Why Should I Hire an Immigration Lawyer?

August 1, 2011 By Tom Jr.

Why Should I Hire an Immigration Lawyer?

It is natural to question the benefit of hiring an immigration lawyer, especially in today’s economy. However, anytime you are dealing with the legal system, especially a foreign one, it is likely in your best interest to be represented by an immigration attorney.

If you take the following points into consideration, you are likely to view your immigration lawyer fees as an investment in your family’s future and well-being, not as a questionable expense.

An Immigration Attorney is an Investment Because:

* A qualified immigration attorney understands the innermost workings of the legal system as well as the intricacies of the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS.) In addition, he or she knows how to file the appropriate forms, documentation, and fees.

* An immigration attorney keeps abreast of all the law and policy changes, regarding immigration and helping people like you and your family.

* Your immigration lawyer will literally speak the same language as the immigration officials, English. In addition, he understands the language and terminology of immigration laws and the USCIS.

* You attorney is legally and morally obligated to be on your side, representing your best interests.

* In all immigration matters, the consequences of failure are extreme: deportation from the U.S., refusal of admittance to the U.S., and/or separation from family.

* Your immigration lawyer can represent you in court, before the USCIS, and in all meetings or other administrative law courts.

* Your lawyer will answer your questions, address your concerns, and set appropriate expectations so as to eliminate fear of the unknown.

* Once you hire your immigration attorney, you can rest assured that you and your family have an advocate who will aggressively fight for your legal rights. You’re likely to breathe a great sigh of relief, have increased peace of mind, and sleep better at night.

How to Hire an Immigration Attorney

At Geygan and Geygan, we focus our practice on immigration matters so we are uniquely qualified to help you and your family. Success with immigration matters requires a full understanding of the facts, the immigration law, and the current immigration policies. Our office is located in Ohio, but we are licensed to practice immigration law throughout the United States. Please contact our office to discuss how we can help you. All conversations are confidential.

Filed Under: Adoption, Asylum, Citizenship, Deportation & Removal, Employment, Employment Visas, Family based Immigration, Family Member, Family Visas, Green Card, Green Card, Green Card, Immigration, Immigration Court, Investor Visas, Naturalization, Treaty Investors, Waiver

Can an Immigration Attorney Help Me?

July 19, 2011 By Tom Jr.

Can an Immigration Attorney Help Me?

The law is complex because there are many lawyers in many different areas of legal practice. You may not understand what an immigration lawyer does and may be wondering, “Can an immigration attorney help me?”

Immigration Lawyers Help Foreign Nationals Enter or Stay in the United States for Many Purposes

Immigration lawyers help foreign nationals (i.e. people from countries other than the United States) come to or stay in the United States. Perhaps, you want to visit, study, work, live with family, develop an investment or business, entertain, conduct research, become a citizen, or hire a foreign national for work you in the United States. Immigration attorneys do all of these things to help people like you.

Are Your Needs on the Immigration Attorney Matters List?

Here is a specific list of common immigration matters of how we help our clients. If you don’t find your needs on this list, or if you’re unsure of what your specific needs are, please feel free to telephone or email our office. We would be happy to analyze your case and see if we’d be a good fit, free of charge and with no obligation. Of course, our conversations are strictly confidential.

A Listing of Immigration Attorney Matters

Family and Fiancé/Fiancée Visas

- Spouses
- Fiancés
- Children of Spouses
- Children of Fiancés
- Parents
- Siblings (brothers and sisters)
H-1B Visas
H-1B Transfers
Asylum
Investment Visas
PERM/Labor Certificates
EB-1, EP-2, and EP-3 Visas
Consular Issues
E2 Visas
L1 Visa
Doctor, Nurse, and Healthcare Visas
Employment Based Green Cards
O & P Entertainers, Performers, and Athletes
I-601 Hardship Waivers
J-1 Waivers for Physicians
American Citizenship

Where to get help with immigration matters

It’s easy to get help. We will answer your questions and address your concerns. Call or email our immigration lawyers today (Thomasjr@geygan.com.) We will gently walk you through your immigration issues and aggressively fight for your legal rights. Call Geygan & Geygan today: 513-793-6555. Our office is located in Ohio, but we are licensed to practice immigration law throughout the United States.

At Geygan and Geygan, we focus our practice on immigration matters so we are uniquely qualified to help you and your family. Success with immigration matters requires a full understanding of the facts, the immigration law, and the current immigration policies. Please contact our office to discuss how we can help you. All conversations are confidential.

How consular officer are instructed to handle cases where an applicant as drunk driving hits.

June 28, 2011 By Tom Jr.

How consular officer are instructed to handle cases where an applicant as drunk driving hits.

Consular both generally become aware of drunk driving arrest and conviction after receiving the results of fingerprints taken when applicant has a “hit” on one or more of their database. While a drunk driving conviction is not statutory visa ineligibility, a conviction may indicate that further investigation is needed to determine whether not the Applicant may in fact be in eligible under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The portion of the act could render an individual in eligible is an applicant who has a physical or mental disorder and demonstrates behavior associated with the disorder that may pose, or has pose, a threat to the property, safety, or welfare of the alien or others.

In the case of an immigrant visa applicant consular officers now must refer the applicant back to the panel physician for additional evaluation in two circumstances. The first being an applicant has a single drunk driving arrest or conviction within the last three calendar years. The second circumstance being two or more drunk driving arrest or conviction in any time period. In addition to those two circumstances consulate officers must also refer applicants the panel positions if there’s any other evidence to suggest an alcohol problem.

In order for an applicant to be found in eligible under the INA section 212 (a) (1) (A) (iii) the physician findings must include:

1. Diagnosis of a mental disorder (which would include alcohol abuse); and

2. Current harmful behavior associated with mental disorder or history of harmful behavior associated with mental disorder this judge likely to recur in the future.

Where to get help

At Geygan and Geygan, we focus our practice on immigration matters so we are uniquely qualified to help you and your family. Success with immigration matters, including the consular processing, requires a full understanding of the facts, the immigration law and the current policies. Please contact our office to discuss how we can help you. All conversations are confidential.

It’s easy to get help. Call or email our immigration lawyers today (Thomasjr@geygan.com.) We will gently walk you through your immigration issues and aggressively fight for your legal rights. Call Geygan & Geygan today: 513-793-6555.

Filed Under: Employment, Employment Visas, Family based Immigration, Family Visas, Green Card, Green Card, Immigration

H-1B Visas Capped at 85,000

June 24, 2011 By Tom Jr.

H-1B Visas Capped at 85,000

The Geygan and Geygan immigration lawyers help people like you find their way into the United States legally. Often, professionals use the H-1B visa as a means to come to the U.S.

How the H-1B visa works

The H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant visa. U.S. employers who need employees in a specialty occupation can employ, for a limited period of time, foreign workers. These employers of these foreign workers apply for an H-1B nonimmigrant visas so their workers can enter, live, and work in the U.S. for a period of time.

Specialty occupations include, but are not limited to engineering, architecture, biotechnology, medicine/health, the arts, law, physical sciences, social sciences, telecom, and education.

85,000 people can enter the U.S. with an H-1B visa each fiscal year. Unless an exemption applies, there is a statutory cap of 65,000 H-1B petitions (and there are 20,000 statutory visa exemptions available.) In other words, the first 20,000 H-1B visa petitions by people who have master’s degrees earned in the U.S. are exempt from the 65,000 cap.

The power of an H-1B visa

The H-1B visa allows the holder to enter (and reenter), live, and work for a specific employer in the U.S. Your spouse and children, who are under the age of 21 are permitted to come to the U.S. and live with you.

If a spouse wants to work, he or she must have their own work visa, even another H-1B visa.

H-1B visas expire

H-1B visas expire after three years. They are typically extended for another three years upon request. However, U.S. defense department workers may be able to get a 10 year H-1B visa.

Remember that the H-1B visa allows you to enter, work, and live in the U.S. so long as you work for the specific employer who applied for your visa.

If that employments ends, for any reason, you must leave the country or another qualifying employer must request to have your H-1B visa transferred (if you still have time on your visa.)

If you wish to remain in the U.S.

If you wish to remain in the U.S. after your H-1B visa expires, you can apply for a green card and become a permanent resident or you can apply for another H-1B visa after a one year absence from the U.S.

Where to get help

At Geygan and Geygan, we focus our practice on immigration matters so we are uniquely qualified to help you and your family. Success with immigration matters, including the H-1B via, requires a full understanding of the facts, the immigration law and the current policies. Please contact our office to discuss how we can help you. All conversations are confidential.

Filed Under: Employment, Employment Visas, Immigration

How do I Get a Green Card?

May 16, 2011 By Tom Jr.

How do I Get a Green Card?

You may remember the romantic comedy (1990) feature film, “Green Card.” A young American woman enters into a marriage of convenience so that a Frenchman can attain his green card. Having a family member or fiancé petition for your green card is one way to become a permanent resident.

The most common ways to get a green card are through:

a family member (parent, child, sibling, or fiancé)
a job (typically, a high level professional position)
political asylum or as a refugee

When you follow the links for each way to get a green card, you will find more detailed information about how to get a green card for each category.

Green card benefits

Green cards are small laminated cards with the permanent resident’s photograph and fingerprints. They are very powerful because the benefits are significant. The green card indicates that the holder is a “permanent resident,” having the right to live and work in the United States. You also have the right to be protected under the laws of your state and locale of residence. It also serves as a reentry document, meaning that the holder has the right to reenter the United States after a short absence without providing additional documentation. It is significant to note that a permanent resident or green card holder is not a U.S. citizen. And, thereby, does not have all the rights associated with citizenship such as voting in national elections.

Who makes these green card rules?

Although you’ve likely heard of “INS” and seen references to it on television, the INS was dissolved in 2003. All immigration matters are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS.) The USCIS is an agency under the Department of Homeland Security.

Where to get help getting a green card

If you have questions regarding obtaining a green card and becoming a permanent resident, be sure to consult with a qualified immigration attorney. Immigration is a very specialized area of law; be sure your attorney focuses his or her practice on immigration and getting green cards.

We focus our practice on immigration law and help people just like you. You are not alone. Your next step is to contact our office: 513-791-1673 or Thomasjr@geygan.com. We will gently walk you through the green card process. In addition we explain immigration issues such as how to get a green card, represent you in front of the Department of State as needed, and aggressively fight for your legal rights.

Filed Under: Employment, Family based Immigration, Green Card, Green Card, Green Card, Immigration, Investor Visas