Any non-US citizens who want to come to the United States, whether for a day or for a lifetime, are impacted by immigration law. This set of laws, governed by Congress, determines who can enter the country and how long each individual is able to stay.

If you’re a non-US citizen hoping to vacation in the US for fewer than 90 days and you’re from one of these 37 countries, entering the country is relatively simple. Otherwise, you’ll need to apply for and be granted a visa. If you want to visit temporarily, you can apply for a nonimmigrant visa (NIV). If not, you’ll need to be approved for an immigrant visa (IV).

The process of applying and being approved for either kind of visa is fairly complex. There are a number of detailed documents involved and a wide range of laws that govern the process. Additionally, because immigration law changes often, even general attorneys are challenged to keep up with the best practices. If you’re interested in temporarily relocating or immigrating to the United States, an attorney with experience in immigration law – like the ones at LG Law Center in La Puente, CA – can prove to be essential.

At LG Law Center, there are a few types of immigration law in which we specialize. They are:

Deferred Action

As a result of recent political dialogues, most people are now aware of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Ultimately, it’s the decision to delay the deportation of an individual. There are a few key points to know about deferred action:

• When an individual has been granted deferred action, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will not move forward with any removal proceeding against that individual.
• While deferred action is in effect, the individual is in the country lawfully. Any periods before deferred action was granted can still be viewed as unlawful.
• If the individual can show the economic necessity of getting a job while under deferred action, he or she is permitted to find a job.

If you’d like to learn more about deferred action, our La Puente, CA team of immigration law experts is here to help.

Family-Based Immigration

There are two different types of family-based visas available to people interested in immigration to the United States.

The first, immediate relative immigrant visas, are available to people who have an immediate relative who is a US citizen. The immediate relative could be a spouse, unmarried child under the age of 21, parent, or adoptive parent. The US does not limit how many immediate relative visas can be given out in a certain year.

The second, family preference immigrant visas, are for non-immediate family members of US citizens. The visas can be given if you have a family member such as a sibling or married child who is a US citizen. There are numerical limitations on the number of family preference immigrant visas approved each year.

More distant family members, e.g. aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins, are unable to sponsor individuals for immigration.

If you would like more information about family-based immigration, contact our team in La Puente, CA. We know the types of visas available and can suggest the best family members to sponsor your immigration, giving you the best odds of approval.

US Citizenship

When an individual who was not born in the United States wants to become a US citizen, he or she has two options. If the individual’s parents are US citizens, he or she can apply for derived or acquired citizenship. If not, he or she must apply for naturalization.

In order to qualify for naturalization, the individual must meet a number of requirements. If you have been a permanent resident in the US for at least five years or have served in the US military, for example, your naturalization process may be easier.

All individuals who wish to be naturalized have to take a naturalization test, which examines their knowledge of the English language and US history and government.