Family Immigration Lawyers Near Me

A US citizen or lawful permanent resident can sponsor their qualifying family members for an immigrant visa (green card). Non-citizens who are living and working in the United States on a non-immigrant visa such as L1 or H1 could also petition and have their qualifying close relatives be given their own non-immigrant visas to accompany them to join them in the US. At Joseph & Hall, we have experienced immigration attorneys who regularly help families in the Denver Metro to obtain immigrant or non-immigrant visas for their qualifying family members.

Qualifying Family Members for Immigration

Even though the law allows US citizens and green card holders to sponsor their relatives for their own green cards, the process one must go through in getting this accomplished and how long it takes depends on who the relative is. 

Not all relatives qualify for family-based immigration, but those who do fall into one of two broad categories, and these are “immediate relatives” and “family preference” based categories.

Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens

An individual is an immediate relative if they are related to a US citizen if they have a close relationship in any of the following:

• Legal marriage
• An unmarried child who is under 21 years of age
• Parent if the U.S. citizen is at least 21 years old

The US citizen relative in any of these situations can file a petition with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and have the close relative approved for a green card. However, the approval can only be given if both the US citizen and close relative meet other requirements. This is because a close relative who is in any of these familial relationships may still have their green card application denied on any of the many grounds of “ineligibility.” 

Grounds of ineligibility include things such as certain medical conditions, certain immigration violations, a conviction for certain crimes, and so on.

If your close relative is affected by any of these grounds of ineligibility, we have experienced immigration lawyers at Joseph & Hall who can help you find a solution to still have the relative approved for the green card.

Preference Family Members

Relatives of U.S. citizens who do not fall within the class or relatives described above or who are family members of green card holders can apply for their own green cards under what is known as the “preference” categories, and these are as follows:

• First preference (F1) – unmarried children of U.S. citizens who are over 21
• Second preference (F2A) – spouses and unmarried children of green card holders who are under the age of 21
• Second preference (F2B) – unmarried children of green card holders over 21
• Third preference (F3) – married children of U.S. citizens; and
• Fourth preference (F4) – siblings of U.S. citizens provided the U.S. citizen is at least 21 years of age or older

Consult with a Family Immigration Lawyer Near You

To avoid delays or unnecessary denial of your green card application, it is important to seek the professional services of a competent and experienced family immigration lawyer to assist you in navigating the complex immigration process. Contact us today and speak to one of our experienced family law attorneys.