Central Islip, NY Immigration Law Firms & Lawyers

Much will depend on when the convictions occurred and whether you pled guilty or had a trial. You need to gather your criminal records and have an attorney review them with you during a consultation.

Sorry to disappoint you, but only a U.S. citizen can petition the government for his/her parent's immigration. If you became a permanent resident in October 2011, all you can do is to be ready to file the application for naturalization 90 days before the 5th anniversary of your permanent residency, i.e., in July 2016. The process of naturalization will likely take 6-10 months, so you might be in position to file an immigrant petition for your mother sometime in the first months of 2017. You will also have to show that you can support your mother in the U.S. financially so that she would not need welfare or any other public support. Right now, the income you would have to show is about $19500 a year; every year, the government raises this amount by ~$500; so, in 2016, you can expect to need to earn about $21000 (if you remain single; if you marry and/or have a child, the required income will be about $4500 more for each additional member of your family). If you will not earn enough to sponsor your mother, you will need to find someone who would agree to become a co-sponsor for her. It is not easy. If you can, try to use these 3.5 years to get some additional skills and a better paying job.