You will need to get your documents translated into English before you go to your review at the U.S. Embassy. These translations must be certified. You will need to submit the originals as well as the translations to the National Visa Center, a sort of intermediary between the USCIS and the Embassy, before you go to your Embassy review.

Your spouse and children can almost always be included on a green card application. You must begin, however, by applying as an individual. The applicant is the principal beneficiary. After your initial petition is approved, you can name your spouse and children as derivative beneficiaries. If they are already in the U.S., you can go through final processing together. If they are outside of the U.S., they can go through processing separately, after you’ve obtained your green card.

If your father is a U.S. citizen or green card holder, he can sponsor you for a green card. This is the case even if his name isn’t on your birth certificate. In this situation, you might need to provide a DNA test, and evidence that you have had an emotional relationship. Cards or letters, money orders, or other forms of documented communication would count.

In this case, the determining factor is when your biological parent married your stepparent. If you were under 18 when your biological parent married your stepparent, then your stepparent can sponsor your green card application – even if you’re currently over 21.

For an employer to sponsor a foreign national for a green card, the employer would have to demonstrate inability to find a qualified U.S. worker. The employer may demonstrate this by running ads in a local paper. The employer then must demonstrate the ability to pay your wage, generally by presenting tax returns.

If you have a green card you can use the I-131 form to apply for a reentry permit. This will allow you to stay outside the U.S. for two years. You will have to submit proof of why you want to study abroad, and submit fingerprints before you obtain that permit. If you leave the U.S. without submitting your fingerprints, USCIS will deny your application for a travel permit.

A Lawful Permanent Resident (“green card holder”) could remain a green card holder, or petition to become an American citizen. To become eligible to apply for citizenship, you must be at least 18 years old, you must have been a Lawful Permanent Resident for five years (or three if you are married to a U.S. citizen), without any significant absences (6 months or more). Additionally, you must satisfy the following:

• Evidence of good moral character.
• Establish knowledge of U.S. history and government.
• Demonstrate the ability to read and write basic English.
• Establish knowledge of and attachment to the U.S. Constitution.

When a client has an initial consultation, the New Jersey Green Card Lawyer should gather as much information as possible in order to set forth realistic expectations. Before proceeding with a naturalization application, it is important to know if a client has been subject to any past legal problems, such as an arrest, taxation issues, or a period when the person fell out of status. An attorney can accompany the applicant to the naturalization interview, which is especially helpful if English is not a client’s strongest language. If a client cannot speak English at all, an attorney may be able to file a medical exception. If you have had a green card for 20 years and are at least 50 years old, or 15 years and are at least 55 years old, you will still have to pass the history and civics part of the citizenship test, but can take the test in your native language. A mental or physical disability might also be grounds for an exemption.