Immigration laws in the United States of America are under a lot of political scrutinies. While the main foundation of immigration laws is to oversee issues of citizenship and nationality, it is also based on reuniting families who might have fled from different countries with fascist regimes, to allow immigrants from other countries entry into the United States of America if their skills can be of value to the Nation. The Immigration laws of the United States are also tasked with protecting refugees from neighboring nations and beyond and also with promoting diversity. Immigration laws bear the burden of protecting and providing sale shelter to many families who come to the USA in search of a better life. Grand Forks immigration lawyers help migrants understand their rights based on immigration laws in the US.
What are the Laws Governing Immigration in the United States?
The Immigration and Nationality Act is one of the main bodies of law that governs the immigration law in the United States. The Immigration and Nationality Act or INA was enacted by Congress and is updated from time to time to accommodate the needs of America. Every year the INA grants visas to about six lakh seventy-five thousand people, officially making them permanent residents of the United States. This number is inclusive of all kinds of visa categories. Apart from this huge chunk of people, the officers from the Immigration office and guardians of INA also allow their spouse, children under the age of 18, and parents, also into the United States. Since there is no official limit on family admittance, the real number of people who are granted permanent residency status is much higher.
Apart from refugees and immigrants entering the United States under the legal permission of INA, immigrants are also allowed in via the U.S Refugee Admissions Program. Under this program, the President, in consultation with Congress allows a set of refugees to be granted admittance, annually.
To interact with all of these and apply for immigrant status, immigration is extremely useful. They explain the procedure, help sort the documents and get them in order, and in approaching the appropriate authorities to get the job done. People who don’t understand the process or the language can find this an extremely adulating task to undertake. It can seem very daunting. Hiring Grand Forks Immigration law firm can help ease the burden.
What happens after Getting the Visa?
After an immigrant visa is granted, it legally allows people from different countries to enter the United States of America for the purpose they have stated. They are entitled to a status known as Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR). If you are a noncitizen already in the United States and would like to obtain a lawful permanent resident status, the best way to do that is to go through a process known as “adjustment status”. Contact your nearest Grand Forks immigration lawyers to understand this process and what it entails.
If you have received the LPR status, you are now a semi-citizen of America. You can apply for jobs that are not merely restricted to American citizens, as you are now one of them. Another perk of receiving the LPR status is that even if you are employed, you can still legally stay in the country without violating any terms of stay. To obtain full citizenship, LPRs will have to reside in the United States for a period between three to five years, after which LPRs become officially valid to apply for American Citizenship. Full citizenship cannot be obtained without becoming an LPR first. Any and all immigrants planning to stay in America for a long time must keep this in mind.
For families looking to be admitted to America, it is necessary that a U.S citizen or a person with LPR status, sponsor them.
Apart from these, the Immigration laws for students and tourists to enter the United States for America for a limited time and a limited purpose. These are non-citizens from a different country who are granted entry and exit for a very specific purpose. These temporary visas have no limits and the Country can choose to grant these based on a case-to-case basis. These temporary visas are called non-immigrant visas. For all this and more, Ward K Johnson has a team of licensed and skilled Grand Forks immigration lawyers to best represent your needs in the State and Federal Courts.