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Lawful Permanent Residency / Green Card
Green Card
Top Green Card Lawyer In Arizona
A green card or lawful permanent residency is obtained by filing an application called Adjustment of Status. Adjustment of status is a process that we are very passionate and dedicated about. We love having the opportunity to be able to help great people feel secure in the United States, knowing that they can permanently reside here to live with their families.
If you or a loved one need the services of our immigration lawyers, please do not hesitate to contact us immediately in order to schedule your free consultation. We comprehend that the process to become a Lawful Permanent Resident can be difficult and confusing. Which is why we offer free consultations here at Fullmer and Associates.
Below, we have provided information about how the residency application process works. But keep in mind that if you have any further questions you can contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
The first step in the adjustment of status process is your family member files an I-130 family petition for you. At the same time you include your application for adjustment of status, also known as the residency application. The reason for this is that immigration must verify that your family member qualifies to petition for you.
The approval establishes that a valid familial relationship exists. Now the next decision is on the Adjustment of Status application where they will decide whether you qualify for it and whether you should be given the green card.
One does have the option of applying for residency from their home country, however, this is a different process that requires different paperwork. This process is also known as the consular process or consular processing. If your family member has previously been in the United States without obtaining a visa or entered without inspection, they may be required to file a waiver. We will let you know if they need to or not.
For adjustment of status within the United States, the general answer would be yes. To be eligible for adjustment of status you must have been inspected and admitted when you entered. There are exceptions and waivers with the most common being 245i. 245i protection is when someone filed an I-130 family petition for you (or for your parents when you were young) on April 30, 2001, or anytime before that.
The process can take anywhere from six months to a year. It all varies due to government processing.
Usually you will be given your fingerprint appointment about three months after you submit the initial application.
The interview is usually scheduled 6 to 9 months after submitting the initial application.
Not automatically, but you can apply for permission to leave and come back with Advance Parole. Unless you have approved Advance Parole, you should remain in the United States while your application is pending. Let the attorney know if you would like to apply for this as part of your application.
Yes. After you are approved in the interview, you normally get your Green Card in 30 days.
Yes, but they must also qualify. We recommend that you get into contact with us so we can explain the process. This area of law can get very complicated.
Well, there are two separate fees in the entire process. We have listed them for you below:
- $535 for I-130 family petition
- $1225 for I-485 adjustment of status (green card) application
- If you have 245i protection then there will be a third fee of $1000. If you entered the U.S. legally, this doesn’t apply to you and you don’t need to worry about it.
Recently, we have seen long delays with work permits and so because of this sometimes the Green Card arrives before the work permit does.