Once an individual has been granted a Green Card, and if they wish to obtain U.S. citizenship through the naturalization process, there are certain requirements that must be met. You must have been physically present in the U.S., as a Green Card holder, for at least 50 percent of the time. You must not be away from the U.S. for any more than one year, and ideally less than six months prior to your citizenship application. You must not have committed a serious crime of moral turpitude. You must be able to write and speak English, and more. Consult with one of our attorneys in order to get a complete list of the qualifications and requirements.

If your visa has expired, the first thing you need to do is contact an immigration attorney from our firm. We can sit down with you, review your current status and situation, and then help you determine the best course of action to pursue. Time is of the essence when it comes to expired visas, so we advise you do not delay.

If you wish to visit the United States temporarily or be granted entry for a very specific period of time, you will need a non-immigrant visa. Some of the most common types of non-immigrant visas are a student visa (should you be looking to further your education and skills), business investor visas (if you are planning on coming to the U.S. to invest in a business), or a travel visa (if you wish to do some traveling in the U.S.).

Depending on your current immigration status or situation, there are a number of visas available to foreign nationals wishing to permanently immigrate to the United States. There is a fiancé(e) visa (if you are a foreign national engaged to a U.S. citizen), family visas (if you have or are the relative of a U.S. citizen and wish to immigrate to the U.S.), a work visa (if you have unique skills or requirements which make you a hot commodity in a particular field or industry), and more.

Permanent residency, obtained through a Green Card, allows a foreign national to live and work in the United States on a potentially indefinite basis. When a Green Card is first issued, it is often a temporary Green Card and is valid for two years. After the first two years, providing you have not been convicted of any criminal activity and have maintained your eligibility status, you can apply for a permanent residence visa which is valid for 10 years.