Santa Ana Family-Based Green Card Lawyer

Successfully Guiding Clients to Lawful Permanent Residency

Family-based immigration is one of the most common ways to become a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) of the United States. That said, it is by no means a simple process, and the exact procedure will vary from person to person depending on their relationship to their sponsor, their sponsor’s status (i.e. permanent resident vs. U.S. citizen), and more.

Our job at U.S. Immigration law Group, LLP is to help you make sense of this process and navigate each step with ease and efficiency. Submitting error-free, comprehensive documentation is critical, and you will need to fully understand what to expect at each phase of the application process. Our Santa Ana family-based green card attorneys have secured more than 2700 green cards for our clients, making us the experienced, high-powered legal team you need on your side.

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Let us help you bring your family together in the United States. Call (714) 786-1166 or send us an online message to get started today with our Santa Ana family-based green card lawyers—we provide services in English and Spanish.

How to Get a Green Card Fast

The quickest and easiest way to obtain a green card is through family-based immigration. A person may qualify for a green card if they are “immediate relatives”. Examples of immediate relatives are a spouse, an unmarried child under 21 years old, or a parent of a citizen in the United States over the age of 21. Immediate relatives are immediately eligible for immigrant visas.

An individual may also request an expedition of their green card -- USCIS will consider requests on a case-by-case basis and it may require additional documentation on the individual’s part to support a request.

Some circumstances that may cause USCIS to consider an expedition request:

• Significant financial loss to a company or a person
• Urgent humanitarian reasons (for example illness, death in the family, critical need to obtain medical treatment, etc.)
• U.S. government interests
• Clear error by USCIS

Family-Based Immigration Green Card Categories

At U.S. Immigration Law Group, LLP, we help U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents secure green cards for their spouses, fiancés, children, parents, and siblings. We can assist you with every aspect of the family-based immigration process, including visa petitions and applications, consular processing, adjustment of status, travel documentation, and more.

Spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens are considered “immediate relatives” and, therefore, are not subject to annual and per country quotas or waiting periods.

The following family green card categories, however, are subject to quotas and waiting periods:

• 1st Preference (F1): unmarried sons and daughters (21 and older) of U.S. citizens
• 2nd Preference (F2A): children (unmarried and under 21) and spouses of lawful permanent residents
• 2nd Preference (F2B): unmarried sons and daughters (21 years or older) of lawful permanent residents
• 3rd Preference (F3) married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
• 4th Preference (F4): siblings of U.S. citizens (the U.S. citizen must be 21 or older)

If a person falls into one of these preference categories, there will be a waiting period between when their sponsor files the initial immigrant petition and when they can file the actual visa application or adjustment of status application. In other words, they must wait until a visa becomes available in their category before they can submit the final application. The Visa Bulletin, released each month, tells applicants whether they can move forward with the final application.

For experienced guidance on securing your family-based green card, reach out to U.S. Immigration Law Group, LLP online or call (714) 786-1166.