Family Immigration Lawyer in El Paso

At The Matthew James, PLLC, some of our most rewarding cases are ones ending with reunited families.  We pride ourselves on helping individuals live their life with the ones they love.  However, as complicated the immigration system can be for a single individual, family immigration can introduce another set of complications.  If you or someone you know is looking to sew their loved ones into the fabric of American life, The Matthew James, PLLC, can guide you through the process.

Family Immigration: The Basics

Several immigrants receive U.S. citizenship through visas and sponsorship from U.S. citizens.  Once an immigrant receives a green card or U.S. citizenship, they can sponsor other family members to receive similar immigration status.

Petitioning family members varies depending on your status and the desired purpose of your family member in the United States.  There are visas designed for married (or soon-to-be-married) couples, student visas, workers who transferred from one branch of an international company to an American office, or other similar examples.  The common thread between all of these visas is they require a great deal of preparation and paperwork, and every bit matters. 

Family-based immigration divides family members into two groups, immediate relatives and non-immediate relatives.  According to the USCIS, immediate relatives are spouses, unmarried minor children, and parents.  There is an unlimited amount of visas available to immediate relatives each year, and a minimum of 226,000 available visas for non-immediate relatives.  The sponsor must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR). 

In the case of sponsorship, you and the beneficiary will have to go through a rigorous screening process.  It often takes weeks or months of paperwork to apply for the visa, so it is incredibly important to consult an experienced family immigration lawyer.

Statistics on Family Immigration

Every year, over a million people become LPRs, with over half of these recipients being relatives of American citizens.  There is a cap on family-based visas of 480,000 dictated by Congress with the categories being:

• Unmarried adult children: 49,700 visas

• Spouses and minor children: 87,900 visas

• Married adult children: 23,400 visas

• Brothers and sisters: 65,000 visas

For example, the cap on spouses and minor children is 87,900 visas per year.  However, immediate relatives of these individuals are considered “derivative immigrants,” and can receive a visa under the same category.  Call our office to receive more detailed information. 

How Our Firm Can Help

When you contact our firm for family immigration assistance, we begin to walk you through the best route for you and your family.  As stated before, the process can be very complicated and time-consuming, so getting everything right the first time is very important.  Our firm will discuss the entire application timeline, from the first form to potential visa issuance, in addition to educating you on the most common mistakes.

Our goal is to help you reunite with your family.  For many years, Attorney Matthew James has helped immigrants sponsor their loved ones to bring them to America, and would love to work with you and your family.  Give us a call or schedule an appointment to begin the process with our team.