Adjustment of Status
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) permits the change of an individual's immigration status while in the United States from nonimmigrant or parolee (temporary) to immigrant (permanent) if the individual was inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States and is able to meet all required qualifications for a green card (permanent residence) in a particular category. The common term for a change to permanent status is “adjustment of status.”
The INA provides an individual two primary paths to permanent resident status. Adjustment of status is the process by which an eligible individual already in the United States can get permanent resident status (a green card) without having to return to their home country to complete visa processing. Consular processing is an alternate process for an individual outside the United States (or who is in the United States but is ineligible to adjust status) to obtain a visa abroad and enter the United States as a permanent resident) This pathway is referred to as “consular processing”
Questionnaires
Please answer each question fully in the above questionnaires. When dates are requested, please provide the Month, Day and Year. We are asking these questions because they are required information for your forms.
Tax Returns from the IRS
It is best to use your tax returns with all supporting documents. If you do not have these your can normally get them from the company who prepared your returns. If you need to order your tax transcripts from the IRS please click here.
Photo Requirements
Your photo is a vital part of your application. To learn more, review the information below on how to provide a suitable photo. Photos are required for your application. The acceptance of your photo is at the discretion of USCIS.
We recommend you use a professional visa photo service to ensure your photo meets all the requirements.
Your photos or digital images must be:
- In color
- Sized such that the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (22 mm and 35 mm) or 50% and 69% of the image's total height from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. View the Photo Composition Template for more size requirement details.
- Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance
- Taken in front of a plain white or off-white background
- Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera
- With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open
- Taken in clothing that you normally wear on a daily basis
- Uniforms should not be worn in your photo, except religious clothing that is worn daily.
- Do not wear a hat or head covering that obscures the hair or hairline, unless worn daily for a religious purpose. Your full face must be visible, and the head covering must not cast any shadows on your face.
- Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.
- If you normally wear glasses (without tinted lenses), a hearing device, or similar articles, they may be worn in your photo.
- Dark glasses or glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable.
- Glare on glasses is not acceptable in your photo. Glare can be avoided with a slight downward tilt of the glasses or by removing the glasses or by turning off the camera flash.
Review the Photo Examples to see examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos. Photos copied or digitally scanned from driver’s licenses or other official documents are not acceptable. In addition, snapshots, magazine photos, low quality vending machine or mobile phone photos, and full-length photographs are not acceptable.
We have had good luck with the pictures taken at CVS Pharmacy.
Criminal Issues
If you have ever been arrested, we will need certified copies of court and police records for each incident. If you do not remember where, when or if you were arrested we will need to complete an FBI background check. For more information please click this link.
Translations & Original Documents
For more information on what documents need to be translated and what original documents need to be sent to USCIS, please click here.
Thomas J. Geygan, Jr.
Owner/Immigration Attorney
Telephone: 513-791-1673
Email: ThomasJr@geygan.com
Obtaining Lost or Missing Vital Records