The reunion of loved ones through family-based immigration is a joyous event. If you are hoping to bring your own loved ones to the United States, a New York immigration attorney will advise and guide you through the confusing and complicated immigration process.

We help clients who wish to marry a U.S. citizen obtain a K-1 fiancée visa, obtain immigrant resident visas for entire families, and secure family preference visas for the unmarried children of U.S. citizens.

There is no one-size-fits-all family immigration solution. However, hiring an attorney offers reliable legal counsel for your family’s immigration needs. Each case is unique, and we provide every client with personalized immigration guidance and advice.

How Difficult is Family-Based Immigration?

Speaking frankly, U.S. immigration law is a legal minefield. If your paperwork isn’t accurate and complete, if you don’t know how a law applies to you, or if you can’t meet the requirements, you could lose the right to work and live in the U.S. and reach your immigration goals.

Family reunification may be affected by visa caps, minimum income requirements for sponsors, and legal obstacles to reentry. And every day, visa and green card applications are rejected because some document is missing or a form hasn’t been completed accurately.

However, when you are advised by our law firm, our guidance and recommendations will provide you with the best possible chance of reaching and achieving your goals.

How Does Family-Based Immigration Work?

In most cases, family-based immigration requires a petitioner who must be a U.S. citizen (or a lawful permanent resident) and a beneficiary. The petitioner wants to sponsor a relative for a visa or green card. The beneficiary is the family member who needs to obtain a visa or green card.

A beneficiary may also have a spouse and children who may qualify as derivative beneficiaries. All family-based immigration cases fall into one of two categories: immediate relative immigration or family preference immigration.

What Are the Main Options for Family-Based Immigration?

The main options for family-based immigration to the U.S. are:

1. IR visas for immediate family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents
2. F visas for non-immediate family members
3. K visas for foreign-born fiancées (and their unmarried minor children) of U.S. sponsors

Parents, spouses, and the unmarried minor children of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are considered immediate relatives. An unlimited number of IR visas are available for the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

The number of family preference immigrant visas for relatives who are not the spouses, parents, or unmarried minor children of a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident is capped annually.

That may mean a lengthy wait for those in the family preference categories, but the right immigration attorney can ensure that no mistakes or misunderstandings on your part needlessly delay the process.

How Can an Immigration Attorney Help Your Family?

For more than twenty-five years, our New York immigration attorney has provided clients with honest, personalized immigration recommendations and advice. We will explain your options for family immigration and help you bring your loved one(s) to the United States.

If you are facing any immigration difficulty regarding the legal status or entry of members of your family, or if you need to learn more, contact an immigration lawyer from our law firm at 718-237-0411 to arrange your first legal consultation.