Family-Based Immigration

Although some people immigrate to the United States for work, others seek to live stateside to be with family members. Fortunately, many people can sponsor their relatives for family-based immigration visas. The immigration process is complicated, and it is critical that applicants provide the correct information and follow the proper procedure; otherwise, their claims may be denied. If you want to help a family member obtain an immigrant visa, it is advisable to hire an attorney to assist you. The knowledgeable Boston family-based immigration attorneys of O’Neil & Hauser P.C. are proficient at handling all aspects of immigration cases, and if you engage our services, we will fight to help you reunite with your family. Each of our lawyers has been practicing immigration law for over twenty years, and immigration matters comprise over ninety percent of our work.   Our office is located in Boston, and we routinely help people with immigration issues globally.  

People living in the United States may be eligible to petition for family-based immigration visas for their relatives or potential future relatives, like fiancés. Only certain people are eligible to petition for immigration benefits for their relatives, though, and what family members they can help immigrate depends on their status. Specifically, a person must either be a refugee admitted into the country as a refugee or granted asylum within the past two years, a permanent resident, otherwise known as a green card holder, or a United States citizen, to be eligible to seek a family-based immigration visa for a relative.

People seeking to bring family members to the United States must prove the validity of their purported relationships with the individuals they seek to sponsor and that they possess the means to provide them with financial support. They must also prove their status in the United States, which means they must show that they are either citizens, legal permanent residents, or qualifying refugees. Family based immigration visas for immediate relatives are not capped per year, while those granted to more distant relatives are limited each year.

Citizens have the greatest rights with regard to petitioning for family-based immigration visas. Specifically, they can petition for visas for their spouses and unmarried and married children. Petitioners that are at least 21 years old can petition for their siblings and parents as well. Spouses and unmarried children under 21 are granted the highest priority. Citizens can also petition to bring their fiancés to the United States under K-1 visas, which are nonimmigrant visas. If they do not marry within 90 days, the fiancé must leave the country.  Other visas may be available as well, depending on the specific circumstances of a case.

Legal permanent residents are only eligible to file petitions for family-based immigration visas for their spouses and unmarried children. In certain circumstances, lawful permanent residents can petition for V visas for their minor children and spouses as well, which allows them to immigrate to the United States while their visas are being processed. Eligible refugees may only petition for visas for their spouses and unmarried children under 21.

Many permanent residents and citizens of the United States are eligible to obtain family-based immigration visas for their family members who live in other countries. If you need help petitioning for a visa for a family member, it is in your best interest to confer with an attorney. At O’Neil & Hauser P.C., our practiced Boston lawyers take pride in helping people reunite with their loved ones, and we are eager to assist you with your immigration needs.  We have numerous bilingual attorneys and offer translation services in multiple languages, including Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Greek, Italian, French, and Arabic. We have developed a good relationship with multiple government agencies over the years we have practiced immigration law, and we are members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. We have an office in Boston where you can contact us by calling (617) 426-8100 or using our form online to set up a meeting.