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Houston, Texas Immigration Attorneys
On a day to day basis we strive to represent Immigrants with Zeal, Dedication and Compassion unparalleled. Successfully completing the immigration process to the United States is the ultimate dream for many people. The immigration process can truly be one of the most complex legal processes an individual can go through and oftentimes, the hardships and potential detours can push an individual away from completing the immigration process.
However if you hire our immigration law firm, you can be rest assured that an extremely skilled Houston immigration lawyer will by your side walking you through each and every step of the the entire process to where you will feel protected to know that you are never alone and you will know that we will be by your side every day working on your case to achieve your goal of becoming a United States citizen. At the Eduardo Okwueze law firm, our immigration attorneys are dedicated to seeing their clients successfully reach their immigration goals, whether those goals include citizenship, deportation defense, or residency. We can be trusted to provide you with the necessary guidance through the immigration process.
At the Eduardo Okwueze Law firm in Houston, TX we understand that every person has their own unique circumstance, however with intimate and personal legal guidance, our lawyers will help clients understand their options, what may be required of them to successfully reach their goals, or what potential challenges they may expect during the process. Attorney Andres Rodrigues is highly sought after and highly accomplished. Mr Rodriguez has experience in practically every aspect of immigration law. Therefore If you are looking to gain entry into the United States through immigration or are a resident wishing to apply for citizenship through naturalization, you can rely on attorney Andres Rodriguez for immaculate and excellent legal counsel and advice. Immigrants seeking permanent residency or a green card can depend on Attorney Andres Rodriguez exceptional skill in immigration law to help them accomplish their goal of their American Dream which is obtaining legal status in the United states.
Common Immigration Concerns
Clients approach Eduardo and Associates in hopes of receiving feedback on a variety of complex immigration issues. Many desire assistance with renewing their visas, while others have already suffered expired visas. Assistance with naturalization is a common request among those who desire citizenship, but find the process of becoming a naturalized citizen daunting. Other clients have been accused of committing crimes and worry that they will be deported as a result. Eduardo and Associates handles both criminal and immigration matters and is therefore equipped to handle cases involving the overlap of these two practice areas.
Ways we can Help You
Whether you’re worried about deportation or ready to become a naturalized citizen, a skilled Houston immigration attorney can help you achieve the best life possible in the United States. Your immigration attorney will communicate clearly and openly with you, letting you know exactly what to expect from the immigration system. The ability to communicate with clients in their native language can also prove helpful; Eduardo Okwueze can converse in English, Spanish, & Russian.
Bringing Families Together and Keeping Families Together
Through Immigration Law Guidance
The ultimate goal of each family-based immigration petition is to keep families together or to reunite separated family members. The family-based immigration process is anything but simple, however, and mistakes are extremely costly and could bar your family member from coming to the United States..
The Edward Okwueze Law Office, understands the intricacies and requirements of this immigration process and knows how to prevent or avoid mistakes that would delay family members from reuniting in the United States. We understand the importance of the process for everyone that we represent, and therefore we have an in-house 3 step process to make certain petitions are presented correctly and that all information is accurate and error free.
The Edward Okwueze Law Firm has extensive experience with a wide range of family immigration matters, including Adjustment of Status, Fiance Visa’s, Consular Processing, Conditional Residence, I 765 Work Authorization, Travel Documents, 601-A Waivers, 3-10 Year Bar, and Green Cards. We focus on achieving the best possible result in every case we touch. We handle straightforward family immigration applications to complicated cases with criminal history. Our attorneys have educated the legal community and the public on many family immigration.
Petitioning for adjustment of status can take several months to more than a year. It will often require biometrics, a formal interview, proof of eligibility and a medical examination to evaluate for communicable diseases. The medical examination will also involve a review of immunizations and any physical and mental disorders. You cannot just go to any doctor, it needs to be with a doctor that has been approved/vetted by USCIS. Some older applicants and young applicants are exempt from the biometrics requirements. The term biometrics refers to the process used to identify people. During a biometrics appointment, your fingerprints and photograph will be taken. DNA may also be taken in certain situations such as where applicants are from developing countries where there is no confinable paperwork and do not have birth certificates, or when there are case discrepancies. Immigrant applicants participate to allow for a comprehensive criminal background check. Having committed certain crimes can prevent or delay adjustment of status. If the person petitioning is the spouse, then the immigration officer conducting the interview will also require proof of a valid marriage. If you leave the United States while your application is pending, that can negatively impact the process unless you are able to apply for a travel permit. Please let the attorneys at Edward Okwueze Law Firm help guide you through the process.
Visa numbers are limited to certain family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents and for employment cases. This means that even if the immigration service approves your immigrant visa petition, you may not receive an immigrant visa number right away. Several years could pass between the time the immigration service approves your immigrant visa petition and the Department of State provides you with an immigrant visa number.
Adjustment of Status attorney in Houston
Deportation & Removal Attorney Houston Texas
Deportation and removal defense attroney Andres J. Rodriguez can help you or your loved one with waivers and criminal issues. The threat of removal can come up suddenly in families when a loved one is out of status or arrested on a criminal charge. Sometimes it’s even hard to find out what happened or how to locate someone in immigration detention. That is why it is important to seek experienced legal counsel. At the Edward Okwueze Law Firm, our Houston Lawyers are prepared to tackle complex removal cases in the detained and non-detained setting. Contact our firm for a consultation today.
Our law firm helps immigrant families find solutions to such problems as the following:
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Locating family members who may be held in immigration detention or U.S. Marshall detention
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Finding out whether they might be transferred to other states or jurisdictions
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Determining whether your loved one will be eligible for bail or conditional release from a local jail or immigration detention
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Learning whether your loved one can receive visitors, phone calls or mail and during what times
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Making sure that your family member receives competent legal advice if he or she is facing criminal charges
Our law firm can advise you about your rights in immigration detention proceedings if your loved one is out of status on a visitor, student or work visa, facing criminal charges, or at risk of removal as an illegal immigrant based on inadmissibility, removability or illegal entry.
The Experienced Representation You Need
Our attorneys regularly handle removal cases and are familiar with court procedures. If it appears that deportation proceedings can’t be avoided, we will work hard to find the grounds to support your continued residence in the U.S., or at least attempt to protect your right to apply for re-entry at a later date. Protecting Immigration Eligibility is our #1 focus at the Edward Okwueze Law Firm.
Criminal arrests can be an especially serious problem for noncitizens. You not only need a sound defense on the criminal case that Edward Okwueze has with over 1,000 dismissals, you also need the advice of an experienced immigration lawyer to protect you from the separate risk of deportation. To learn about the best ways to keep your criminal defense problem from interfering with your residence or immigration status, contact the Law Office Edward Okwueze in Houston, Texas for a free consultation.
Protect Your Immigration Status
Edward Okwueze Law Firm advises immigrants and their families about the consequences criminal charges may have on one’s ability to remain in the United States. We will review your immigration status and the criminal charges you are facing, as well as previous criminal history to find the best way to avoid deportation. We also represent clients on criminal charges, we do everything we can to make sure that the criminal charges to make it worse for your immigration status if possible.
For an immigrant in jail on criminal charges, there is a strong risk that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer will place a detainer otherwise known as an Ice Hold against you. That means that even if you’re bailed out on the local criminal charge, you can be sent to ICE detention while the immigration authorities consider whether to seek your removal from the U.S. It is crucial to discuss the best strategy on when to pay a criminal bond, as the payment of a criminal bond may result in an individual’s immediate detention by immigration officers.
The path to U.S. citizenship is extremely complex. In order to become a citizen after birth, an individual must either apply for derived or acquired citizenship through his or her parents, or by a petition for naturalization.
It is important to understand how authorities apply the regulations to a particular situation, and to know the legal provisions applicable to a particular situation. Crimes can affect because the person needs a good moral character to become a citizen by Naturalization. It is therefore important to retain a competent immigration attorney who can analyze the circumstances and provide you with an accurate assessment regarding the likely outcome of your application, as well as explain its requirements to you.
The Path To Citizenship
Our firm handles immigration and naturalization matters and works to ensure that your petition for naturalization is approved as quickly as possible.
Some of the services we provide include:
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The preparation and filing of applications for naturalization
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The preparation and filing of applications for Certificate of Citizenship
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Responding to requests for evidence issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
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Providing competent legal counsel in naturalization interviews and hearings
Andres Rodriguez is an immigration attorney who has personally represented clients through the naturalization process and who understands the concerns of individuals seeking citizenship and Lawful Permanent Resident Status.
It is important to handle the family-based immigration process correctly to avoid delays. The correct process to undertake is based upon the applicant’s individual circumstances, as well as their prior immigration history and criminal history.
Some people in the United States can petition for relatives or future relatives, such as a fiancé(e) or a prospective adopted child, to immigrate to the United States.
Your status determines which relatives or future relatives may be eligible to immigrate. In order to sponsor a family member, you must be a:
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U.S. citizen
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Green card holder (permanent resident), or a
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Refugee or asylee admitted within the past 2 years
Your status determines which relatives or future relatives may be eligible to immigrate. In order to sponsor a family member, you must be a:
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Husband and wife: To immigrate through this process, your spouse must either be a Lawful Permanent Resident or a U.S. Citizen. The petition requires establishing that the marriage is bona fide and that a relationship existed between the spouses prior to their marriage, among other requirements.
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Sons and daughters or children of U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents. Petitions require that the family relationship be established by substantiating documentation in order to be approved. There are certain requirements that are different if the Petitioner is a U.S. Citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident.
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Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens: Only U.S. citizens may petition for their brothers and sisters to come and live in the United States. Permanent residents cannot petition for their siblings.
Visa Preference categories are grouped generally as follows:
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First preference: Unmarried, adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
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Second Preference: Spouses and unmarried children of green card holders and unmarried adult sons and daughters
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Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
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Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens
If your relative is already in the United States, he or she may apply to adjust status to become a Lawful Permanent Resident after a visa number becomes available by submitting Form I-485. To be able to apply for adjustment of status your relative must be eligible to do so and only certain immigrants are only able to do so. To verify to see if you can apply, please contact our office. If your relative is outside of the United States, your petition will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC will forward your petition to the appropriate U.S. consulate when a visa becomes available for Consular Processing. Your relative’s preference category will determine how long he or she will have to wait for an immigrant visa number.
If you have been married for less than two years when you receive your marriage-based green card, you must file to remove conditional status within 90 days of the expiration. This is because you will be a conditional resident due to the marriage being under 2 years. You will need to demonstrate that you are in a legitimate marriage to do so. However, if you find yourself in a situation where the marriage is not going as planned and divorce is on the horizon, we can assist you with conditional residence as well. It is possible for you to still stay in the United States as a Lawful Permanent Resident.
If you have any sort of immigration history or criminal history, you may need to file an additional waiver before you can do consular process or adjustment of
Although it is located in Houston, our law firm represents individuals and businesses from all over the world.
Permanent residency is the visa status of a person authorized to live and work in the United States of America permanently. Adjustment of Status is the process by which a non-United States citizen petitions to become a Permanent Resident while in the United States. Once a person becomes a Permanent Resident, they must carry their residency documentation – a green card – with them. In order to qualify for permanent resident status, a non-United States citizen must reside within the United States and meet certain criteria. When questions arise and legal support is necessary, it is important to have quality legal support. Contact Edward Okwueze Law Firm
Eligibility for Permanent Residency
You may be eligible to apply for a green card through, a job offer or employment, your family, refugee or asylum status, or a number of other special provisions. In some cases, you may even be able to self-petition for yourself.
Eligibility categories for Permanent Residency are:
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Family-Based
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Job or employment-based
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Refugee or asylum
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Special programs
There are many benefits of taking the adjustment of status route:
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You can file an Adjustment of Status application concurrently with
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You can maintain valid status in the U.S. while your Adjustment of Immigration Status application is being processed
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You can apply for employment authorization, and
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You can apply for a travel permit to be able to travel outside the United States while your application is pending
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You can appeal a denied Adjustment of Status application
Representing Asylum Seekers
Attorneys at the Edward Okwueze Law Firm in Houston, Texas, have successfully represented hundreds of people from all over the world, including those fleeing persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, sexual orientation, gender, or membership in particular groups.
Through Andres Rodriguez successful litigation efforts, our Houston law office has defined the contours of asylum law in the western United States.
About Asylum
Asylum is a type of legal protection granted to individuals in the United States who meet certain criteria for relief. With a lawyer’s help, these individuals must prove that they have been persecuted — or fear that they will be persecuted in the future — based on their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
You may seek asylum if you are already in the United States or if you are seeking entry into the United States at a port of entry. If you are granted asylum, you may be permitted to remain in the United States and will likely be eligible to apply to adjust your status to that of a lawful permanent resident at a later time.
Victims of Crimes
At the Edward Okwueze Law Firm, we help victims of crimes seek lawful status in the United States. U Nonimmigrant Status (“U Visa”) is available to victims of certain crimes that occur in the U.S. This is a really great relief because it is available to a lot more people that have been victims of a crime. To qualify, the victim must have reported the crime to law enforcement and continued to cooperate throughout the investigation and, when applicable, prosecution. Importantly, before obtaining a U Visa, victims must first obtain a signed certification from the law enforcement before they can even file a U-Visa. Only then can a victim file a petition with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”).
We have significant experience working with law enforcement to help our clients successfully secure the certification for U Visa status. Our law firm coordinates with law enforcement agencies to provide them the necessary forms and facts that help clients achieve a positive result. Once we receive the signed certification, we work closely with our clients to submit their applications to UCSIS. Where possible, we may also include our client’s family members in the application so our they have opportunity to stay together in the United States as a family.
Minimize the Consequences of a Criminal Conviction
A criminal conviction may result in the loss of your green card or temporary visa. If you are applying for permanent resident status, your criminal record could make you ineligible to adjust status. At the Edward Okwueze Law Firm, our goal is to make sure that your immigration interests are protected to the greatest extent possible while your criminal defense lawyer works to minimize your exposure to punishment. We are a two faceted team that works together in these matters. Moreover, we explain the risks of applying for a green card or visa if you already have a criminal conviction
Contact Our Houston Lawyers for Immigration Arrests
We can also help arrested immigrants who are in ICE detention. We work on your defense to removal proceedings related to your criminal case. To learn how our experience with the immigration consequences of criminal charges can help you and your family.
If returning to your country of origin makes you afraid for the safety of yourself or your family, you may be able to obtain lawful status in the U.S. through a grant of asylum or withholding of removal. This holds true if your fear is based on one or more of several different reasons, including: race, gender, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, political beliefs, membership in a particular social group, and possibly domestic abuse.
At Edward Okwueze Law Firm in Houston, our focus and expertise lies with cases that are more complex and difficult.
In these more complex and difficult cases— whether they involve criminal convictions, allegations that the asylum seeker previously engaged in acts of persecution themselves, or where the persecution is more subtle and less easily demonstrated, or in cases where the is not that much past persecution but fear of future persecution—our lawyers have had great success on behalf of many of our clients. We also help our clients apply for residency after successful asylum applications.
However, there are never any guarantees when dealing with the USCIS or the federal courts. In addition to asylum, there are other forms of relief that you may seek from Immigration. Our attorneys can also help you obtain protection from return to a country in which you fear harm by applying for:
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Withholding of Removal
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Convention Against Torture
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Temporary Protected Status