Immigration Services
DACA News Update
Applicants living outside of Texas may now apply for DACA for the first time. Please stand by for updates.
DACA holders are still permitted to renew their applications until further notice.
Asylum
If you are afraid to return to your country because you have been persecuted based on your race, religion, nationality, political opinion or your persecution is based on a recognized persecuted social group, you can apply for asylum. You can request to apply for asylum inside the united states or if you request asylum at a U.S. Border, you will be given a credible fear interview to assess whether you may quality to apply for asylum inside the united states.
If you have been placed in removal proceedings in our U.S. Immigration Courts, and you fear returning to your country, you can tell the Immigration Judge that you want to apply for asylum.
You must file your asylum application within one year of your last entry into the United States; otherwise, you may not be able to apply for asylum. If you wish to apply for asylum, and it has been more than one year since your last entry into the United States, please schedule a consultation with our law firm to review your circumstances as you may qualify for a wavier from the one year requirement.
Immigration court
Has Your Friend or Relative Been Arrested by the Local Police or ICE?
As a former Federal Immigration Court Judge, my experience will help assess what can be done for your friend or relative. If your friend or relative has been arrested and ICE (Immigration Customs & Enforcement) has placed a detainer or hold, you must act immediately.
Contact attorney George Pappas now to learn how to legally protect your friend or relative.
Is Your Friend or Relative Currently in Removal Proceedings?
NTA (Notice To Appear)
If you have been arrested or picked up by Immigration Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), do not assume that you or your loved one is necessarily required to be deported. It is vitally important to contact an immigration attorney as soon as your friend or relative is arrested. The most important document to assist you and your attorney is the NTA (Notice to Appear) document. It is important to know what charges are being used to “hold” or “remove” your friend or relative.
If you need representation in Immigration Court for removal proceedings, please contact George D. Pappas, Esq. at (828) 903-8987.
Es su amigo o relativa actualmente en proceso de eliminación?
Si han sido detenidos o recogidos por aduanas de inmigración (“ICE”), no dé por sentado usted o su ser querido tiene necesariamente que ser deportados. Es de vital importancia para ponerse en contacto con un abogado de inmigración tan pronto como su amigo o pariente es arrestado. El documento más importante para ayudar a usted y a su abogado es el documento NTA (aviso que estarán). Es importante saber qué cargos se utilizan para “sostener” o “eliminar” a su amigo o relativa.
Si usted necesita una representación en la Corte de inmigración para procedimientos de eliminación, por favor póngase en contacto con George Pappas en 828-903-8987.
Family Based Immigration
You may qualify for immigrant visa if you are: 1. the spouse, parent, or child of aU.S. citizen or 2. you are the spouse or unmarried son or daughter of a permanent resident.
The U.S. immigration law classifies Family-Based immigration into two groups: Immediate Relatives of U.S. citizens and the four Family-Based Preferences.
What is a Petitioner? The U.S. citizen or permanent resident filing for a relative (petitioning for the relative) is the petitioner.
What is a beneficiary? The relative trying to get an immigrant visa.
If you are an immediate relative of U.S. Citizen if you fall into one of the categories below:
1. You are a spouse of a U.S. citizen.
2. You are an unmarried child (under 21 years of age) of a U.S. citizen.
3. You are a parent of a U.S. citizen so long as the U.S. citizen is at 21 years or older.
4. Spouse of a deceased U.S. Citizen: You were married to the U.S. citizen for at least two years at the time of their death and you were not legally separated at the time of death. You self petitioned within two years of your spouses death and you have not remarried.
No quota to worry about!
If you are an immediate relative of U.S. citizen, as described above, you don’t have to worry about quotas or waiting lists. You’ll be able to get your “green card” as soon as your application/papers are processed because the number of visas available to immediate relatives of U.S. citizens is unlimited.
Family Based Categories
Quotas do apply to the Family based categories. The following list is the range of family based preference categories you need to be aware of:
1. First Family Based Preference: Adult unmarried sons and daughters (age 21 or older) of U.S. citizens.
2. Second Family Based Preference A. Spouse and unmarried children (under age 21) of permanent residents.
3. Second Family Based Preference B. Unmarried sons and daughters of (of any age) of permanent residents.
4. Third Family Based Preference: Married children of U.S. citizens.
5. Fourth Relative Preference: Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens if the US citizen is age 21 or older.
Overcoming Obstacles to Becoming A Permanent Resident: Inadmissibility
Being “inadmissible” means one of the “bars” listed below will prevent you from becoming a permanent resident even if you qualify under immediate relative or under one of the preference categories. Some of the obstacles or “bars” that may make you “inadmissible” are:
1. Having been unlawfully present in the United States.
2. Likelihood that you will be come a “public charge” (e.g., welfare or public assistance). .
3, You have engaged in criminal activity.
4. You lied or misrepresentation your background to the USCIS or to a US consul.
5. Political Activity (e.g., You joined the communist party declaring to overthrow the US government).
6. Medical conditions.
EMPLOYMENT BASED IMMIGRATION
U.S. immigration law provides aliens with a variety of ways to become lawful permanent residents (get a Green Card) through employment in the United States. These employment-based (EB) “preference immigrant” categories include:
First preference (EB-1) – priority workers
Aliens with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics;
Outstanding professors and researchers; or
Certain multinational managers and executives.
Second preference (EB-2) – aliens who are members of the professions holding advanced degrees or who have exceptional ability (including requests for national interest waivers).
Third preference (EB-3) – skilled workers, professionals, or other workers.
This information for aliens in the United States who want to apply for lawful permanent resident status in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories while in the United States. This is called “adjustment of status.”
If you are currently outside the United States, schedule a consultation to review Consular Processing about how to apply for a Green Card outside the United States.
Special Immigration Benefits
Violence Against Woman Act
Under the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), you may be eligible to become a lawful permanent resident (get a Green Card) if you are the victim of battery or extreme cruelty committed by:
A U.S. citizen spouse or former spouse;
A U.S. citizen parent;
A U.S. citizen son or daughter;
A lawful permanent resident (LPR) spouse or former spouse; or
An LPR parent.
Schedule a consultation to see if you qualify.
Military
Immigrants related to Military Troops, Reserves and Veterans May have a Reprieve from Deportation
The Government issued a new policy on November 15, 2013 for immediate family members (children, parents and spouses) of U.S. military and National Guard troops and veterans living in the United States without permission to remain in the U.S. and move toward becoming a legal permanent resident.
The above policy extends to all active-duty members of the armed forces, and to reservists including the National Guard. The new policy also applies to veterans.
Family members of the above military and veteran groups may be able to apply for “parole in place.”
If you are serving in the U.S. armed forces, National Guard or have veteran status, please contact Attorney George Pappas for a consultation to learn how you can sponsor your undocumented family members for legal permanent residence in the United States. Consultations are available in person and via zoom.