Chicago Immigration Legal Services Attorneys
In addition to cases involving business immigrant visas; business nonimmigrant visas such as E, L-1A and H-1B; and family immigration processes including K visas and the U.S. citizen sponsoring of a spouse for a green card, we also handle matters including F-1 student visa, J-1 exchange visitor visa, citizenship, asylum, VAWA, and DACA cases.
No matter what the situation, our Chicago immigration legal services attorneys at Cho Immigration Law take the time to provide thorough, compassionate immigration legal services to you.
F-1 Student and J-1 Exchange Visitor Visas
If you are a student who wishes to study in the U.S., you may qualify for student or exchange visitor visas, such as F-1 or J-1. There are differences between the two. For example, the J-1 requires that a large part of your financial support come from an external source, such as a scholarship or fellowship. An F-1 does not have this requirement.
U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Service Law Firm
After immigrating to the United States, you may live and work in the U.S. indefinitely as a lawful permanent resident. However, through the process of naturalization, once you have lived here for five years, you may then apply for citizenship. This is shortened to three years if you are married to a U.S. citizen. You must also meet certain physical presence and residence requirements, and pass a U.S. civics and history examination.
Asylum and Refugee Status
International conflicts and political strife may have led you to seek asylum or refugee status in the U.S. These are essentially the same in the protections they offer. The difference between the two is that asylum is granted if you are already in the U.S., while if you are still outside the country, you must seek refugee status. To qualify for either, you must demonstrate the following:
- The inability or unwillingness to return home
- That this inability or unwillingness is due to persecution or fear of persecution
- That this persecution is linked to race, nationality, religion, political opinion or membership in a social group
Our Chicago immigration attorneys help immigrants and refugees document the conditions required to file for the appropriate immigration status.
Table of Contents
Alternate Methods of Legal Immigration: DACA and DAPA
If you entered the U.S. as a child, you may be able to request consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. A similar program, known as Deferred Action for Parental Accountability, or DAPA, is available if you are an undocumented immigrant who is the parent of U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
VAWA
If you are a victim of domestic violence, you may be able to file immigrant visa petitions without the knowledge of your U.S. citizen abuser. Such proceedings may help you establish independence from your abuser, eliminating your reliance upon him/her to remain in the U.S.
Services Tailored to Your Needs
With almost 27 years of combined experience providing legal immigration services, our team at Cho Immigration Law can help you with all of your immigration needs. Contact our offices today at (312) 853-3088.
Table of Contents