Family Immigration

Skilled Visa Attorneys Assisting Residents of Boston

At Maiona Ward, our experienced visa lawyers understand the importance of keeping a family together. We work diligently to help clients throughout the Boston area with family-based immigration issues. Our firm prides itself in representing individuals in a meticulous and dedicated manner. We understand that immigration issues can be stressful, so we try to make the process as seamless as possible. We know how to prepare and file the requisite paperwork and documentation for virtually every aspect of an immigration case.

Seeking Legal Status for Family Members

A legal immigrant or a lawful permanent resident (LPR) refers to an individual who is a foreign national but has been granted permission by the United States government to live and work permanently in this county. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the agency that grants immigrant visa petitions.

In order to bring a family member to live permanently in the United States, USCIS requires you to prove that you are a legal relative of the person you wish to sponsor, that you are a citizen or a legal resident of the United States, and that you can provide sufficient financial support for the family member whom you wish to sponsor. There are a number of different types of family-based visas you can pursue, depending on the specific circumstances.

For example, if you are a U.S. citizen who is engaged to be married to a foreign national, the K-1 visa may be a good option for you. The K-1 visa allows you to bring a would-be spouse to the U.S. for a 90-day time frame, during which you must marry the fiancé. If you do not get married, that person must return to his or her home country. The K-1 visa also has a provision that allows the U.S. citizen to have his or her fiancé’s children enter the country as non-immigrants.

Meanwhile, the K-3 visa allows a foreign-born spouse of an American citizen who has a Form I-130, or Petition for Alien Relative, filed on his or her behalf to come to the U.S. even before the approval of the Form I-130. This type of visa essentially allows the non-citizen spouse to live and work in this country which his or her petition is pending. The appropriate form to file on his or her behalf is Form I-129F.

The V-1, V-2, and V-3 visas allow spouses and minor children of a legal permanent resident to enter and live in the United States as they wait for their immigrant visas to be processed, assuming that certain requirements are met. The rationale is to keep families together while they solidify their legal status.

Beyond these family-based visas, there are many other options available to people who wish to bring their loved ones to the United States. A qualified immigration attorney can help analyze your specific situation and determine what the next steps should be for your relatives and you.

Discuss Your Immigration Application with a Boston Lawyer

The experienced immigration attorneys at Maiona Ward will work with professionalism, care and dedication to advocate for your rights throughout the process of seeking a visa. We represent individuals in Boston as well as in communities such as Cambridge, Waltham, and Worcester. Some of our clients also come from Providence and other cities in Rhode Island. Our firm will make every effort to resolve the obstacles you are facing and will notify you of all developments that take place in your case. To learn more, call us at 617-695-2220 or contact us online.