Immigration Law
At Germino, Amaral and Jordan, we provide immigration law services to clients seeking
assistance with applications for non-immigrant and immigrant visas, permanent residence (green
cards), family petitions, and naturalization/citizenship. We are committed to client satisfaction by
providing responsive, individualized service and focused attention to each client's immigration
issues.
Below is a list of some of the immigration law services we provide:
Naturalization/Citizenship: Our firm assists individuals and families with naturalization, a
process through which a person becomes a U.S. citizen after fulfilling all legal requirements; as
well as citizenship, a status acquired or derived by an individual by way of their parents'
citizenship or naturalization.
Family Based Visa Petitions: We provide dedicated legal support to individuals and families
seeking to bring fiancés, spouses, children, parents, brothers, sisters, and other family members
to the United States. We can guide you through the various steps of applying for a family visa,
fully explain the process, and provide an estimate regarding the amount of time the process may
take.
Adjustment of Status: The Immigration of Nationality Act (INA) permits the change of an
individual's immigration status while in the United States from nonimmigrant or parolee
(temporary) to immigrant (permanent) if the individual was inspected and admitted or paroled
into the United States and is able to meet all required qualifications for a green card (permanent
residence) in a particular category. The common term for a change to permanent status is
"adjustment of status."
The INA provides an individual two primary paths to permanent resident status. Adjustment of
status is the process by which an eligible individual already in the United States can get
permanent resident status (a green card) without having to return to their home country to
complete visa processing. The second pathway to permanent resident status is consular
processing.
Consular Processing: An individual who is the beneficiary of an approved immigrant petition and
has an immigrant visa number immediately available may apply at a U.S. Department of State
consulate abroad for an immigrant visa in order to come to the United States and be admitted as a
permanent resident. This pathway is referred to as "consular processing."
Extreme Hardship Waivers (I-601/I-601A): Many individuals deal with the issue of
inadmissibility even when they meet the requirements for an immigrant visa. An individual who
is ineligible for admission into the United States may still be able to enter by filing a Form
I-601/I-601A, Waiver of inadmissibility. In order to receive an I-601 Waiver, the applicant must
prove that a qualifying relative would suffer extreme hardship if the intended immigrant was not
admitted into the United States.
Non-Immigrant Visas: Non-immigrant visas are available for a variety of purposes for people to
come to the U.S. on a temporary basis as tourists on visitor visas (B-1/B-2), "temporary
professional workers" on work-related visas (H1-B), crew members (D-1), treaty traders/treaty
investors (E-1/E-2), religious workers (R-1), and students (F-1).
There are many other types of non-immigrant visas, which can be viewed on the Department of
State's website at www.uscis.gov. If you would like to apply for a non-immigrant visa and would
like assistance with the application process, please contact our office for a consultation.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): On June 15, 2012, the Secretary of Homeland
Security announced that certain people who came to the United States as children and meet
several key guidelines may request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years,
subject to renewal, and would then be eligible for work authorization. Currently USCIS is not
accepting initial requests for DACA as a result of the January 2018 preliminary injunctions.
However, if you have applied and been granted DACA in the past you are still able to renew your
DACA. To meet with an attorney to discuss whether you should renew your DACA given the
preliminary injunction please contact our office at (209) 826-5024.