HOUSTON IMMIGRATION PRACTICE AREAS

Your lawyer will walk you through every step of the immigration process. He or she will answer your questions, provide you with case-specific legal advice, and ensure you’re prepared for things like immigration interviews and citizenship tests.

Here’s a closer look at what an immigration lawyer can do for you.

Business Immigration With a Houston Immigration Attorney

If your company needs to hire foreign workers for specialty jobs that Americans can’t fill, you may need to talk to an immigration attorney. The business immigration process can be difficult to navigate – particularly in light of recent chances to U.S. immigration law – and companies must complete several steps just to be considered eligible to bring in workers from other countries. For example, a business that wants to hire foreign workers must get a Labor Certification from the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as meet several other requirements. Once a company is eligible, it must petition the government on behalf of a specific job applicant; people from other companies can’t apply for a work visa on their own. Working with an attorney can make the entire process run more smoothly.

Family Immigration

In many cases, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can ask the U.S. government to allow certain family members to come to the U.S. on visas. Unfortunately, the family immigration process can be difficult; for that reason, many people turn to immigration lawyers who understand how the Immigration and Nationality Act will affect their loved ones. Generally, family members are funneled into one of five preference categories – and they’re ranked based on the relationships they share with the person petitioning on their behalf. The categories include:

• This is the highest preference category, and it’s only for unmarried children of U.S. citizens, provided the children are age 21 or older.
• The second preference category is exclusively for spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents of the United States. The caveat: the petitioner’s unmarried children must be under the age of 21.
• This category is reserved for the unmarried children of lawful permanent residents of the U.S. when the children are over the age of 21.
• This preference category is for married children of U.S. citizens, regardless of age.
• U.S. citizens can use this preference category to bring their brothers and sisters to the United States, as long as they’re 21 or older.

Deportation Defense: Help From an Immigration Lawyer

Deportation proceedings are scary – so if you’ve received a notice that you’re facing removal, you may want to talk to a Houston deportation defense lawyer immediately. Your lawyer can help you understand what’s happening (and what’s likely to happen next), as well as answer all your questions and represent you in court. These types of proceedings can result in your permanent removal from the country, so for most people, working with a skilled attorney is the only option that makes sense.

Immigration Appeals

If you lose a case in immigration court, there’s a good chance you’re not happy with the outcome – but an immigration lawyer can help you file an appeal with the Board of Immigration Appeals to ask for a different decision. Your immigration appeal attorney can help you revisit a deportation or removal case, a denial of citizenship and a variety of other decisions, as well. Your lawyer will fight hard to show the U.S. government that you deserve a different decision.

How a Lawyer Can Help With Citizenship and Naturalization

You can’t become a U.S. citizen overnight. Instead, you have to go through a long process that includes filing specific forms with the government, submitting to a naturalization interview and passing a citizenship test. You must start the whole process by obtaining a green card, which makes you a lawful permanent resident of the United States – and that alone can be difficult. For many people, it makes sense to work with a Houston citizenship lawyer who understands what an individual has to do in order to become an LPR and eventually a citizen. Your lawyer will walk you through each step, fill out your forms and file them with the appropriate agencies, and help you prepare for your naturalization interview and citizenship test. He or she will also be there to answer all your questions and give you the legal guidance you need to become a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Asylum or Refugee Status

If you’re fleeing persecution in your home country, you may be eligible to ask the United States for protection. You can do this in one of two ways: You can ask for asylum or you can apply for refugee status. The key difference lies in where you are when you ask the U.S. government to admit you. If you’re already in the U.S., or if you’re at a border crossing or international port of entry, you’ll ask for asylum. If you’re outside the U.S., you can apply to become a refugee. You can ask for the U.S.’s protection if you’re being persecuted or you have a fear of persecution due to your:

• Race
• Religious beliefs
• Nationality
• Political opinion
• Membership in a certain social group

Your asylum/refugee attorney can help you file the right paperwork and help you understand what the U.S. government needs from you.

DACA

The U.S. has an immigration policy tailored to people who were brought to the country as children. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, may allow you to stay in the U.S. even without documentation; it could make you eligible for a period of deferred deportation and allow you to obtain a work permit. If you have this type of case, you may need to work with a DACA lawyer who understands how the program works.

Do You Need a Houston Immigration Attorney?

Whether you want to become a U.S. citizen, your company is looking for new talent from another country, or you need help fighting deportation, a Houston immigration attorney may be able to help you. Because U.S. immigration law can be complicated, and because the processes of applying for visas, work permits and citizenship can be difficult to navigate, many people choose to work with an attorney. Your attorney will be able to answer your questions, fill out and file your paperwork, and help you take the necessary steps to move forward.

If you need to talk to a Houston immigration attorney, we’re here to help. We can answer your questions and give you case-specific legal advice that helps you get on track with U.S. immigration. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.