Family Based Immigration

Marriage Based Immigration

U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident Status through Marriage By far the quickest path to lawful permanent resident status in the United States is through marriage. This is why Congress created not only the conditional resident status as a check on marriage… Read More

Other Family Based Immigration (Non-Spousal)

In addition to spouses, United States immigration law allows some non-spousal family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to immigrate to the U.S. These family members are subject to the family preference categories. The law favors… Read More

Abused Spouse (Violence Against Women Act)

An abused foreign spouse (or child) of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident may seek lawful permanent resident status without the support of their abusive spouse or parent. Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) The law was created to help victims,… Read More

Widow(er)

Generally, when a petitioner dies, an I-130 petition previously filed by the petitioner is cancelled. However, asking the U.S. government to reinstate the I-130 petition may be possible under certain circumstances. Reinstatement is Not Necessary for… Read More

Orphans & Adoptions

Certain foreign national children may be classified as orphans and immigrate to the United States on that basis. U.S. immigration law defines how a child may be classified as an orphan for immigration purposes and that definition controls whether or… Read More