Immigration Attorney Mooresville

Immigration Attorney Mooresville

It is said only the complex U.S. Tax Code is more complex than U.S. immigration law. Anyone who has gone through or tried to do something concerning or touching on the immigration law process would confirm that. The rules and regulations that implement U.S. immigration laws and policies are not just complex, but they are also changing constantly. 

At Vestal Immigration Law, we are experienced immigration attorneys in Mooresville ready to help you successfully navigate this complex immigration process.

How the Immigration Process Works

U.S. immigration law is divided into two broad categories, which in turn are subdivided into several subcategories. The two broad categories are temporary or nonimmigrant and permanent immigration.

Temporary Immigration

This is the category of immigration where an individual seeks to only come and stay or work in the United States for a temporary period. This could be for a few days to a few weeks for tourism or for a longer period for business or work purposes. 

Professional workers, for example, are given nonimmigrant visas that allow them to stay and work in the U.S. for as long as three years with an option to renew. Visitors for business or pleasure are usually given six months to a maximum of 12 months. However, for those holding these temporary nonimmigrant visas, they do have an option if they are eligible to apply and change their status to green card holder status.

Permanent Residency 

The other broad immigration law category is the permanent residency or green card category. There are many ways one can obtain a green card, but the most common are immigration through family relations or employment.

• Family-based immigration. U.S. immigration law allows relatives of U.S. citizens or relatives of green card holders to obtain green cards based on that relationship. Not all relatives qualify, however, and even among those who qualify, they are classified into groups that determine how long it would take for them to receive their green cards. The relatives who typically get green cards under this category are spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens and spouses and children of green card holders.
• Employment-based immigration. The other broad immigration law category under which one can immigrate to the U.S. as a green card holder is employment-based immigration. Under this category, the noncitizen will typically require an American employer to sponsor them for a green card. The employer must strictly adhere to certain rules and regulations that require, among other things, the employer to demonstrate with evidence that they cannot find qualified American workers to do the job being offered to the noncitizen they are sponsoring. 

In some cases, however, if the noncitizen is a highly skilled and internationally recognized individual or one whose skills are needed in the United States, it is possible for that individual to self-petition, meaning they would not need a job offer from an American employer to obtain their employment-based green card.

Consult with an Immigration Attorney in Mooresville Today

If you are in the Mooresville area and have an immigration issue or need, contact Vestal Immigration Law today for a consultation to discuss how we can help you.