Middle Island, NY Immigration Law Firms & Lawyers | Page 2 Results

She can apply, but it will take you 10-12 years to be able to move to the US. Besides, the immigration reform intends to cancel this opportunity at all.

A joint sponsor's criminal arrest/conviction history generally is irrelevant, and so an otherwise eligible U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident who has a criminal background indeed can qualify as a joint sponsor. Some immigration law firms, including mine, offer legal services on a "flat fee" basis so that a client will know the total expense from the very beginning, and a few immigration law firms, including mine, offer an initial consultation free of charge.

Let's get one thing straight, first: you cannot *claim *your parents as citizens or residents. For anyone not born in this country or to U.S. citizen parents, there is, generally, no entitlement to U.S. citizenship or even permanent residency. As a U.S.-born, you are a citizen from birth and have the *privilege* of *asking* the government to grant your parents status of permanent residents. This should help you understand that you have to fulfill all the requirements and conditions set for this process. Lucky for you and your parents, they have never left the U.S. after overstaying their visas. In result, they are in the U.S. after a legal entry. As immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen (you), they will be forgiven for staying here all these years without legal status. You can file immigrant petitions (Forms I-130) for your parents, together with applications for green cards (Forms I-485); and your parents should be allowed to adjust status in the U.S., without going to their respective countries for consular processing. You will have to file Affidavits of Support (Form I-864) proving that you can support your parents above poverty level (if you have no dependents, you need to make over $25,200/year). If your own income is not enough, you will have to find a co-sponsor who has high enough income to meet the federal poverty guideline for his/her size of household + 2 (your parents). Your parents will not be able to get any public support (welfare, food stamps, SSI, Medicaid, etc.) until they become U.S. citizens; you and the co-sponsor will be responsible to provide for your parents if necessary. The fees to the government are $1490 for each immigrant. Attorney's fees are usually around $3000 for each petition. The entire process is likely to take 7-12 months, depending on how busy your local USCIS office is at the time. However, your parents should receive work authorization cards in about 3 months, and can apply for Social Security numbers and driver's licenses after that.