Immigration Law

Our government has strict policies which control the influx of immigrants to our country. These policies fall under what are known as immigration laws. Immigration laws govern the legal status of people in matters such as citizenship, refugee, etc. Immigration laws vary from country to country.

Types of US Immigration Laws

There are several types of issue regarding immigration. Some of the more popular types of immigration laws include:

• Adoption – Oftentimes families look outside the U.S. for adoptions however before the child can immigrate to the U.S. they must be processed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
• Asylum/ Refugee – Certain foreign nationals may qualify for asylum/refugee depending on where they are at the time of their application. If an immigrant files while in the U.S. and granted asylum, they are called an asylee, however if an immigrant files while outside the U.S., they are called a refugee.
• Visa – these are non-immigrant (temporary) visas available for individuals looking to enter the U.S. Oftentimes these are granted to tourists or students for academic study, vocational training or exchange programs.
• Green Card – United States permanent resident card
• Naturalization and Citizenship – Naturalization is an administrative procedure in which a person becomes a U.S. citizen after meeting certain substantive and procedural requirements
• Deportation and Removal – Deportation, also known as removal, is a legal proceeding in a U.S. administrative court to determine whether or not an immigrant may remain in the U.S. Immigrants cannot be deported from the U.S. without first being given a deportation hearing. Those found to be deportable are forced to leave the U.S.
• Family Immigration – The family based immigration process is governed by a system of immigrant visas, each of which establishes specific terms and conditions for entering and remaining in the United States.
• Employment Immigration – The employment based immigration process is governed by a system of visas which include a variety of both “Immigrant” (permanent) U.S. visas and “Non-Immigrant” (temporary).
• Lottery – A limited number of non-preference immigration green card visas are available to people from countries not well represented in the immigration population. Beneficiaries of a non-preference immigration visa are selected on a lottery basis. However they must meet education or experience requirements to qualify for a lottery/diversity visa. Individuals from “high-admission countries” are not eligible for lottery.

Immigration Lawyers and Attorneys

Immigration laws are often complex and difficult to understand which is why it is important that you consult with an experienced immigration attorney who can advise you of your legal options.