Immigration Applications: Adjustment of Status

Immigration Applications & Naturalization Services

Immigration applications are often complex and overly bureaucratic. Multiple government agencies may be involved including the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the U.S. Department of State. Knowing when and which applications should be submitted in order to correctly navigate an immigration case often requires the use of a knowledgeable immigration attorney. Contact the office of The Belline Law Firm and let us assist you through every stage of the application process in order to avoid pitfalls that could lead to aggravating case delays or denials.

Family-based Immigration

Are you a United States citizen or legal permanent resident who wishes to help an immediate family member get a green card? Family reunification is the keystone of our work at The Belline Law Firm. We help U.S. citizens and residents petition for their fiancés, spouses, parents, children and siblings so that they can begin their process toward attaining legal permanent residence in the United States.

Employment-based Immigration

Do you need a U.S. visa for your foreign employee and their family? In most cases, an employer must obtain an approved labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) commonly known as the PERM process. With some exceptions, employers filing on behalf of foreign workers must prove that there are no American workers who are qualified, willing, and able to fill the position. This required recruitment process is designed to prevent U.S. employees from losing employment opportunities to foreign workers within a certain job category.

Agricultural Visas:

Have you tried to hire local farm workers, but been unable to find American agriculture workers? The H-2A program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs. Contact our office if you would like to learn more about the H-2A process.

Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants

There are a variety of ways that foreign nationals can obtain their green card through employment. The employment-based (EB) preference categories include First preference (E-B1) priority workers, Second preference (E-B2) professions holding advanced degrees or exceptional ability, and Third preference (E-B3) skilled workers, professionals or other workers. We invite you to contact our law firm to learn more about our employment-based immigration services.

Adjustment of Status

Adjustment of Status permits a foreign national who resides within the United States to apply for a green card. In a one-step process, the foreign national is able to submit his/her application together with the family or employment-based petition. If the foreign national is not eligible for the one-step process due to a visa backlog, then a two-step process allows the foreign national to submit the green card application after the approval of the family or employment-based petition when the visa priority date becomes current.

Consular Process

A relative or potential employee who is outside of the United States must apply for a visa or green card through the U.S. Department of State by what is commonly known as consular process. The experience of interacting with officials at diplomatic posts can be overwhelming. If you or a loved one plan to apply for a visa or green card using consular process, contact our office today to find out how we can help.

Naturalization

Naturalization is the process by which a foreign citizen or national obtains U.S. citizenship provided they meet exacting requirements established in the Immigration and Nationality Act. Past criminal matters, delinquent taxes or child support issues are just some of the issues that could result in a denial of your naturalization application, or even deportation. If you are unsure whether something may negatively affect your U.S. citizenship application, contact an experienced immigration attorney who can answer your questions and help you with the necessary paperwork to apply for U.S. citizenship.

U Visa and VAWA Applications

Victims of abuse and crime often represent the most vulnerable of our clientele. Although we cannot erase the past, potential immigration benefits may exist for victims of certain qualifying crimes including, but not limited to spousal abuse. At the Belline Law Firm, we sympathize with those who have been victimized and find that potential immigration opportunity as a result of the victimization may provide for a sense of justice, fairness, and a more hopeful future.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) – “Dreamers”

On June 18, 2012, the U.S. government announced that certain young foreign nationals living within the United States could be eligible for “deferred action.” Deferred action does not confer a legal status in the U.S. but does provide work authorization for two year renewable periods. The Trump administration rescinded the DACA policy on September 5, 2017. USCIS continues to accept renewal applications, as long as your most recent period of DACA expired one year ago or less.

Appeals and Federal Court Litigation – Writ of Mandamus

It is common for some immigration petitions or applications to take a long time to process; however, if an unreasonable amount of time has passed, you may be able to file a federal lawsuit known as a writ of mandamus against USCIS, or the applicable government agency. A writ of mandamus requests that the district court mandate, or force, the government agency to make a decision in your case. There is no guarantee as to the decision made by the USCIS, but a mandamus action almost always guarantees that the government will take action on your case.

Immigration Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia

If you have an unfavorable decision or denial issued by USCIS, you may often appeal, or seek a reopening or reconsideration of the decision. The Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) conducts appellant review of immigration benefits requests within its jurisdiction. In appealing your case, you have the burden of proving that you have met all eligibility requirements for the benefit sought since the time of filing through adjudication. There are strict time filing deadlines, so contact an experienced immigration attorney today if you have received a denial or an immigration benefit that you would like to appeal.

Immigration Waivers

Immigration waivers allow those individuals who would otherwise be statutorily ineligible for an immigrant visa to apply to waive the act(s) that make them ineligible, or inadmissible to the United States. Common grounds of inadmissibility include, but are not limited to, criminal grounds, unlawful presence, public charge grounds and misrepresentation grounds. It is imperative that you speak with an experienced immigration attorney prior to filing an immigration application if you may be subject to any grounds of inadmissibility, or deportability.

Contact The Belline Law Firm, LLC For Assistance

Marguerite Belline is an immigration application attorney in Atlanta, Georgia with over 13 years experience. If you or a family member is pursuing legal immigration to the United States and you’re seeking a lawyer with the experience to get the application completed and processed properly, call, text or WhatsApp us at (404) 634-8444 to get your questions answered and get the process started.