Jacksonville Family-Based Immigration Attorney

Dedicated to Bringing Families Together: Call (904) 447-1937

The Law Office of Joanne M. Fakhre truly cares about helping you with all of your family-based immigration needs. We understand the stress and anxiety you may be under in seeking legal permanent residence for your family member. The immigration process can seem long, involved, and complicated. Ensuring that your paperwork and documentation are done correctly is important to achieving your goals. That is why it is essential to seek the legal services of our Jacksonville family-based immigration lawyer.

Ms. Fakhre has personal experience with the immigration system in the U.S. and knows firsthand how difficult this time can be for you and your spouse, children, and other relatives. Our Jacksonville family immigration lawyers take the extra time in pursuit of handling your case thoroughly and precisely.

What is Family-Based Immigration?

U.S. citizens (USC) and legal permanent residents (LPR) are able to petition for certain family members to become permanent residents and eventually citizens.

• U.S citizens may petition for their spouse, parents, children, and siblings
• Legal Permanent Residents may petition their spouse and unmarried children (any age)

The U.S. Family Immigration Process

To begin the process of sponsoring a family member in either of the above categories, the U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident must file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to establish the relationship.

The foreign national is then able to apply for permanent residence at either the United States Citizenship or Immigration Services if they are in the United States or at a U.S. Consulate abroad.

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Call (904) 447-1937 to schedule an appointment with a family-based immigration lawyer in Jacksonville. You may also complete an online form. Do not hesitate to reach out!

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Visa Categories

The following two groups of visa categories exist for family-based immigration.

What is the IR2 Visa Category?

The IR2 visa is an immediate relative visa for the child of a U.S. citizen. It allows the child to enter the U.S. lawfully and live here as well. Children are eligible for it if they are not a green card holder, not a U.S. citizen, and they are under 21 and unmarried.

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Foreign National Fiancé(e)s of U.S. Citizens

U.S. citizens can bring their foreign-born fiancé to the United States on a K-1 fiancé visa to marry. The marriages should take place within 90 days of entry to the United States. Following the marriage, the foreign national spouse can apply for a green card (permanent legal residence) through adjustment of status.

Adoption

Adopting a foreign national child, also known as intercountry adoption, is a complicated process. There are two different processes depending on whether the country the child is from falls under The Hague or whether you are going through the orphan process (non-Hague country). Contact an immigration attorney before starting this process to ensure the necessary steps are being followed and to avoid unnecessary delays in this complicated process.

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Have questions about your options in family-based immigration? Call an immigration attorney near you at (904) 447-1937. The Law Office of Joanne M. Fakhre, PA is here to help!

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Consular Processing & Adjustment of Status

Our Jacksonville immigration lawyer provides dedicated legal help in handling consular processing for those individuals outside the U.S. For those foreign nationals who are already residing in the U.S., eligibility to become a legal permanent resident can be pursued by filing an Adjustment of Status (AOS). Certain individuals may not be eligible for this process, however. Our office is here to help you in understanding and pursuing an AOS or finding other legal options should this not be available to you.

Marriage-Based Petitions & Conditional Permanent Resident

A foreign national will be admitted as a conditional permanent resident if the marriage occurred less than two years at the time the permeant resident status (green card) is granted. This status is valid for two years. Within the 90 days before the expiration of the conditional permanent resident status, you will need to file a petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. This must be done to avoid losing resident status. If this petition is approved, Permanent Resident status will be granted for 10 years.

This petition can be filed jointly with your U.S citizen or LPR spouse, or individually if your marriage has ended in divorce, your petitioning spouse is deceased, you were the victim of domestic battery or subjected to extreme cruelty at the hands of your spouse, or your removal would result in extreme hardship.

Our family-based immigration lawyer in Jacksonville can ensure that your application is prepared and submitted according to all of the requirements and rules in an effort to avoid any future delays or problems.

Marriage/Immigration Fraud

At the Law Office of Joanne M. Fakhre, we are committed to the success of each of our clients. However, we will not assist anyone in perpetrating immigration fraud. This is a federal crime and comes with severe criminal penalties (up to five years in prison) and civil penalties (fines of up to $250,000) for both the United States citizen and the foreign national. A finding of marriage fraud under section 204(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act could result in a permanent ban for the foreign national.

However, if you are falsely accused of or facing charges of marriage fraud and your marriage is a bona fide or legitimate marriage, it is best not to answer any questions or sign any documents, regardless of what the government may threaten. Talk to an immigration lawyer immediately. We at the Law Office of Joanne M. Fakhre are here to fight for you if you are being wrongly accused. Please contact us immediately to discuss your options.