Immigration & Naturalization   Immigrant Visas Obtaining a “green card”— indicating lawful permanent residency in the U.S.--is the primary goal of our clients who are planning to enter this country. If that is your goal, too, please contact the Law Office of Bunmi Awoniyi, DBA, Family Resolution Center, today to arrange a consultation and to learn how we can help you. Having lawful permanent residency enables you to live and work in the U.S indefinitely. But because obtaining permanent residency has become more complicated since 9-11, applicants regularly need help navigating the process. We can assist you in obtaining permanent residence through the categories (listed below) within two main types of permanent visas: 1. Employment-based immigrant visas Immigrants with extraordinary ability in business, arts or sciences Managers and Executives of multi-national businesses Outstanding professors or researchers Immigrants with advanced degrees and performing work in the national interest Immigrants with job offers and a Bachelor degree or higher, or work experience Religious workers and ministers whose services are required by their non-profit religious organization Immigrant investors with substantial funds invested in the U.S. PERM process: Some employment-based applications require you to go through a process called Program Review Electronic Management (PERM). This is a procedure by which the U.S. Department of Labor certifies there is a lack of qualified U.S. workers in your job category. Once the labor shortage is certified you can apply at the CIS level for your immigrant visa. We can help you navigate this procedure as well. 2. Family-based immigrant visas You are an immediate relative of U.S. citizens, such as parent, child or spouse You are the adult child, married or unmarried, of a U.S. citizen You are the spouse or unmarried child of a lawful permanent resident You are the brother of sister of a U.S. citizen You are being adopted by a U.S. citizen Diversity Lottery Visa Each year, the Diversity Lottery Program makes 55,000 new immigrant visas available for individuals from underrepresented nations. Administered by the U.S. State Department, the Diversity Lottery Program requires that you have either a high school education, its equivalent, or two years work experience within the last five years in a job which demands two years training. You or your spouse must be a native of a nation eligible for the Diversity Lottery Program. Find out more about this program, as well  as other means of obtaining legal permanent residency in the U.S., by contacting us today to arrange a free consultation. Non Immigrant-Visas If you wish to enter the U.S. for a temporary period of time, a non-immigrant visa permits you to travel to a U.S. port of entry and request permission of the Department of Homeland Security to visit for a specific purpose. That purpose might be work, schooling, a conference, etc., or to visit the country, friends or family. A non-immigrant visa differs from an immigrant visa in that the non-immigrant visa only allows a person to enter temporarily, whereas an immigrant visa holder can enter and stay permanently. The length of time someone can stay in the U.S. depends on the visa status under which they are admitted (for example, specialty occupation). And a person admitted in one status can often change their status in order to stay longer--or to perform different activities. For instance, a medical school student may want to change his or her status to an employer-sponsored non-immigrant visa once they graduate and find employment (assuming their new employer will sponsor them). Several types of non-immigrant visas also allow a person to extend their status and thereby extend their stay in the U.S. The process can sometimes be confusing and complicated. Our firm can make it much easier, determining the visa category that is right for you and assisting you with changing status from your current category to the new category. In appropriate cases, we can also obtain legal status and work authorization for your dependent family members. The following is a brief list of the most commonly used temporary working visa categories: H1-B Specialty Occupation This non-immigrant visa classification applies to an alien who will be employed temporarily in a specialty occupation (one which typically requires a Bachelor’s degree) or as a fashion model of distinguished merit and ability. Under current law, there is an annual limit of 65,000 aliens who may be issued a visa or otherwise provided H-1B status. As many as 20,000 additional H-1B slots are available to graduates of U.S. Master’s degree (or higher) programs. L-1 Intra-company Transfers The L-1 visa permits multinational companies to transfer high-level and essential employees from their international offices to the United States. The non-immigrant would work at the affiliate or subsidiary of that same employer in the U.S. in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge capacity. E-1 Treaty Traders The E-1 visa allows an individual to enter the United States on a non-immigrant basis for the sole purpose of carrying on substantial trade between his or her country and the United States. The home country of the non-immigrant must have a treaty with the United States. E-2 Treaty Investor If you come to the U.S. to run an enterprise in which you are invested, you may obtain the non-immigrant visa status of E-2 treaty investor. If you are an employee of a treaty trader investor you may also be qualified as an E visa holder if your duties require special qualifications essential to the business. The non-immigrant must have the same nationality as the alien employer and the home country of the non-immigrant must have a treaty with the United States. O-1 Individuals of Extraordinary Ability or Achievement Highly talented or acclaimed individuals may be eligible for an O visa for entry into the U.S. People who may qualify for this visa are physicians, scientists and accomplished businesspeople as well as athletes considered at the top of their field. TN Professionals These visas are limited to nationals of Canada and Mexico.  If you are employed in one of the sixty-three listed professions in NAFTA, you can apply for non-immigrant TN status. Most of the listed professions require either a bachelor's degree or a licensures degree. R-1 Religious Workers The R-1 visa permits religious workers to come to the U.S. to take on a religious occupation and perform services for their religious organization. The religious organization must already be established in the United States. Find out about MANY other means of obtaining a non-immigrant visa to the U.S., by contacting us today to arrange a consultation.   Your Contact Information: Name: Email Address: Address line: Address line 2: City, State Zip: Phone: Fax: Explanation of your legal situation: