Effingham County, GA Immigration Law Firms & Lawyers

The filing fee for a K1 Fiance Visa filed with the USCIS is $340 with an additional fee of $265 paid to the consulate for nonimmigrant visa application processing fees. After becoming married in the U.S. within the required time, the couple will need to proceed with an Adjustment of Status application process where the USCIS filing fee will be $1,070. There is a separate fee charged by the physician who will provide a required Medical Examination and Vaccination Report, and sometimes there are other miscellaneous minor costs, such as for translations, for photocopying, for obtaining needed documents like passports or birth records. Beyond the costs mentioned above, there are many other details that determine immigration eligibility. The application process can be quite complex, and mistakes, including supplying inadequate supporting documents, can cause substantial delays or even more harsh consequences.

Once one becomes a naturalized citizen, he/she may sponsor and petition for certain relatives to receive U.S. immigration benefits in the "Immediate Relative" visa category, and for certain other relatives in other visa categories. In none of those instances will the U.S. citizen's receipt of needs-based public assistance interfere with his/her ability to petition for and sponsor a relative, however, if the U.S. citizen does not have sufficient documentable income to meet the requirements for the applicable household size, then it may become necessary to include a "joint sponsor" for the process. The joint sponsor generally may be any U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident with sufficient documentable income who is willing to assume the responsibilities specified on the Affidavit of Support. It should not be surprising that you were unable to find answers to your questions despite searching lots of places. Immigration law is complex, and even lawyers who do not practice immigration law often find it quite difficult to frame the right question, to recognize the legal issues, and to complete a reliable analysis. It would be wise for you to work with an immigration attorney to achieve your goals. Some immigration law firms, including mine, offer legal services on a "flat fee" basis so that a client will know the total expense from the very beginning, and a few immigration law firms, including mine, offer an initial consultation free of charge.

Although not clear from your question, I presume that you are a U.S. citizen. Generally a U.S. citizen age 21 or older may petition for a parent who lawfully entered the U.S. with inspection (such as through a B1/B2 visitor's visa with six months' validity) to adjust status in the Immediate Relative visa category, and this is true regardless of whether the parent may have overstayed a visa. The application process would include an application for an Employment Authorization Document, which the USCIS issues within 90 days of filing the application, and that authorizes employment during the period that the adjustment of status application remains pending. If the U.S. citizen child does not have sufficient documentable income to meet the Affidavit of Support requirements, then it will be necessary to have a "joint sponsor" - a joint sponsor generally may be any U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident who has sufficient documentable income for his/her family size and who is willing to have the responsibilities specified in the Affidavit of Support. You have asked what will be needed for a successful application. While generally that will require a properly prepared and fully documented Form I-130 petition for relative alien and a properly prepared and fully documented Form I-485 application for adjustment of status (along with an application for an Employment Authorization Document), the challenging part often is in providing full and complete sets of supporting documentation for each application. It would be wise for you and your mother to consult with an immigration attorney who, after learning all of the relevant information about you and your mother, could advise about immigration eligibilities, options and strategies and could offer legal representation for the application process.