9September 2019
The Immigration and Nationality Act is the law that allows immigrants to reunite with their families and a certain number of family based immigration visas may be issued every year. Still, when it comes to family based immigration on Maui, there are certain aspects that many foreigners may not be familiar with.
To help you better understand how family based immigration on Maui works, we’ve created this short guide below.
Who can file a family based immigration on Maui?
Helping a family member obtain a green card and come join you in the U.S. implies the participation of two family members: you, the petitioner and your family member, the beneficiary.
The petitioner should either be a permanent resident on the island or a naturalized U.S. citizen to be able to sponsor a family member for a green card.
Typically, the process can take a while, but if the application is approved, the beneficiary will have the legal right to come live and work in the United States.
Who can obtain a green card and come join their family in the U.S?
When it comes to family based immigration on Maui, it’s important to mention that family based immigrants fall into either one of the two main categories: family preference or immediate relatives.
Immediate relatives are the parents, spouses or unmarried children of permanent residents or citizens of the United States. For this category of relatives, there is an unlimited number of immigrant visas available. Therefore, if you’d like to petition for your parents, husband or wife or your children to come join you in the U.S., contact Maui Immigration Law today and let’s see how we can initiate the process.
All the other family members, based on relationships that are not immediate, are considered family preference categories. For family members falling under this category, there is a limited number of visas issued each year. In other words, if you would like to petition for a family member who is not your parent, spouse or child come join you here on Maui, you should act fast. Immigration laws limit the number of green cards that can be issued to the family preference category and as a result, sponsoring a family member for a visa may take a long while.
How long does it take to file a family based petition on Maui?
Unfortunately, because there are myriad U.S. residents looking to reunite with their families, the demand for immigrant visas always exceeds the number of green cards available. This means that, once the maximum number of available visas is reached, a waiting list is formed and each petitioner must wait for their turn.
When it comes to family based immigration on Maui, it’s important to mention that the U.S. Department of State will publish a visa bulletin on a monthly basis so that petitioners can verify when their case will be reviewed by the immigration authorities.
The process of bringing a family member to join you in the U.S. may take months, or in some cases, even years. Therefore, if you’d like to get in place in line, contact our office today and let’s see how soon we can get the immigration process started for your loved ones.