Dalton, GA Immigration Law Firms & Lawyers

In general, a conviction of a littering offense will have no impact upon eligibilities for immigration benefits. It is necessary to be fully honest with all communications with immigration authorities, and so the arrest and conviction will need to be disclosed. Depending upon the immigration benefits that are sought and steps that are to be taken to apply, one may be required to supply certified copies of court disposition documents (such as the arresting document(s), the plea, the court's order and proof that all fines were paid and compliance was made with all other requirements of the court). An expungement of a conviction or a sealing of a record may not make any difference to immigration authorities. It would be wise to engage an immigration attorney to review the relevant arrest/conviction documents and then advise you about your eligibilities, options and strategies.

*Consulate Processing* Consulate Processing must be completed. This allows the petition to first be sent to the National Visa Center, and then the appropriate documents and package to go to the U.S. Consulate or Embassy. If done correctly, you will be able to enter as a Lawful Permanent Resident and will be in the U.S. in less than one year. Of course the time might be a bit less or more depending on the backlog of the U.S. Consulate or Embassy and whether or not a Waiver of Inadmissibility is needed.

Generally, it is necessary to have a final decree of divorce before one lawfully can enter a subsequent marriage; failure to first achieve a final decree renders a subsequent marriage invalid; and a later finalization of a divorce from a first spouse will NOT make a previously invalid marriage automatically become valid. In connection with immigration-related matters based upon marriage, it would be wise to engage an immigration attorney and perhaps a domestic relations attorney to collaborate to determine whether the initial divorce decree will be sufficient under these circumstances, whether another wedding would be needed after the appeal of the first divorce decree is concluded, or whether other options might be appropriate.