What Is an Immigration Petition and How Do I File One?

With the life you lead and the benefits you carry as a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident, you may wish the same for your loved ones still residing in your home country. Well, through your best efforts, you may be able to make this wish into a reality. That is, they may have the opportunity to join you in the country legally through a successful immigration petition. So, with that being said, please read on to discover more about an immigration petition and how a seasoned family immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, WI, at Sesini Law Group, S.C., can help you with filing one.

What is an immigration petition that I can possibly file?

First of all, an immigration petition is an application filed with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) meant to request an immigration visa for a foreign-born individual or family member. So, as a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident, you may sponsor a foreign-born individual through this petition. Now, the exact type of petition you file may depend on your specific relationship with a foreign-born individual. The options potentially at your disposal are as follows:

  • Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative: this is if you wish to sponsor an eligible family member, such as a spouse, unmarried child, or parent.
  • Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker: this is if you wish to sponsor an individual eligible for employment at your U.S.-based company.
  • Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition: this is if you wish to sponsor an eligible family member who is of refugee or asylee status.
  • Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal: this is if you wish to apply for asylum affirmatively or defensively yourself and want your eligible family member to reap similar benefits.

How do I go about possibly filing an immigration petition?

No matter which exact type of immigration petition you wish to pursue, you must first file it with the USCIS electronically or by mail. If the USCIS approves of it, they will then send your case over to the Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC) for further processing.

Soon after, the NVC will send you and your loved one information regarding how to set up your Consular Electronic Application Center login. You must remember to supply the NVC with the appropriate fees, forms, and supporting documentation at this time. That is, you must file an Affidavit or Support and other financial documents. This is while your loved one collects and submits relevant civil documents. At the end of all this, the NVC may schedule your loved one’s immigrant visa interview. Hopefully, this will result in your loved one getting their immigration visa approved.

To learn more about how to handle an immigration petition, please get in touch with a competent family immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, WI, from Sesini Law Group, S.C. Better yet, schedule your initial consultation with our firm today.

Read Our Latest Blog Posts

  •  Can I Work in the U.S. with a Tourist Visa?
  •  What Is an Immigration Petition and How Do I File One?
  •  What Is a National Interest Waiver?
  •  What’s the Difference Between Non-Immigrant, Immigrant Visas?