IMMIGRATION
Description
If you are
- living in the United States without a legal immigration status and wish to obtain permanent residency
- facing removal (deportation) proceedings
- unlawfully present in the United States and have been convicted of a crime
- a company that wishes to employ workers from other nations
- being looked for by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- a permanent resident and wish to apply for citizenship
you need an attorney to assist you through the confusing and complex immigration laws in the United States.
Immigration Services Offered
The law firm of Helmer, Paul, Conley & Kasselman, P.A. handles all immigration matters. The firm provides an
extensive range of
legal services to individual and corporate clients throughout the United States.
- Adjustment of Status
- Abused Spouse Self-Petitions
- Asylum
- BIA Appeals
- Bond Hearings
- Consular Processing
- Criminal Representations of Aliens
- Diversity Lottery Process
- Employment Based Immigration
- Extraordinary Ability Immigrant Visas
- Family Based Immigration
- Fiancee Visas
- Inadmissibility Waivers
- Labor Certifications
- Naturalization Process
- NSEERS Late Registration
- Removal Hearings
- Student (F) Visas
- TPS (Temporary Protected Status) from Eligible Countries
- Visa Extensions
- Withholding of Removal
- Withholding of Removal (CAT-Convention Against Torture)
Attorneys
Law Clerks
Why Choose Us?
Helmer, Paul, Conley & Kasselman, P.A. streamlines the complex immigration process for our clients.
As part of our client-centered approach, we use a detailed questionnaire to fully understand the complexities
of each case. We then take this information to the numerous government agencies and departments that control
immigration. Come in and meet with
our attorneys to discuss your case, free of charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
(Click on question to view answer.)
- 1. I came to the United States on a visa that expired,
but I am now married to a US citizen. Can I file for a work permit or green card?
Yes. You and your spouse can file an adjustment of status for a "green card". The adjustment of status application
is filed at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services national processing center in Chicago, Illinois. By law,
the employment authorization document ("EAD") must be granted within 90 days, or an interim card will be issued.
Roughly seven to ten months after filing the application package,
you and your spouse will be interviewed together at the local district office.
- 2. I have had a green card for over five years and
want to apply for US citizenship, but I was convicted of a DUI two years ago.
Am I eligible to become a US citizen?
Not yet. You must wait until five years have elapsed since the DUI conviction to be eligible to apply for
US citizenship. Under the law, you must show at least five years of good moral character prior to applying
for US citizenship. Because you have been a legal permanent resident for over five years, you would be eligible
for US citizenship if you had not been convicted of the DUI.
- 3. I am a US citizen and my parents are in my birth country.
Can I apply for them to come here to live permanently?
Yes, you can file a visa petition at a USCIS Service Center. Once the petition is approved, it is sent to the
consulate of your birth country to determine status adjustment. Your parents will then be interviewed, and, if
approved, they would receive
their green cards once they have arrived in the United States.
- 4. I am not legal in the United States and I cannot obtain a
Social Security Number. What can I do?
You can apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). An ITIN is a tax processing number issued by
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is a nine-digit number that always begins with the number 9 and has a 7 or 8
in the fourth digit (e.g. 9XX-7X-XXXX). IRS issues ITINs to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer
identification number but who are not eligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security
Administration (SSA). ITINs are issued regardless of your immigration status because both resident and non-resident
aliens may have U.S. tax return and payment responsibilities under the Internal Revenue Code. Individuals must have
a filing requirement and file a valid federal income tax return to receive an ITIN. Obtaining an ITIN for immigration
purposes is important since all income earned, even without an employment authorization document, must be reported
to the IRS. An ITIN permits such reporting, and in many instances can help someone attempting to gain an immigration
benefit before USCIS or before an immigration judge. It should be noted, however, that an ITIN must never be used
as if it were an SSN since this could cause severe problems.
- 5. My friend told me that there is an amnesty program I
can sign up for. Is that true?
No, not yet. The Senate recently passed a bill that would permit specified people unlawfully present in the
United States to become legal guest workers. However, the Senate bill was not an amnesty program
since it would take an individual 11 years to become a US citizen.
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