A few years ago, I was in a pretty serious car accident. During the aftermath, I became really familiar with a lot of different types of lawyers. I worked with personal injury lawyers, insurance lawyers, and many others. Perhaps the most important, though, was the estate planning lawyer. I was really young, and neither my wife or I had thought about starting a will. But the accident kind of scared us into it. What would happen if one of us were to die? Even when still in the hospital, I was working with the lawyer to draw up a will. Now, I have some peace and security about what the future will be like if something should happen to me. And I have a lot of experience working with various types of lawyers! The accident was kind of a blessing in disguise in that way.
The immigration laws in the United States can make bringing family members here from different counties seem impossible. While there is a lot of paperwork, and you may end up having to wait a few years before they can come, doing things legally is the only way to ensure everyone gets to stay together.
It is possible to do all the paperwork yourself, however, because of the huge number of people wanting to immigrate here everything must be done correctly and timely or you will have to start all over. To ensure your case is not sent back it is best to hire an immigration lawyer. When you first meet with the attorney, there are some things you should discuss to make sure you understand everything that will be needed.
Who Qualifies as Family?
If you are a U.S. citizen, you may petition to receive a green card for your immediate family members. Immediate family members include your spouse, children who are unmarried and under the age of 21, your parents, siblings and adult children if you are over 21 years old. However, it should be noted that your adult children and siblings will not be granted their green card immediately; they must go on the waiting list. The others will get their green card as soon as the petitions are approved. If you are a permanent resident, you may apply for your spouse and unmarried children to come, but they will have to go on a waiting list.
Affidavit of Support
You must be able to prove you can support any relative you bring to the country for 10 years. Support means that you have the means to provide for them in a manner that will prevent them from needing public assistance. You cannot bring them here and allow them to live in poverty. When you are trying to bring many family members to the U.S., you will need to have a job that pays enough to provide for them all.
Of course, immigration laws change. Generally, the changes occur when a new president takes office. If you want to make sure things go the way they are currently set up, it is best to start the paperwork in the middle of a president's term or just after they have made any changes. It is also best to talk with a family law office to make sure the facts you are going on have not changed.
Share8 July 2018
