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* Prices listed are for attorney fees for typical cases and do not include special services such as appeals, immigration court representation, waivers or addressing the immigration consequences of criminal convictions.
I provide immigrant visa services to clients throughout the United States by using an online client portal, email, phone calls and mail. This provides my clients with greater flexibility because they do not need to take time off from work to come into my office. Using online technology also allows me to provide more affordable legal services to my clients. Clients in the Washington DC area are welcome to schedule in person appointments at my office in Washington DC or Virginia.
To learn more about how to work with the Schaefer Law Firm on your immigrant visa application and to get your free immigrant visa information guide and checklists, simply click on one of the yellow Get Started Now buttons.
Not everyone will qualify for an immigrant visa to get their green card. Some of the initial requirements that you should consider include:
- You must have a qualifying family relationship with a United States citizen or permanent resident.
- You must be “admissible” to the United States, or be eligible for a waiver.
You can view the immigrant visa process as consisting of three main parts: the immigrant visa petition, the National Visa Center processing and the immigrant visa interview.
The immigrant visa petition is the request by a United States citizen or permanent resident for a visa number to be made available for a relative. The USCIS form used for the immigrant visa petition for family members is an I-130.
After your immigrant visa petition is approved and an immigrant visa number becomes available the next step in the process will begin. In this step, you will submit additional documents to the National Visa Center. These forms will include an affidavit of support, an immigrant visa application and supporting documents.
After all of the forms are submitted to the National Visa Center, your relative will be scheduled for an interview at the United States embassy near where they live. If all goes well at the interview, your relative will be given an immigrant visa that they can use to travel to the United States. Your relative will become a permanent resident when they enter the United States.
Government Immigrant Visa Fees
- $420 Form I-130 filing fee
- $404 Immigrant visa processing fees
- $88 Affidavit of support processing fee
Other Required Costs
- Medical exam – changes by doctor and location
- Passport photographs – changes by photographer
- Translation costs – varies by the translator and type of documents being translated into English
- Original documents/certified copies – varies by case
Legal Fees
Varies by law firm and the complexity of the case. The services that I offer and the price of each immigrant visa package are listed above. If you have any questions about what is included in my services, please feel free to contact me or to request a free copy of my immigrant visa guide which provides more detail about each package offered.
There is no requirement to use the services of an immigration lawyer in order to file for an immigrant visa to get a green card. But, many people will find the services of an immigration lawyer to be extremely valuable to successfully navigating the immigrant visa process. An experienced immigration lawyer can:
- Provide you with legal advice that will help minimize the time it takes for you to get a green card
- Help keep your case on track to avoid unnecessary delays
- Help ensure that your application is submitted correctly and with all of the evidence necessary to help your application get approved quickly
- Communicate with USCIS and the Department of State on your behalf
- Represent you if the government requests additional information about your case
- Represent you if you need to file an appeal in the event your application is denied
- Provide legal advice and assistance if you need to apply for a waiver
You can find out when a visa number will become available by checking the monthly visa bulletin. After filing the immigrant visa application, the process can take between six months to a year or longer. The time it takes to get your green card will depend on the type of family relationship you have with the permanent resident or United States petitioner, whether their are any special issues with your case and the backlog at your local United States embassy.
After you get your immigrant visa, you will be able to use it to immigrate to the United States. You will become a lawful permanent resident when you enter the United States.
If you have been married for less than two years and your green card is based on your marriage, you will receive a conditional green card and will need to apply to remove the conditions on your green card in two years. If your green card is based on your marriage to an United States citizen, in three years you will be able to submit a naturalization application to become a United States citizen. If your green card is based on a different type of family relationship, in five years you will be able to submit a naturalization application to become a United States citizen.
It is very important to review the qualifications for citizenship before submitting a naturalization application. If you submit a naturalization application when you don’t qualify for citizenship, you risk losing your application fee and possibly being deported.
Additional questions and answers about the immigrant visa process and how to get a green cared can be found in the immigrant visa frequently asked questions and news section. You can also reach me by email or by phone at (202) 642-4529 or toll free at (877) 887-9523.
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