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Family-Based Immigration Legal Services

Family-Based Petitions

Family-based Immigrant Visa Petitions allow a U.S. Citizen or lawful permanent resident to apply for lawful status for a qualifying family member such as a spouse, parent, child, or sibling. Services Include:

  • I-130 Petition for Relative

  • I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)

  • I-601/ I-601A, I-212 Waivers

  • I-485 Adjustment of Status

  • DS-260 Consular Processing

Image by Mike Scheid
  • One of the most common ways for noncitizens to get a green card is through a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member.

  • U.S. citizens may file a visa petition for a spouse, parent, minor child, adult son or daughter, or sibling. Lawful permanent residents may file a petition for their spouse, minor child, or unmarried adult son or daughter.

  • Becoming a lawful permanent resident through a family petition is a multi-step process achieved either by undertaking the immigrant visa consular process or by seeking adjustment of status within the U.S.

  • An experienced immigration attorney can assess whether a family-based petition is appropriate and help avoid pitfalls along the way.

  • Congress limits the number of visas that may be issued in many family-based visa categories. As a result, some family members can face lengthy backlogs to get a green card.

  • Each step involves complex legal and factual issues. For example, a relative may be “inadmissible” due to past immigration or criminal violations, some of which may be forgiven, or “waived,” while others may not.

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