Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Illinois Immigration Law | Employment-Based Permanent Resident Petitions

Careful compliance with the alien work authorization rules have never been more complicated. One type of petition is called a Schedule A Petition which is authorized by the Department of Labor. The Department of Labor has determined that there are not enough U.S. citizens available to fulfill the needs of the current work force. The Department of Labor processes forms ETA9089, which is titled Application for Permanent Employment Certification. The process for filing can be found at O*NET ode Connector at www.onetcodeconnector.org.

A small side note to your employer is that they can have only one ETA9089 pending for a particular beneficiary in a job opportunity. To find out moreinformation about getting a permanent resident petitions based on employment contact The Law Office of Jonathan W. Cole or call (708) 529-7794.

Illinois Immigration Attorney | Family Sponsored Immigration Continued

As I discussed in the post yesterday on Family-Sponsored Immigration, citizens and lawful permanent residents can file for immigration benefits for certain immediate related relatives. I would like to explain in some greater detail who can apply for whom.
 Lawful Permanent Residents can only petition for spouses and unmarried children. Citizens can only petition for Spouses, Unmarried Children, Married Children, and Brothers and Sisters. There is no other familial relationship that is allowed as a basis for immigrating to the U.S.

Before Preparing your Form I-130 you should gather the following documents:

1. A copy of the Citizens or LPR's birth certificate
2. If not a Natural Born U.S. Citizen, a certificate of naturalization
3. If an LPR, a copy of your permanent residency card
4. A copy of your civil marriage certificate
5. Copies of all divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees
6. On color passport style photo of the U.S. citizen or LPR
7. Form G-325A, Biographic Information

If the relative who is moving to the U.S. is a spouse and is already currently in the U.S. through lawful admission, you can file a "one stop" adjustment packet. The process is similar for all of the other approved family. Some of the documents that you need to gather may be a little different, but the process is the same. Look at your individual needs for the category of family you want to bring to the U.S. on form I-130.

As always, I would recommend you speak with a qualified immigration law attorney. You can contact me by clicking my link Law Office of Jonathan W. Cole.

Illinois Immigration Law | Family Sponsored Immigration

You would like to bring your family to live with you in Illinois. This post will help you figure out if you can do that. As always, I would recommend that you call me, Jonathan W. Cole, at (708)529-7794 to get personalized legal help. I have always said that when an issue is as important as family, you should always consult an attorney. You don't want to take any chances when you don't have to. In order to to be eligible to petition for for an immediate relative, the sponsoring family member must be able to provide evidence of citizenship or lawful permanent resident status, as well as evidence that he or she can financially support the immediate relative. The  sponsoring family member must be able to complete Form I-864. The department of State charges a fee of $70.00 when the affidavit of support is reviewed domestically. If the affidavit is filed abroad, there is no fee for this forms review.

Spouses - If you are attempting to bring a spouse to Illinois, you must first have form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative completed. This form helps the reviewers confirm that the marriage is bona fide, that property is jointly owned, and documentation of finacial comingling.

Children - All eligible children must also have a form I-130 filled out on their behalf. The filing fee for this form is $355.00.

Parents and Siblings - As above, Parents must have a I-130 form filled out on their behalf, filled out by a son or daughter. When the parents are not in the U.S., one the form is approved, the parent will be advised to go tothe U.S. consulate to complete processing for an immigrant visa.

In order to not give you information overload, I will cut this post off here. Look for more information in upcoming posts. I understand that the immigration process can be imtimidating and frustrating. Take your time and be thourough. It is better to make sure your application is perfect the first time than rush your application and make a mistake that will deny your request. If you would like to know more about immigration law. Contact me at:

Law Office of Jonathan W. Cole
5013 W. 95th St.
Oak Lawn, IL 60463
(708) 529-7794