals should consult with a qualified immigration attorney about their eligibility for permanent residency in the United States.