US Immigration Lawyer Advice
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Now that Donald Trump is President of the U.S. it’s harder than ever for immigrants to succeed in their immigration applications. Too many people contact us after they make mistakes and their applications are denied, or worse. Don’t gamble with your future. Contact us for professional, caring legal advice from an experienced U.S. immigration lawyer.
We are ONLY ACCEPTING ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS and NATURALIZATION CASES. The most common Adjustment of Status cases are for immigrants already in the U.S. who want to apply for a green card through marriage.
The fee for an initial consultation is $250 and must be paid before the consultation.
If you retain Attorney Keir for your case within a month after your consultation, the consultation fee will be deducted from your case fee.
About Attorney Ida Keir
US Immigration Lawyer
I’ve helped hundreds of people from all over the world get their US Green Cards and become US Citizens. I carefully evaluate whether I can help you succeed – while there are no promises, I do my best to give you honest advice and opinions. If I accept your case, I’m persistent in seeing it through.
I’ve seen applications drag on for months and even years because applicants make mistakes on their forms before hiring an attorney. I’ll advise you on your immigration options, and whether applying is even a good idea. Then I’ll represent you in moving through the confusing immigration system as quickly as possible. I am a long-time member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the leading professional organization. AILA keeps me updated on the latest immigration law changes.
US Citizenship
Sometimes an application for U.S. citizenship leads to unexpected consequences and even deportation; if you have an old conviction that you’ve forgotten about, or made long trips to your home country, it’s likely the government will look more closely at your application. Before you apply for U.S. citizenship, carefully consider the legal requirements and whether it’s a good idea.
Always check the latest form and fee at the USCIS website before applying; if you submit an outdated form or fee, your application will be rejected. The current fee is $725 including the biometrics fee. Click here to schedule a consultation on your case by Zoom, WhatsApp, or in person in Eugene, Oregon, US.
Requirements
There are 12 million green card holders in the U.S., and over 8 million – often here for many years – are eligible to apply for citizenship. It costs $725 for the government fees, you have to complete a detailed application using Form N-400, pass civics and English tests, and meet these requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old;
- Be a Lawful Permanent Resident (have a green card);
- Have five years of continuous residence (only three if you’re married to a U.S. citizen – see below**).
- Be physically present in the U.S. for half of the five (or three) years;
- Have good moral character;
- Pass English and civics tests (see below for exceptions);
- Take an oath of loyalty and be attached to the U.S. Constitution.
**If you are currently married to and living with a U.S. citizen, you can apply after three years if you:
1. Have been married to and living with your same U.S. citizen spouse for the past 3 years; and
2. Your spouse has been a U.S. citizen for the past 3 years.
Good Moral Character
Many things can prevent you from having “good moral character” and can even lead to deportation, so be careful and know the law before deciding whether to apply. Not paying taxes, lying to get immigration benefits or claiming to be a U.S. citizen, helping someone enter the country illegally, avoiding the draft, and committing or even admitting certain crimes, are all possible bars. Even “minor” crimes such as possession of more than 30 grams of marijuana can be a problem; it’s important to know more before you apply.
English & Civics Test
Your English will be tested through conversation during your naturalization interview, and you are also required to read and write one sentence of English. There are some exceptions. The questions for the government and history test are publicly available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Arabic,Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean where you can also watch a video of an interview. You can often take local English and civics classes. If your income is low, you might qualify for a waiver of the $725 application fee. The government’s website has more detailed information on citizenship and naturalization. Once you file your application, it normally takes several months to get an interview, and the length of wait depends on the backlog at your local immigration office.
Dual Citizenship
One of the reasons immigrants delay applying for U.S. citizenship is because they fear they’ll lose their original citizenship. Citizenship is important; it allows you to live and work and more in a country. In the European Union, citizenship of a country means you’re a citizen of the EU which gives you rights in many countries, so that’s not something most people want to lose. Today countries have become more flexible on allowing dual (or even more) citizenship. If you’re thinking of naturalizing, you want to check the situation in relation to the law of the U.S. and the other country.
The Immigration & Nationality Law of the U.S. says that nationals may lose their U.S. status for certain specific reasons including voluntary naturalization in a foreign country after reaching 18, with the intention to relinquish U.S. nationality. Recently, some U.S. citizens have renounced their citizenship to gain lower tax rates elsewhere. But most U.S. citizens don’t want to give up their U.S. citizenship when they naturalize elsewhere. In that case they can maintain both as long as the other country allows it.
Green Cards & Adjustment of Status
A green card, which looks similar to a driver’s license, shows you have permission to live in the U.S. on a permanent basis, to work, and freely travel in and out of the country. It does not allow the holder, or Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), to vote or get a U.S. passport, which are rights of citizenship.
Adjustment of Status
This is the process to change from one status, for example an F-1 student, to another, for example a permanent resident, when the foreign-born spouse lives in the U.S.
When a U.S. citizen applies for a foreign spouse, there are no visa quotas but it can take a while to process the paperwork and prove your case. You must show your marriage is genuine – that you didn’t marry just for a green card. The government often suspects fraud, so you’ll need to prove your relationship is genuine with pictures and documents. You also have to show that the U.S. citizen spouse can support the spouse by submitting an Affidavit of Support; if your income is not high enough, you still have to submit an Affidavit of Support but you can ask a relative or close friend to also submit an Affidavit of Support.
We can help you put together a solid application and financial evidence to submit to the government.
Most green card holders can apply for citizenship after 5 years; you can apply after 3 years if you’ve been married to a U.S. citizen during that time. But citizenship is not automatic and many people make the mistake of waiting years or even decades before applying. An LPR can be deported if he or she commits a crime or in other circumstances, so it makes sense to apply for citizenship sooner rather than later.
We are only accepting new clients for Naturalization/Citizenship and Adjustment of Status applications.
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