Yes, an experienced immigration lawyer will give you an honest and valuable opinion as to your case. Many clients try to complete cases on their own and end up losing money and several months of waiting usually because they file the wrong application forms or simply did not qualify for the sought benefit.

At Barbeito & Hiatt, you will have a dedicated lawyer to ensure you qualify for the benefit being sought and to assist you in filling out and filing the required paperwork. Family immigration can be complicated and you will want someone licensed to practice law on your side. Because the United States Immigration Act permits relatives of United States citizens and permanent residents to immigrate to the United States, this benefit can be pursued by those who qualify. If you do have a relative who is a permanent resident or an American citizen, you could have an opportunity to migrate to the United States.

This varies depending on the complexity of the case, as well as the reputation and experience of the attorney. Cases vary in exactly what people want and what they may actually qualify for regarding immigration. There are two groups of family immigrant visa categories: immediate relatives and family preference categories. On average, most immigration cases are resolved for under $5,000. The law is verbose and the paperwork must be filed correctly in order to avoid costly delays.

Under the immediate relative immigrant visa, if you have a close family member that falls under one of the following categories, you could file for a visa.

• Parent of a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years of age
• Orphan to be adopted in the U.S. by a U.S. citizen
• Orphan adopted abroad by a U.S. citizen
• Unmarried Child under 21 years of age of a U.S. citizen
• Spouse of a U.S. Citizen

Under the family preference immigrant visa, specific distant family relationships with a U.S. citizen and other specified relationships with a lawful permanent resident can allow some individuals to file for a visa.

• Siblings of U.S. citizens that are 21 years of age and their minor children and spouses
• Married children of U.S. citizens and their minor children and spouses
• Unmarried children of U.S. citizens that are 21 years of age of Lawful Permanent Residents, their minor children and spouses
• Unmarried children of U.S. Citizens and their minor children

You could fall under one of these categories and still be forced to wait if the number of qualified applicants for a particular category of visas exceeds the available number of permitted immigrant visas. This would fall under an immigration wait and visas will be issued in the chronological order in which petitions were filed using their priority date, or filing date. Having a lawyer from Barbeito and Hiatt can help you through the mountain of questions and paperwork to help get your paperwork filed in a timely manner. Click here to find out how to contact our office.

Do I qualify for the immigration benefit I am trying to obtain? How long would it take for Immigration to resolve my case? Does the attorney fees include filing fees? What is an estimate of how much this will cost? Would I have to depart the U.S. to resolve my case? What are my chances of a positive outcome? How many clients have you successfully helped with my circumstances? Who will work on my case besides you? How will we communicate with each other? These are all smart questions to pursue with your lawyer and all should be easily answered by any law firm. If they are not easily met, you should move on to another firm.

Many want to know the first step toward obtaining an immigrant visa. Filing a petition. Your sponsoring relative must file the petition for the alien relative with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Only in certain circumstances can the immigrant file the visa petition outside of the United States. Once this is done, you’re off and running.