Atherton, CA Immigration Law Firms & Lawyers

If you depart the US while yourextensionof stay(such as B2 visa) is still pending, your application will be deemed abandoned and you may have unlawful presence as a result(if your I-94 expires at the time of your departure).

You need to file the appropriate forms (I-130 and I-485) to start the process. Your spouse must also meet the poverty guidelines in order to sponsor you, or else you will need a co-sponsor. And you must be able to document that your marriage is real and not a sham marriage for immigration benefits. Depending on how you entered the U.S., you may need to go through consular processing in your country of origin. There is no set fee schedule for how much an attorney charges for his or her services. All attorneys charge differently depending on their experience, locality, complexity of the case, etc. I suggest that you interview a number of attorneys and retain the one you feel most comfortable with and can afford.

You can apply for adjustment of status while she is in the US on a visitor visa. Just make sure to wait a couple of months before filing. And she must remain in the US until she gets her work and travel permits.