At Lubarsky Ford, PLLC we have many years of experience successfully processing family based petitions. Current US immigration law allows US citizens over the age of 21 to petition for their parents, their spouse, their children, and their siblings. Lawful Permanent Residents of the United States are also able to petition the US government to create visas for their spouses and their children, and their children's family members. 

 

The rules that govern these types of petitions are complicated. Some of the applications take years to process depending which visa category your relative is in, so timing is important.  Other issues can also arise during family based immigration cases, for example, the death of a petitioner or the marriage of a beneficiary can have serious consequences. Many people also do not realize that a family-based immigrant petition (filed on USCIS Form I-130) is the first step in what is typically a two step path to lawful immigration. Often times it is only valuable to pay for step one, the immigrant petition, if your relative is eligible for step two, the pathway to residency (often filed on USCIS Form I-485). Many people find it valuable to consult with a lawyer in family based immigration cases because of these types of issues and other complexities in the law.

 

At Lubarsky Ford, PLLC we are committed to explaining the details of the family based immigration process so our clients know how long the process is expected to take, the upfront costs, and the likelihood of success for any given case. We are also able to assist your family member in filing for a waiver, if it becomes necessary due to their prior immigration history or because of criminal issues.