Procedure to Apply for Family-Based Immigration
- Your sponsor must submit Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) for you at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) center, along with documentation to prove that:
- He/she is a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
- He/she earns at least 125% above the poverty level set by the US government.
- You are related to him/her.
- Once USCIS receives your visa petition from your sponsor, it will be approved or denied. In the event that the petition is approved, USCIS will notify your sponsor.
- USCIS then sends the approved visa petition to the Department of State's National Visa Center. The Center will notify you when the visa petition is received and again when an immigrant visa number is available. The immigrant visa numbers are allotted on the basis of the Preference Categories (described below). You can check your visa number allotment status in the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin.
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Who Can We Help?
We provide expert legal advice about United States immigration law and legal representation to a wide range of clients seeking entry to the United States. We serve:
- Foreign nationals facing deportation
- Professional workers
- Athletes, Artists and Scientists
- Professors and Researchers
- Students
- Employers seeking to place employees in the U.S.
- Family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents
- Diversity lottery recipients
- Religious workers
- Refugees and those seeking political asylum
- Those litigating immigration issues before the BIA and in federal court
- Residents wishing to naturalize
- Victims of Crime (including domestic violence)
