Keeping Families Together Through Family-Based Petitions
Families naturally support and depend on each other regardless of immigration processes. Through family-based petitions, you may be able to include members of your family in your immigration petitions or sponsor them as a U.S. citizen or green card holder. To avoid mistakes and expedite these efforts, work with an experienced and compassionate family immigration law attorney.
I am lawyer Monica Crooms, and I am empathetic as well as determined to help my clients succeed in keeping their families together or reuniting them with family members who are not yet with them in California or elsewhere in the U.S.
As the daughter of a Guatemalan immigrant, I understand how important it is for children, elders and couples to be able to stay together whenever possible. My capable staff and I celebrate along with our clients every time a family-based petition handled at my firm, Crooms Immigration Law, is successful.
Use The Right Petition And Process To Suit Your Individual Circumstances
Let us help you get it right the first time as you file a petition for your family member(s) to join you or stay with you in the U.S. Depending on your status, the processes are as follows:
- Depending on specific details of your circumstances, as a U.S. citizen, you may apply for green cards or visas for your spouse, fiancé(e), unmarried child under age 21, married child over age 21, parents or siblings if you are over age 21.
- As a green card holder (legal permanent resident, or LPR), you may sponsor your spouse, unmarried child under age 21 or unmarried child of any age
- As a refugee or asylum seeker or asylee within the last two years, you may be able to include your spouse and/or your child under age 21 in your petition up until the time of your asylum interview.
The list above is intended to be a general summary of your options for bringing family members or obtaining legal status for them in the U.S. Be sure to ask an immigration law attorney to review your circumstances and those of your family member(s) to determine what rights you have to sponsor them or include them in your own application for a visa or green card. If you have adopted a child from abroad, I can help you find the most efficient way to get citizenship for your new son or daughter.
Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions About Family-Based Petitions
I know and understand that when it comes to immigration law, there can be a lot of questions. When these questions are about reuniting family members, they are even more urgent and important. Here, I answer a few of the most commonly asked questions. For answers to your specific questions, I am available for consultation appointments.
What is a family-based immigration petition?
A family-based petition allows an individual who is legally in the United States as a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), is a naturalized U.S. Citizen, or an American-born citizen, to sponsor other family members who wish to immigrate to the United States. A family-based petition allows citizens and lawful residents to sponsor their eligible foreign national family members.
Who qualifies as a petitioner in a family-based petition?
In a family-based petition, the petitioner has to be a U.S. citizen, or a lawful permanent resident (green card holder). The petitioner must also be at least 21 years of age or older.
What are the different categories of family-based petitions?
There are various categories for family-based petitions, that are based on the family relationship between the petitioner and the foreign national who wishes to immigrate to the United States. These include:
- The spouse of a U.S. citizen
- An unmarried child (under the age of 21) or a parent of a U.S. citizen
- An orphan adopted abroad by a U.S. citizen or an orphan who will be adopted in the United States by a U.S. citizen
- Adult sons and daughters or siblings of U.S. citizens (and their minor children)
- Spouses, minor children and unmarried adult children of lawful permanent residents (green card holders)
The petitioner must also provide proof of the relationship upon filing. For example, a birth certificate or a marriage certificate can be used to prove the family relationship.
How long does a family-based immigration petition take?
Every case and situation is unique and has its own set of facts and circumstances that can affect the time it will take to process a family-based petition. The wait time for a family-based immigration petition will also depend on the type of family-based petition and the relationship between the petitioner and the foreign national family member. For example, adoption petitions for foreign nationals who are minor children, or a foreign national fiancée, typically do not take as long as a family-based petition for a foreign national adult child of a green card holder. At a consultation appointment, I will be able to discuss the different timelines for the different family-based petitions as they pertain to your situation.
Let Me Know About Your Hopes And Plans
My staff and I understand how eager you and your family must be to settle immigration issues so that you can focus on other aspects of life, such as finding jobs, securing housing for everyone or building a business together. We are here to explain the family-based immigration laws and help you take advantage of every opportunity available to you.
Let us hear from you soon. From my office in Los Alamitos, I assist clients throughout Orange County and beyond as well as family members still in other countries. Call 562-502-8401 or send an email message to get the conversation started.