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There is much talk on the news about immigration reform, and politicians have been working for months to come up with a bill that Congress can vote on to repair America’s broken immigration system.
Until proposals are approved, among them a proposal that would allow illegal immigrants who were brought to the country by their parents and one that would allow those who are employed in the agricultural industry to remain in the country, U.S. immigration law remains as it always has.
Still Plenty of United States Visa Options
Even though immigration reform is still up in the air, foreign citizens who want to immigrate to the United States still have several options to do so legally. For example, immediate relative and family sponsored visas allow foreign citizens who are related to U.S. citizens by blood or marriage to apply for residency and eventual citizenship.
Another option is employment visas, which exist for both employees of international companies requiring a transfer to a U.S. based office and for entrepreneurs who may be interested in investing into a U.S. based business. For their service to the United States government doing a time of war, individuals from Iraq or Afghanistan who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. can also qualify for a resident visa. Religious workers have their own class of United States visa, as well.
The Diversity Visa program exists to encourage immigrants from other countries that are sparsely represented in the United States to apply for residency.
Sponsors
Some United States visas will require a sponsor, that is, a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to “vouch” for the immigrant, while other United States visa programs don’t. For example, the relative related by blood or marriage for a family
There is much talk on the news about immigration reform, and politicians have been working for months to come up with a bill that Congress can vote on to repair America’s broken immigration system.
Until proposals are approved, among them a proposal that would allow illegal immigrants who were brought to the country by their parents and one that would allow those who are employed in the agricultural industry to remain in the country, U.S. immigration law remains as it always has.
Still Plenty of United States Visa Options
Even though immigration reform is still up in the air, foreign citizens who want to immigrate to the United States still have several options to do so legally. For example, immediate relative and family sponsored visas allow foreign citizens who are related to U.S. citizens by blood or marriage to apply for residency and eventual citizenship.
Another option is employment visas, which exist for both employees of international companies requiring a transfer to a U.S. based office and for entrepreneurs who may be interested in investing into a U.S. based business. For their service to the United States government doing a time of war, individuals from Iraq or Afghanistan who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. can also qualify for a resident visa. Religious workers have their own class of United States visa, as well.
The Diversity Visa program exists to encourage immigrants from other countries that are sparsely represented in the United States to apply for residency.
Sponsors
Some United States visas will require a sponsor, that is, a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to “vouch” for the immigrant, while other United States visa programs don’t. For example, the relative related by blood or marriage for a family visa serves as the immigrant’s sponsor, while the Diversity Visa program, which issues visas based on statistics and population, does not require the visa applicant to have a sponsor at all.
Each United States visa has its own rules and requirements for determining who can be approved. If they are interested in applying for a visa of any type, foreign citizens are encouraged to contact a U.S. immigration attorney.
Attorney Benefits
Working with an attorney through the visa application process is perhaps the best way to make sure that an immigrant has the highest chance of being approved for a visa as possible. The attorney can review a person’s case and make a recommendation as to the best type of visa to apply for, and can make sure the person’s visa application is submitted promptly and with the appropriate paperwork attached. Filling out an application incorrectly can add several unnecessary months to application processing and wait times and can usually be avoided by hiring a professional for help.
Whey they do decide to contact an attorney for visa assistance, foreign citizens are encouraged to contact a U.S. immigration attorney who can provide services in the foreign citizen’s native language. Going with a lawyer who can communicate in the language that the foreign citizen understands the most will help ensure there is no confusion about the process or requirements.
