Immigration

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Welcome to the United States of America! There are many opportunities for hardworking immigrants in this country, but there are also many legal processes that immigrants must go through first. Immigration lawyers are needed to represent individuals seeking immigration benefits, and they can also help prepare and file immigration applications.

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The Immigration System

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Many immigrants come to the United States through their family members, either as immediate relatives or through the family preference system. Immediate relatives include spouses of U.S. citizens, unmarried minor children (children must be under 21 years old) of U.S. citizens, and parents of U.S. citizens (petitioner must be at least 21 years old). Relatives admitted under the family preference system include adult children and siblings of U.S. citizens, as well as spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents.

 

Some immigrants with working skills come to the United States through employment-based immigration, on either a permanent or temporary basis. Other immigrants come to the United States as refugees, fleeing persecution and life-threatening conditions in their homeland. All these immigrants usually apply for a green card, which allows them lawful permanent residence, as well as a permit to work, in the United States.

 

For more information on the immigration system, please refer to the following links:

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Immigration Policy

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Greencard

 

Immigrant Rights in NYC

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"All New Yorkers, including immigrants, can access City services that they need and are entitled to receive."

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For more information, go on Immigrant Rights in NYC.

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The Path to Citizenship

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In order to become a citizen, immigrants must go through the process of naturalization. People looking to get naturalized must have lived in the U.S. for at least five years as a permanent resident, have been present in the U.S. for at least 30 months of the past five years, and live within a U.S. state for at least three months prior to applying (U.S. Department of Homeland Security).

 

More details regarding immigration and citizenship are available in the            Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants.