Millbrae, CA Immigration Law Firms & Lawyers

Generally, a U.S. Citizen may become married to someone in another country and then petition for the foreign national to be able to enter the U.S. and attain Permanent Resident status (get a "Green Card"), by going through "consular processing." All of the steps involved in consular processing (as well as other potential immigration-related options, such as seeking a nonimmigrant fianc? visa so that your boyfriend could travel to the U.S. to marry you here, and then seek to become a Permanent Resident) are far to numerous and complex to be described in a LawQA communication, and many of the details may depend upon specific circumstances relating to your fianc? and/or to you. Some immigration law firms, including mine, provide legal representation for consular process and other options applicable to marriage and offer legal services on a "flat fee" basis so that a client will know the total expense from the very beginning. A few immigration law firms, including mine, offer an initial consultation free of charge.

They can come on a B2 visitors visa, which is issued at the U.S. Consulate of their home country. The purpose of travel on a B2 visa is tourism, pleasure or to visit relatives in the U.S. They must complete an online non-immigrant visa application first: DS-160, pay the fees and go to their interview with supporting evidence of their non-immigrant intent and travel purpose.

As you filed the change of status to F-1 prior to the application for the green card, the green card application will probably not affect the adjudication of the change of status request. If the green card application is denied but the F-1 change of status was approved, you would likely be allowed to stay in the U.S. as long as you are maintaining student status. You should remember, however, that F-1 status is tied to non-immigrant intent. If you require another adjudication from U.S.C.I.S. or an American consulate/embassy on your non-immigrant status, the green card application would be taken into account in deciding whether to grant the application. I note that there are certain non-immigrant visas which are dual intent (H-1B, L-1) in which intent to immigrate is not relevant to adjudication. For these, individuals can hold both immigrant and non-immigrant intent. There are also others in the gray area (E,O) for which U.S.C.I.S. and the consulates would likely approve an application notwithstanding immigrant intent by the applicant.