Things to Consider when Hiring an Immigration Attorney

For people from other countries who desire to live in the United States, there are a few different ways to get a visa. Immigrants can legally live in the country by either having a family-based visa or one that is employment based. In other words, if an immigrant is related to a U.S. citizen or they have a job offer from an employer in this country, they can apply for a visa.

If you are thinking about emigrating to the United States from a Spanish-speaking country, or if you live in the United States but are going through immigration-related issues, you might be thinking about hiring an immigration lawyer. There are a lot of attorneys out there who provide legal assistance for clients who are going through immigration issues, but not all of them are created equally. For example, along with looking at other factors (such as the amount of experience that the attorney has and how helpful he or she seems during the initial consultation), you will also want to look for someone who speaks fluent Spanish.

Petitioning for family members to immigrate to the United States is a lengthy process. It is likely that a decade or more shall pass before you receive a notice from the NVC (National Visa Center) that your case is ready to be processed. Even at this point, you will still have a year or more before your family member's interview. This allows time for you to fill out the necessary forms and gather supporting evidence to verify the information provided.

If your spouse was born in another country, your marriage does not automatically guarantee him or her citizenship. Even though you are a United States citizen, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, could deny his or her application for legal residency. If your spouse was denied, here are some of the most common reasons denials occur and what you can do about it.  Your Marriage Is Not Real