An immigration lawyer can help individuals navigate the citizenship process in America. Check out this article to see a few things you should know if you're looking to hire one.
An immigration lawyer is an attorney who specializes in representing clients who are navigating the court system regarding citizenship issues. Some areas that are commonly addressed include people who are trying to bring relatives in from a foreign country,
prove their own citizenship, deal with consequences related to immigration problems and hire workers from other countries. In recent years, the heat has been turned up on foreign nationals immigrating to the U.S. This is for a variety of reasons, including terrorist threats, military actions in other countries and challenging economic climate in the United States. If you're interested in learning more about the duties of an immigration lawyer, please consider these areas where their work is crucial:
- Family reunions: When a citizen wants to bring relatives into the country, there are hoops to jump through. Petitions can be filed to bring in a multitude of family members if an individual is a full citizen, but they may only bring limited relatives if legal status is that of a permanent resident. Permanent residents can bring spouses and unmarried children in, but U.S. citizenship will allow petitioning for one's parents, kids, spouses, and siblings. Distant ties such as aunts, uncles, cousins or grandparents aren't offered the same preference.
- Naturalization and citizenship: Individuals are considered to be citizens if they meet certain requirements. If a child is born in America, he or she qualifies. If children are born in another country but their parents have legal status, they qualify as well. Permanent residents who have lived in America for 5+ years are also considered citizens as long as they have lived lawfully and morally.
- Visas: A temporary document for entrance and visitation is called a visa. In order to travel into the United States, a person would show his or her paperwork to customs officials at the port of entry. Entrance approval is not guaranteed and will be determined by government officials. Some visas are permanent while others are temporary for a specific amount of time. There are a variety of types for vacationers, students, temporary workers, spouses, fiancés, certain criminal offenses or specific family members.
- Employment related: Hiring employees from other nations requires legal finesse. To hire illegal aliens is a crime that can result in stiff penalties for the person or business that hired them. Proper legal channels must be gone through to legally hire individuals from other nations. Forms must be filled out such as an I-9 which asserts residency and backs it up with specific documentation.
- Deportation: To be deported means to be required to leave the country. This can occur because of criminal activity, expired visas or for other reasons. An immigration lawyer can guide individuals if they are facing deportation or if a family member is being sent away.
When individuals or their family members are facing legal issues related to residency and citizenship, an immigration lawyer can offer guidance and representation. Whether the issue is concerning relatives, the naturalization process, visas, employment or deportation, having a competent attorney on one's side is crucial. Many law practices offer initial consultation for no fee and can guide clients to the next step.
