As our world becomes increasingly globalized and individuals immigrate to new countries, it is possible for families to be separated by country borders and strict immigration policies. Fortunately, the United States provided multiple different avenues for the family members of U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents to immigrate to the United States to live and work. Reuniting these families is a central part of our practice at ZafiroLaw. To learn more about how we can help, consider speaking to an experienced Redmond family immigration lawyer today at (206) 309-9645.
Overview of Redmond, Washington
A diverse city located in King County, Washington, Redmond is home to individuals from all around the world. In fact, data reports that approximately 27% of Redmond’s population are non-U.S. citizens, indicating the richness of this city as a melting pot of cultures. With such a robust immigrant population, blended, multicultural families are not uncommon in the city.
What Is Family-Based Immigration?
Every year, over one million immigrants arrive in the United States. These immigrants come from an array of different countries and immigrate to the United States using a variety of avenues. One of the more common ways that individuals immigrate to the country is through family relationships. This is known broadly as family-based immigration.
This type of immigration allows the family members of United States citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) to travel to the United States as permanent residents. This is a valuable option for the loved ones of American citizens or permanent residents to immigrate to the United States to live and work.
Family-based immigration can be broken into two categories, which depend entirely on the petitioner’s citizenship:
- Immediate Relative visas: This option is available for the close family of United States citizens. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the close family includes spouses, parents, or unmarried children under the age of 21.
- Family Preference visas: For Lawful Permanent Residents and more distant family members of United States citizens, family preference visas are available. LPRs are able to petition for only their spouse and their unmarried children, while U.S. citizens can petition for children over the age of 21 and their siblings using this visa.
While there are an unlimited number of immediate relative visas available every year, this is not the case for family preference visas. Family preference visas are divided into preference categories, each of which having a different priority level. An experienced Redmond family immigration lawyer can help you understand how preference categories and priority dates work in these cases.
Our Role in Your Immigration Story
At ZafiroLaw, we have dedicated our practice to helping foreign-born individuals reunite with their family members within the United States. We accomplish this goal by applying our vast experience and unique knowledge of family and immigration law to each and every case. Through our expertise, genuine respect and belief in the immigrant story, we are able to achieve great outcomes for clients.
While family immigration may seem daunting, we have experience navigating an array of different situations and visa options, including:
- K-1 Fiancé Visa: This nonimmigrant visa allows the foreign-born fiancé of a United States citizen to travel to the U.S. in order to marry their partner. The marriage must be made official within 90 days of the foreign-born fiancé’s arrival in the United States. Then, it is possible to adjust the visa to secure permanent residence in the country.
- Marriage-Based Green Card: The spouses of United States citizens and current Green Card holders are able to obtain a Green Card based on their marriage. When applying for this Green Card, you will be required to submit evidence to prove that your marriage is not fraudulent, as well as other extensive paperwork. If your marriage has lasted for less than two years at the time of application, the marriage-based Green Card will be conditional, meaning you will have to update your status to a full, ten-year Green Card.
- Immediate Relative Visa for Children and Parents: The IR-2 and IR-5 visas are available for the children and parents of United States citizens, respectively.
- IR-1 and CR-1 Spousal Visa: These visa options are available to the spouses of U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents. The difference between them is simple. If the couple has been married for less than two years, the foreign-born spouse will receive a CR-1 conditional visa. If they have been married for over two years, they will receive an IR-1 visa. Both are types of Green Cards that allow the foreign-born spouse to live and work in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Redmond family immigration lawyers receive a range of questions regarding the immigration process and the most efficient way to bring their family members to the United States. Some of the most frequently asked questions include the following.
What Is the Processing Time for Family Visas in the United States?
According to the State Department, an estimated 4 million individuals are waiting abroad due to backlogs in family immigration. Processing times for family visas in the U.S. can be long. For immediate relative visas, the average wait time is between 7 and 13 months. For family preference visas, this wait time can increase greatly, from 11 months to multiple years.
What Is the Fastest Way to Bring an Immediate Relative to the US Through Family Immigration?
Regardless of the type of relationship or your citizenship status, all family immigration cases begin by filing the I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. Once the petition is submitted, your case is at the mercy of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. It is possible to speed up your wait time by avoiding the common pitfalls that many applicants fall into, including application errors and missteps during the interview process. Working with a Redmond family immigration lawyer can help in speeding up the immigration process and ensuring that your application is processed as quickly as possible.
Contact ZafiroLaw Redmond Family Immigration Lawyers Today
Being separated from your loved ones can be frustrating, often made worse by the extensive requirements of visa applications and long processing times. Recognizing that, our team of Redmond family immigration lawyers strives to make the process easier for our clients by optimizing their chance of success in their initial application. To begin the process of obtaining a family-based visa for your loved ones today, consider scheduling a consultation with by calling (206) 309-9645 today.
