The Law Offices of Shelle-Ann Simon, PLLC, Immigration Law Attorneys in Houston, TX, Representing Your Rights

Having a Green Card means that you have been granted permanent residency status in the United States. The original cards given to those who attained this status were green, which is where the name comes from. Someone who has a Green Card is able to work in the United States and can sponsor family members for immigration in some cases. You can gain Green Card status through family-based immigration, such as marrying a U.S. citizen, or through work or other immigration options.

How long a visa is good depends on the type of visa. Being granted a visa is a way for a foreign national to be able to lawfully enter and stay in the country. There are work visas, student visas, and other visa options to fit different circumstances. For example, a student visa can be good for up to 5 years, while a T visa is usually only good for 4 years. You can find the expiration date on the visa itself. It is possible to renew a visa in many situations, but you need to start the process well before the expiration date to ensure there is enough time for it to be processed.

An employment authorization document, also known as Form I-766 or a work permit, is a document that allows immigrants to work legally in the United States. An employment authorization document is required for most immigration statuses that are temporary or conditional, but it is not required for Green Card holders or naturalized citizens. An employment authorization document is eligible for renewal as long as you continue to meet the conditions. If you need to renew your employment authorization document, it’s best to start the process at least 6 months before it expires, as it can take several months to process.

Absolutely! As soon as you are aware that you are being deported or removal proceedings have been started against you, you should contact an immigration attorney immediately. An attorney may be able to help you fight deportation. There are deportation defense options such as seeking asylum or claiming undue hardship that might help you to be able to stay in the United States. An attorney may also be able to help you with leaving voluntarily before being deported or staying out of a detention center while you wait for your removal proceedings to be finalized.

Immigration applications and petitions can take months to years to be processed depending on what kind of visa or status you are applying for. These times vary depending on the number of applications in the system, what field office you are working through, and other factors, such as staffing. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website has a tool that lets you look up the average processing time for each specific visa by field office to get a better idea of how long your application may take to move through the system. An immigration attorney can also help you by ensuring the paperwork is done correctly and filed in a timely manner to help avoid delays.

ICE is the common acronym for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This department was founded in 2003 and combined elements of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Naturalization Services departments. ICE is responsible for immigration enforcement and removal proceedings and Homeland Security investigations, and it also provides support for the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor.

If you are applying for entry into the United States or have to renew your current visa, you may have to go through an interview process. This is a required step for those using marriage-based immigration, but other visa applications also require it. If you are not confident in your English abilities, you are allowed to have an interpreter come with you. However, you must make these arrangements on your own. If you arrive at your interview, and the interviewer doesn’t believe that your English ability is strong enough to go through the interview, it could be rescheduled.

Becoming a naturalized citizen gives you the most protections and rights that an immigrant can have in the United States. It’s not an easy path to take, but it is a rewarding one. To be eligible for naturalization, you must be at least 18 years old and you have to have been a permanent resident of the United States for the past 3-5 years. The minimum is 3 years if you are the spouse of a U.S. citizen, but it jumps to 5 years for everyone else. You must also pass an English proficiency test, pass the U.S. civics test, not be otherwise inadmissible to the United States, and swear the Oath of Allegiance.