BSun asked:
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How much should a lawyer cost to file all the paper work for a green card through marriage? Also, how long does it take from applying till the foreign spouse has a work authorization and visa?

WALTER
Minneapolis Immigration Lawyer asked:


Green Card Lawyer for Minnesota Immigration

What is a Green Card?

A green card is the term used to describe the document that shows a persons is a Lawful Permanent Resident.  It is the document that immigrants receive as proof of their permanent resident status.  The green card can be used for employment, driver’s license, social security number, etc.

Is a Green Card the same as Citizenship?
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No.  Although green card holders may live in the United States indefinitely, they are not U.S. citizens.  Green card holders may work legally, travel, etc., but in order to become a U.S. citizen, they may apply for citizenship; it does not happen automatically.  Green card holders also cannot vote.

How do I get a Green Card?

You may be eligible for a green card if you have certain family members who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.  Green card status is also available through employment.  Lastly, if a person is in deportation proceedings, there are occassions when an immigration judge may grant premanent resident – green card status.

How long may I remain a permanent resident?

You may remain a permanent resident, without becoming a citizen, indefinitely.  However, you are required to renew your green card every ten years.  In addition, you will be subject to various restrictions on travel, voting, etc., as a permanent resident.  As a U.S. citizen, there would be no restrictions on your immigration status.

For more information about specific details about the different ways to get a green card, see the many articles on our site at www.cundyandmartin.com .



XAVIER
Karl Garcia asked:


The term Immigration Lawyer is another very common term people are becoming aware of. But most of the detailed processing of Top Immigration lawyer is still not known to common man. An immigration lawyer is someone who possesses the knowledge of various laws pertaining to specifically to immigration. An immigration lawyer is a person who is well aware of various formalities involved into legal immigration from one country to another.He or she may also be called as Legal Representative for Immigration. An Immigration Lawyer thus help any one to immigrate by minimizing the effort and formalities on the applicants side.

An immigration lawyer directory can help you find the kind of lawyer you are looking for.

Immigration Lawyer can be searched by state. It is possible to find an Immigration Lawyer in the telephone directory, but searching Immigration Lawyer over the internet search engines offer a better hit chance of gaining broader information coverage. Becoming a citizen is not necessarily an easy process and there is a lot of red tape and documentation one must get through before he or she can become a citizen of a country. Conversely, with the assistance of an attorney the process becomes a bit easier because you will have a skilled Immigration Lawyer working on your behalf to help you become a citizen.
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To become a citizen of the United States you must understand what are the required formalities required for the whole Immigration Process. A lawyer will be familiar with the Naturalization Act of 1906, Sec 4 which indicates that an immigrant can only become a citizen after fulfilling certain legal obligations. There are certain time requirements, documents, and oaths that are required before one can become a citizen and an Immigration Lawyer can help you identify your responsibilities and can advise you how to proceed with the process. Moreover, an immigration lawyer can assist you in such a way that they minimize the problems or difficulties while applying for the Immigration formalities..

Although you do not necessarily need a lawyer to become a citizen, it certainly can’t hurt. If you are lacking in the understanding of various immigration laws, an Immigration lawyer can assist you with such difficulties and clarify your situation for you. When you have questions you may want somewhere to turn for answers and someone possessing an understanding of the law may be particularly helpful in questions pertaining to immigration. Moreover, an talented immigration lawyer can make the complicated application process turn into much easier task to assist you with filling out your required applications for a student visa, visa, and/or citizenship.

If you are really serious about migrating, you may feel far more comfortable with a immigration lawyer working on your behalf. Without a lawyer to assist you, any immigration dilemmas that arise may prove to be frustrating and finally result in overheads to the whole process or even the failure. Ultimately, the more serious you are willing to migrate, the more seriously they will consider your options. Keep an open mind about your options and consider hiring a competent lawyer to assist you in your citizenship endeavors.



ULYSSES
Robert L asked:


Why am I being harassed by government lawyers because some of the charities I donated to are tied to Iran?

Why the hell doesnt uncle sam have better things to do? Its not like I gave $$$ to hezbollah or something. I just gave money to radical organizations with some links. God! Now I’m getting phone calls and letter like once a week! Im going to sue for systematic harrasment by the US gov. I pay these jokers salaries.

THERON

Jose Roberto Simoes asked:


Contact:  Anne O’Donoghue  of  Immigration Solutions Immigration lawyers benefit their clients and the public interest by helping to reunite families, delivering economic benefits through skilled and business migration, and protecting those in danger through humanitarian programs.

As a profession, immigration law is moving toward more rigorous professional standards, greater specialisation, and stronger oversight. The changing nature of the profession has prompted a group of immigration lawyers, including,Glenn Ferguson, Deputy President of the Queensland Law Society and Immigration Solutions Principal Solicitor Anne O’Donoghue, to form the Immigration Lawyers Association of Australasia [ ILAA ]

The ultimate result of changes within the profession, and the establishment of a professional association, will be better delivery of service to clients.

Professionalism

Like all lawyers, immigration lawyers must meet minimum levels of professionalism, and must attend continuing legal education (CLE) classes. Specialist immigration lawyers may also undertake specialist accreditation, through specialist accreditation programmes, which have been established by the Law Society of NSW and the Law Institute of Victoria. These programmes have been running for some years and have proved very successful in raising the level of professionalism.

This is in addition to meeting the requirements set forth by the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) for continuing professional development (CPD), although there have been moves recently to allow immigration lawyers cross credit CPD and CLE courses.

Immigration lawyers must adhere to the ethical and professional standards, under the State regulated Legal Profession Acts,which regulate legal practice in Australia, in addition to the provisions set out in MARA’s code of conduct

This dual regulatory structure ,although onerous at times, ensures that the standard of professionalism among immigration lawyers is very high, allowing them to deliver high quality services to clients in an often-confusing area of the legal system.

It is hoped that the establishment of the ILAA will add to the opportunities that immigration lawyers have for professional development within their field, whilst also encouraging a new area of practice for young lawyers.

Increasing specialisation

Immigration law is a massive and horrendously complicated area of the legal system. At present, there are more than 500 articles in Australia’s Migration Act, and a huge number of cases annually.

Against this backdrop, it has become increasingly difficult for any single lawyer to practice across all areas of migration law.

As a result, immigration law firms are becoming increasingly specialised, appointing legal staff to deal with various areas of immigration law, such as business migration, skilled migration, family migration and refugee law, for example.

Moreover, it is becoming increasingly common for lawyers in general practice to refer immigration cases,to a specialist immigration practice, where for example, an existing client of the firm has an immigration problem. The firm may not be able to handle the case, but also wishes to service the client’s needs. Using a specialist practice as a consultant solves the problem and creates a good networking environment.

Taken together, this preferred method of practice is helping to ensure that migration consumers are getting the specialist attention they need to navigate through Australia’s migration system.

Strong oversight

Unlike migration agents, who are regulated solely by the MARA, lawyers must be registered with their relevant state legal authorities and must also have professional indemnity insurance.

This rigorous oversight regime ensures that lawyers adhere to high standards of service, and that there is also a strong functioning mechanism for redressing complaints, should they arise.

The result of this strong oversight, coupled with high professional standards and increasingly specialisation, is that immigration lawyers are delivering the quality services that their clients need.

Jose Roberto Simoes

webmaster

Dec, 2008







PRESTON