Family-Based Immigration
Uniting you with your loved ones is our purpose.
Green Card: Permanently Living and Working in the U.S.
A Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR/Green Card holder) is an immigrant who permanently lives and works in the U.S. and, if eligible, can apply to become a U.S. citizen after three or five years of living in the United States.
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Family-Based Immigration allows a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to petition, by filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, for their noncitizen relatives to permanently live and work in the U.S. as lawful permanent resident. If the Form I-130 petition is approved, the noncitizen relative will then file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
Adjustment of Status is when a noncitizen relative, who lives in the U.S., applies to change his/her nonimmigrant status to lawful permanent resident. A noncitizen relative who lives outside the U.S. will apply for an immigrant visa to come to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident through a process called Consular Processing.
Immediate Relatives Green Card
As a U.S. citizen you can petition for your immediate noncitizen relatives to immigrate to the U.S. or adjust their status to a lawful permanent resident.
Immigrant visa for immediate relative of a U.S. citizen are readily available. This means your immediate relative will not have to wait long to get an immigrant visa.
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Immediate Relatives of U.S. citizen include:
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Spouse;
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Unmarried child under the age of 21; and
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Parent (U.S. citizen child must be at least 21 years old to petition).
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Immediate Relative category does not apply to a lawful permanent resident (LPR). A LPR can only petition for his/her spouse and children under the family preference immigrant categories but not for his/her parents or siblings. A LPR must first become a naturalized U.S. citizen to apply for parents and siblings.
Family Preference/Other Relatives Green Card
Under the family-based preference categories, a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident can petition for other noncitizen relatives to apply for immigrant visa or adjustment of status.
U.S. citizen can petition for:
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Unmarried sons or daughters 21 years old or older;
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Married sons or daughters; and
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Brothers or sisters (who is at least 21 years old).
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Lawful permanent resident can petition for: ​
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Spouses;
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Unmarried children under the age of 21; and
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Unmarried sons or daughters 21 years old or older;
Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) K-1 Visa
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If you are a U.S. citizen, you may file a Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e), to bring your noncitizen fiancé(e) and their children to the United States. You and your fiancé(e) must be legally free to marry and intend to marry within 90 days of your fiancé(e)’s admission to the United States.
Legally free to marry means both you and your fiancé(e) are single and not currently married to other people, or are legally divorced from any prior marriages. Any prior marriages must result in a final and absolute divorce before you and your fiancé(e) can be married. You can also petition for the child(ren) of your fiancé(e) to be admitted to the United States as a K-2 nonimmigrant.
The Fiancé(e) Visa automatically expires after 90 days and cannot be extended. So, if you and your fiancé(e) do not marry, your fiancé(e) must leave the United States at the end of the 90 days to avoid violating U.S. immigration law and possible deportation.
Uniting you with your relatives is our goal.
At DAGADU LAW, we understand the value of family and know all too well the sense of longing to be with your loved ones.
We will work diligently to timely file your petition so that you may be united with your relative without further delay.
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How to file for your immigrant visa can be a frustrating process if you are not familiar with the U.S. immigration law and procedures. With our expertise, we can take care of the "how" for you.
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Let us file your petition and assist your relative to immigrate to the United States or adjust their status to a lawful permanent resident.
Widow(er)s Green Card (Self-petitioners)
Death of a U.S. Citizen petitioner spouse does not prevent the noncitizen widowed spouse from obtaining lawful permanent residency in the U.S.
A widow(er) of a deceased U.S. Citizen can self-petition to become a lawful permanent resident if s/he was married to the U.S. Citizen at the time of the citizen's death and the petition was filed within two years of the U.S. citizen's death. For a widowed spouse to self-petition under widow provision, s/he must not remarry, or be legally separated at the time of the U.S. Citizen spouse's death.
If a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, was filed before the U.S. Citizen's death then, upon notice to USCIS and showing of eligibility, the Form I-130 will automatically be converted to Form I-360, Petition for Widow(er).
Replacing or Renewing your Green Card
If your Form I-485 is approved, depending on your application timeline, you may be issued a Conditional Green Card or a non-conditional Green Card. If you are issued a Conditional Green Card, you must file Form I-751 to remove the conditions, once you become eligible for a non-conditional Green Card. A non-conditional Green Card is valid for ten years.
You may renew your Green Card for another ten years when it expires, or, before your card expires and you are eligible, you may apply to become a naturalized U.S. citizen.
However, if your card is missing or stolen before it expires, or before you become a citizen, you must file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, and pay the filing fee to get a replacement Green Card.