Melrose Park Green Card Lawyer

The United States issues almost one million green cards every year. Your chances of getting a green card will substantially improve when you retain a Melrose Park green card lawyer from Godoy Law Office. Our experienced immigration attorneys can help you select the best visa application for your circumstances and represent you at all stages of the petition process, including filing a thorough petition and managing interviews and appearances before immigration officers.

How Can a Non-U.S. Citizen Apply for a Green Card?

The process to apply for a Permanent Resident Card (which is the official name of a green card) typically begins with an application for a visa enter the U.S. for a certain duration, which can then evolve into your becoming a lawful permanent resident (LPR) in the United States. A Melrose Park green card attorney can explain the details and differences of the visas that you might be eligible to obtain. Generally, a visa application will be based on:

• Sponsorship by a family member in Melrose Park or elsewhere in the U.S. who is already a citizen and permanent resident, or a joint sponsorship by a family member and a third party who is willing to accept sponsorship obligations
• Humanitarian reasons, such as a need for critical medical services, fleeing persecution or human trafficking dangers, or caring for ill or seriously injured U.S. family members
• Diversity purposes, which may be available through a visa lottery to immigrants coming from countries that are underrepresented in the overall U.S. population
• An employer’s need for an immigrant’s special talent, knowledge, or skills.

Choosing an inappropriate basis for a green card and visa petition can cause substantial delays and may jeopardize your opportunity to become an LPR. Talk to an attorney at Godoy Law Office before you begin your visa application to avoid this mistake.

How Long Will It Take to Get a Green Card?

In some cases, the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service might approve your visa application in under a year. In other cases, your petition can linger for several years. As our green card lawyers in Melrose Park can explain, many factors affect processing times, including:

• The type of visa you are seeking and the person sponsoring your petition (an accurate and complete sponsoring petition from a family member, for example, can help a visa application move more quickly)
• The volume of applications being handled by the immigration office that is reviewing your petition
• Whether you started your visa application through consular processing outside of the United States, or you are seeking an adjustment of status when you are already residing in the U.S.
• Questions about your personal or employment-based sponsor’s ability to provide financial support
• Issues involving your character or health.

A knowledgeable green card attorney is your best resource and advocate to manage the application process and navigate the bureaucracy your application will encounter.

What Obligations Do Green Card Holders Have?

If you have obtained a green card and established your residency in Melrose Park, your lawyer will explain your LPR obligations. Your most critical concerns will be paying taxes and filing tax returns, reporting activity in foreign bank accounts, avoiding extended absences from U.S. soil, not participating in any criminal activity, and renewing your LPR status every ten years. You need to be very careful to comply with your specific obligations once you receive your green card, as failure to do so will jeopardize your right to remain in the United States.

Enlist the Help of a Seasoned Melrose Park Green Card Attorney

You can save time and effort when you hire an experienced Melrose green card lawyer for assistance with your visa and LPR petitions. Contact Godoy Law Office Immigration Lawyers for the help you need. Consultations are complimentary and always confidential. Call now.