HOW DO I SPONSOR MY FAMILY MEMBER TO IMMIGRATE TO THE U.S.?

Walnut Creek Office 1801 Oakland Blvd. Suite 220 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Telephone: (925) 222-5074 Ukiah Office 308 S. School Street, Ste. L Ukiah, CA 95482 Telephone: (707) 376-1010 San Jose Office 111 N. Market Street Ste. 300 San Jose, CA 95113 Telephone: (408) 963-0355 www.KPBlawyers.com

KEROSKY PURVES & BOGUE Attorneys at Law San Francisco Office 142 Sansome Street, Ste 500 San Francisco, CA 94103 Telephone: (415) 777-4445 Los Angeles Office 8484 Wilshire Blvd.Ste 430 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Telephone: (323) 782-3877 San Rafael Office 4040 Civic Center Drive, Suite 200 San Rafael, CA 94903 Telephone: (707) 433-2060

Santa Rosa Office 131A Stony Circle Suite 475 Santa Rosa, CA 95401 Telephone: (707) 433-2060 Napa Office 1311 First Street Napa, CA 94559 Telephone: (707) 224-2722 Sacramento Office 770 L Street Suite 950 Sacramento, CA 95814 Telephone: (415) 777-4445 Attorney@KPBlawyers.com

Please respond to our Santa Rosa address

HOW DO I SPONSOR MY FAMILY MEMBER TO IMMIGRATE TO THE U.S.?

An introduction to the family preference system.

Much of the immigration to the U.S. that occurs is through sponsorship by a family relative.  Family-based immigration allows for close relatives of U.S. Citizens and legal permanent residents to rejoin their families here in the U.S.   

However, the system is based on categories, each of which has strict annual limits in the number of immigrants allowed each year. This creates backlogs, some of them quite lengthy, in some of these family categories.

The priority is given to “Immediate relatives”.  This category does not have any limit or cap on the number of visas and therefore, there is no “waiting period” other than the amount of time the Department of Homeland Security (or the U.S. consulate abroad) takes to process these visas.  These “immediate relative” categories are:

·                Spouses of U.S. citizens;

·                Unmarried minor children of U.S. citizens; and

·                Parents of U.S. citizens.

Obtaining a green card through marriage.

In the case of marriage, an application must be submitted along with documents to prove the validity of the marriage and an interview takes place at the DHS office, if they are in the U.S.  It generally takes approximately six months to obtain conditional permanent residence for the spouse.  Conditional permanent residence is granted for two years.  

In the case of all immediate relatives in the U.S., an application for a green card can be processed here.  It is not necessary for the relative to be in legal status, but they must have come to the U.S. legally, with a  valid visa.  If they crossed the border without a visa, they do not qualify.

If the spouse is outside the U.S., then an application is filed here and once approved, the relative goes through “consular processing” back home in their home country.

Obtaining permanent residence through family members other than spouses.

You can sponsor other members of your family besides those in this “immediate relative” category, but in each case there will be a long wait for them to get a green card.  The other relative categories have limits on the number of visas and therefore, there are waiting periods, which can run from five to ten years or more.  These relative categories are:

·                Adult children (unmarried) of U.S. citizens (1^st preference category)

·                Spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents (2d preference)

·                Adult children (married) of U.S. citizens (3d  preference category)

·                Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens ( 4^th preference category)

The waiting periods for each of these visas can be determined (approximately) by checking the U.S. Department of State website or the Visa Bulletin which they publish.  The visa bulletin is available at http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html

The U.S. Department of State visa bulletin lists each category and the date on which an individual applied in each category who is being processed for a green card currently.  From this date, one can try to extrapolate how long it will take for an application filed today to take before a relative qualifies for permanent residence. 

As you’ll see when you check this bulletin, there are long waits for every category of family sponsorship.         In addition to per category limits to family-based immigration, there are also per country limits. 

Because of higher numbers of immigration to the U.S., persons coming from the countries of Mexico, the Philippines, China, and India have an even longer wait than those from the rest of the world.

While it may seem absurd to file to sponsor your relative given that the wait is over five years, there still are good reasons to do so.  If the annual limits per category are raised in the future, this waiting period will decrease. 

In any case, the sooner you file to bring your relative, the sooner the person will join you here as a green card holder.

****************************************************************

CHRISTOPHER A. KEROSKY of the law firm of KEROSKY PURVES & BOGUE has practiced immigration law for over 25 years.   He graduated from University of California, Berkeley Law School and was a former counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C. 

Mr. Kerosky has been recognized as one of the top lawyers in Northern California for over 10 years by “Super Lawyers”.  See https://profiles.superlawyers.com/california-northern/san-francisco/lawyer/christopher-a-kerosky/358dc9f1-b1c2-46b5-80cc-6e9610b1cd43.html

.

WARNING: The foregoing is a summary generally discussing legal issues. It is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice. We recommend that you get competent legal advice specific to your case before filing any application or petition.

HOW DO I GET MY GREEN CARD IF I MARRY A U.S. CITIZEN?

Under present law, a person who came to this country on a valid visa can apply for permanent residency if they marry a US citizen.  If the person came to the US on a fiancee visa, they must marry within 90 days to the person who sponsored their visa in order to qualify for adjustment of status to permanent residence in this country. 

All other persons can apply for adjustment of status to permanent resident in this country based upon marriage to a U.S. citizen, as long as they entered the United States on a valid visa and have not committed a crime or some other act which makes them ineligible. 

Of course, the marriage must be a valid and bona fide one.

Also persons who qualify for a special law called Section 245i can also file for a green card here in the U.S. based on marriage – even if they came here without a visa.  You only qualify for Section 245i if you had a family member or employer file to sponsor you for permanent residence before April 30, 2001.  Many persons who have been sponsored by parents or siblings and have been waiting many years for their case to be “current” can file instead through a U.S citizen spouse under Section 245i.  (However, it is very important to get good legal advice before filing to make sure you are eligible.)

There are many necessary forms and documents necessary to submit with the marriage petition, including photos, birth and marriage records and other immigration forms.   It generally takes only 9-15 months to finish the adjustment of status process.  There is an interview at the end of the application process, which both spouses must attend. 

In order to prove that the marriage is valid at the interview, it is necessary to provide certain documentation.  This includes financial records such as leases with both spouses names, joint bank account statements, joint credit cards, utility bills and other evidence that the couple is living together.  It is also helpful to bring photographs of the couple together, including photos of the wedding.  Other personal documents such as correspondence before marriage or even personal mementos can be helpful to show the immigration officer.

The interviews generally last approximately one hour or less and are intended to determine whether the marriage is legitimate or not.  If there is any significant doubt about whether the marriage is real, the applicants are required to come for a second, more intensive interview.  In these second interviews, the spouses are separated and questioned at greater length by trained officers. 

If the officer is satisfied the marriage is bona fide, and all other requirements for permanent residence are met, the adjustment of status application is approved.  If the marriage is less than two years old, the immigrant is given conditional permanent residence.  This status gives the immigrant all the same rights as a permanent resident except that it expires after 24 months. 

Two years after the granting of conditional permanent residence, a new application must be submitted to the immigration service, documenting that the marriage still exists. 

For those persons who came here without a visa and do not qualify to change their status here under 245i, there is a possibility to apply at the U.S. Consulate in your home country, and request a pardon of the penalty for being here illegally.  One should definitely seek legal advice before applying in this manner for a pardon.

************************************************************************

CHRISTOPHER A. KEROSKY of the law firm of KEROSKY PURVES & BOGUE has practiced law more than 25 years and has been recognized as one of the top immigration lawyers in Northern California for 9 years by“Super Lawyers” www.SuperLawyers.com .   He graduated from University of California, Berkeley Law School and was a former counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C.  His firm has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles and six other locations in California. 
WARNING: The foregoing is an article discussing legal issues. It is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice. We recommend that you get competent legal advice specific to your case.