Silver Spring Family Immigration Attorneys

We Are Committed to Reuniting Families Nationwide

Our experienced legal team at Murray Osorio PLLC represents clients in Maryland and throughout the nation who need help bringing their families over from other countries to work and live in the United States. We believe in using our superior legal skills and extensive knowledge of the law to help people from all over the world strive for their American Dream through family-based immigration.

Petitioning for Family-Based Immigration

Family-based immigration allows certain relatives of U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents to petition for legal permanent residence.

Eligible family members can petition under the following categories:

• Immediate Relative: Petitioners in this category must be a spouse, child, sibling, or parent of a U.S. citizen.
• Family Preference: Petitioners in this category must have a specific and distant family relationship with a U.S. citizen. Petitioners with certain relationships with green-card holders can also petition under this category, including the adult children, married children, or siblings of U.S. citizens and the spouses and children of Legal Permanent Residents.

Adjustment of Status & Consular Processing

In certain circumstances, petitions can be made with the foreign national within the United States through a process called Adjustment of Status. Adjustment of status is for immigrants who are legally in the U.S. but want to change their status without having to leave the country.

To be eligible for adjustment of status, you must meet the following requirements:

• You are physically present in the United States
• You have an approved visa petition
• Your entry into the U.S. wasn’t illegal
• There can’t be a change in circumstances, such as the death of the petitioning party

While the adjustment of status application is processing, you will be granted a valid status to legally stay in the United States. You can also apply for your employment authorization document while you wait for the decision.

Alternatively, for those unable to process in the United States or for those abroad, they can immigrate to the United States through a process called Consular Processing. This process requires individuals to go through a U.S. embassy or foreign consulate to apply for a green card. In order to obtain a family-based green card through consular processing, the person petitioning for the person seeking a green card must be a U.S. citizen or possess a valid green card.

Fiancé Visas

U.S. citizens can also apply for a fiancé through a K-1 visa. This requires a combination of both consular processing and adjustment of status. Timing is key for this process, as the couple must marry within 90 days of entering the country. Our family immigration lawyers are here to walk you through the application process and make sure your best interests are protected, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to get answers to all of your questions about the K-1 visa.