Andrea W. Cooper, Attorney At Law

While your marriage to a US citizen makes you eligible for permanent residence, you do not automatically get resident status without first taking action. 

To learn more about the process of becoming a permanent resident, click here:

Your options depend on whether you plan to marry inside or outside the United States. Either way, your fiancé will become eligible for permanent residence after your marriage.

To learn more about the different options for fiance’s, click here:

The company will have to petition for you to become a permanent resident, and you will eventually have to file an application for permanent residence.  Meanwhile, you may be able to work for the company while you wait for your permanent residence. 

To learn more about the process of obtaining an employment-based visa, click here

You may have options available for you in immigration court, that would not otherwise be available to you.  You should consult with an immigration professional as soon as possible to preserve your rights. 

To schedule a consultation as soon as possible, click here:

The vast number of hard-working immigrants who have come to the US illegally to provide for their families cannot be ignored.  Immigration reform measures are being debated, that would create legal ways for workers to make an honest living.  Immigration Professionals are closely monitoring the law, and will be ready to take immediate action as soon as a law is passed. 

 If you want an immigration professional  to be ready to take immediate action on your case, click here to register:                                                             

Absolutely! While Lawful Permanent Residents enjoy many of the privileges of citizenship, they do not have the same "rights", including the right to vote, and the right to never be deported from the United States.

To learn more about how to obtain US citizenship, click here:

Generally, US citizens are able to sponsor family members to become lawful permanent residents, subject to priority categories established by the US State Department.

To learn more about family-based visas, click here:

You have the option of sponsoring an employee for a non-immigrant (temporary), or an immigrant (permanent) work visa.  Because there are various types of work-related visas, as well as stringent requirements and limitations to obtain them, you would do well to speak with an immigration professional to assess your options.

To schedule a consultation with an immigration professional, click here: 

Depending on the reason for your fear of returning to your country, you may be eligible to apply for asylum.  Asylum is a very specific form of relief that is intended to protect immigrants from persecution in very limited situations.  Furthermore, a person who is seeking asylum must demonstrate that he/she has applied for relief within one year of entering the United States

Because there are very severe penalties for filing a “frivolous” asylum application, you should consult with an attorney as soon as possible so that you can make a timely decision about whether to file such an application.

Click here to get the first available appointment to consult about asylum:

Certain serious crimes can either disqualify you from obtaining and maintaining legal status in the United States  However, there are exceptions that may apply to criminal convictions that happened before 1996.

To find out more about the effects of a specific criminal conviction, click here: