Family Petitions and Waivers

Family-Based Petitions

United States citizens and Legal Permanent Residents of the United States may apply for certain of their family members to gain status in the United States.  If you are a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident and wish to apply for certain family members, you have the right to do so under current immigration law.  

Adjustment of Status

If someone has been validly, legally admitted to the United States on some sort of visa or other non-permanent status, he or she may be eligible to “adjust” his or her status to the status of Legal Permanent Resident here in the United States, if a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident family member submits an application in favor of him or her.  

Family-Based “Consular Processing”

If a family member of yours lives abroad and would like to earn status in the United States through you or another family member of yours, he or she may be eligible for what immigration attorneys refer to as “consular processing.” 

Waivers of Inadmissibility

Many times, when a U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident applies for a family member to obtain status in the United States, the U.S. government may deny that application because that relative may be “inadmissible” for some reason. 

Provisional Waivers

If someone enters the United States illegally, without admission or inspection, he or she will usually NOT be eligible for what attorneys call “adjustment of status.” (See sections entitled “adjustment of status” and “family-based consular processing.”).  

Lessons from the Past

Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.

Potter Stewart

Request a Consultation Today

Send us an email using the form below to request a consultation.

Please let us know when you're available to set up a consultation.