To be eligible for citizenship, you must first have your green card or what is known as the legal permanent residency for a period of five years.  There are instances in which the eligibility period is shorter.   There are four general requirements to be eligible for citizenship:

1. Must be a legal permanent resident of the United States for a required period of 3 year- 5 years;
2. Be physically present in the United States at least one half of the required time period;
3. Continuance presence in the United States;
4. Must not have any disqualifying grounds such as certain criminal convictions.

Our office can help you determine if you meet all of these requirements. Once you have been found eligible to apply for citizenship, you must then pass a simple examination on the English language and U.S. history.  There are exceptions to this rule, and an experienced attorney can help you determine if you are eligible for these exceptions.

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A U.S. citizen can sponsor certain family members to become an LPR. A sponsor can be a spouse, a parent, adult child, sibling, or fiancé. There are different categories of eligibility, and based on the category, the LPR process can take anywhere between six months to ten years.

At our law firm, we have helped many families unite, and we can help you determine your eligibility to sponsor a family member, or obtain your LPR.

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There are two types of asylum applications: affirmative and defensive. An affirmative application is submitted to the United States Customs and Immigration Services office. On the other hand, a defensive asylum application is submitted defensively to an immigration judge during removal/deportation proceedings.

To qualify for asylum, an applicant must prove that he/she has a well-founded fear of persecution, and that fear must be tied and due to an applicants:

1. Race
2. Religion
3. Nationality
4. Membership in a particular social group
5. Political Opinion

If you believe you have an asylum case, consult with our office and we can help you determine your eligibility. Asylum applications are complicated, and if submitted frivolously, may result in severe immigration consequences.

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Even if you are an undocumented immigration, you may qualify for this visa category. The process is lengthy, and some instances may take several years to complete. The requirements to qualify for this visa category are stringent and there is usually a 2 year time frame in which a person must apply. Consulting with our office will allow you to determine if you are eligible for this visa.

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Always consult an attorney before appearing in Immigration Court. Keep in mind that you must attend you immigration court hearing, or otherwise you will be ordered removed in absentia. In some instances, an immigration attorney can help you avoid removal/deportation through:

1. Asylum
2. Voluntary Departure: Voluntary departure is permission to leave the United States without the Immigration Judge entering a deportation order, and allows an alien to return in a shorter period of time if there is a qualifying ground.  If you are granted voluntary departure, you must comply with the order, otherwise, a removal order will be entered against you.
3. Cancellation of removal: if you have been in the United States for 7 or 10 years (depending on your legal status), a cancellation of removal will allow you to stay in the United States. Eligibility for cancellation of removal is an extensive process, and has many requirements to be met.
4. Adjustment of Status: (Link to family based petitions): If your circumstances have changed since your arrival to the United States, you may be eligible to adjust your status. One of the most common ground to adjust status is through a bona fide marriage, through a family relationship, or an employment relationship.

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