Immigration Law And Process

In this article, you will learn…

• What sets Ricardo Ramirez apart from other immigration lawyers,
• What EB-2 visas are and why they are prioritized, and
• How long K1 Fiancé visas are valid after approval

What Would You Say Sets Your Firm Apart In How You Guide Individuals And Families Through Immigration Process?

One of the main things that set my firm apart is that we have a very strong commitment to client attention. We follow up on every single part of the process, keeping our clients informed whenever documents come in and ensuring that they always know exactly where they are in the process. We make an effort to ensure that the client knows what’s happening and what things we are working on for the immigration side to get them their papers or whatever benefits they’re looking to receive. We guide and inform the client at every step of the process, even if it doesn’t necessarily have a big impact on them, because being informed creates a sense of security and a feeling that you aren’t being forgotten.

I also make myself available to individuals and families. There are many attorneys who will have you communicate with an assistant or who might take weeks to get back to a client. To me, it’s important that I make myself available to my clients and listen with empathy. We try to deliver the best possible customer service by keeping in constant communication with our clients and making sure they feel that they’re being heard and understood every step of the way.

Regarding EB-2 Visas, Do You Have Anything That You’d Like To Add; Anything That Has Changed?

The EB-2 visa has become a very popular visa over the past year, and primarily the national interest waiver.  Essentially, the United States is encouraging people that have a profound impact on the entire country that have advanced degrees or work in high-level professions, educational research, medical, pilot’s license, or anything that has a profound impact on the entire country. They are being given priority.

So, the program is still continuing. There are a lot of people that are applying and the National Interest Waiver that’s attached to the EB-2 visa is being used by people coming in as entrepreneurs, self-employed, that have degrees or experience in industries that are going to impact the goodwill of the United States.

For example, we have clients that are construction workers, designers, and engineers and they have national importance rights because they construct highways and bridges and stuff like that. That helps show immigration that they’re workers of national importance.

What Are The Most Common Eligibility Requirements For Fiancé Visa?

The first thing you need is the intending immigrant. The fiancé needs to have a relationship with a United States citizen and they need to show that the person is admissible to come into the country.  The person can’t have any kind of immigration history or anything in their record that will have a negative impact on the decision. The same thing goes for the American citizen. The person that’s wanting to bring in the person with a fiancé visa, that person will also get screened.

How Long Are Fiancé Visas Valid For?

The fiancé Visa, once it’s approved, is only valid for 90 days. The idea is that, within those 90 days, the fiancé will come to the United States and get married with the petitioner, a US citizen. Once the 90-day period expires, they have to re-apply.

Will The Extension Still Be For A Fiancé Visa Or In This Case For A Visitor’s Visa?

No. It’ll be for the same type of visa, a fiancé visa.

How Long Does It Take For A K1 Visa To Be Approved?

Usually, it takes anywhere between six to eight months for a K1 Visa to be approved.  There’s a lot of documentation that the immigration service requires from both parties. There’s a lot of time that goes into doing the fingerprints and doing background checks and that also prolongs the process a little bit. Typically you will see anywhere between six to eight months from the time of filing to the time we get an approval notice.

Can My Fiancé Travel To The US While Waiting For A Visa?

If your fiancé has an independent visa, such as a visitor visa, they can travel to the US while waiting for a visa. Your fiancé needs to make sure that the intent of them coming into the country is to visit, though, and not to stay.

It isn’t always recommended that the fiancé travels to the US while waiting for the visa. This is because it can create the perception that they’re going to come, stay, get married, and abandon their visa process. Whether or not it’s recommended that they travel is going to be on a case-by-case basis.

How Much Money Do I Need In Order To Sponsor My Fiancé To The US?

There is a poverty guideline that’s set out by the government that indicates what the threshold – the bare minimum – is for a person to earn. That’s all based on the number of dependents that are reported in your income tax.  So, the amount of money needed depends on how many dependents and obligations you have besides a fiancé. Again, it’s based on poverty guidelines. So if, for example, someone has zero dependents and it’s just them and they want to sponsor their fiancé, we would say a good threshold would be between $18,000 to $25,000 a year and it’ll go up depending on how many dependents they have.

With the guidance of a skilled attorney for Immigration Law, you can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that we’ll make it look easy.  For more information on Immigration Law in New Jersey, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (956) 766-4000 today.