Annapolis Immigration Law Firm

Visa and Deportation Practice for Individuals and Corporations 

·         Visa Applications and Permanent Residency:

o   Permanent Residence: If you would like to seek permanent resident status in the United States, commonly known as having a green card, there are a variety of visas you can apply for. The immigration attorneys at the Federal Practice Group can help you figure out which visa is right for you, guide you through the appropriate forms and procedures, and represent you at any and all interviews and hearings required by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

o   Employment Visas: U.S. Immigration law allows for a limited number of individuals to qualify for a permanent resident visa (commonly known as a green card) every year based on employment. However, immigration law is extremely complex and usually difficult for the layperson to understand.  The immigration attorneys with the Federal Practice Group can help you determine if you qualify for permanent resident status, and if so, help you navigate the forms necessary to apply for the correct visa.

o   Visas for Family Members: If you’re a foreign national with family members living in the United States who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, it may be possible to obtain a family-based green card depending on the nature of the relationship. Parents, spouses, and unmarried children under the age of 21 received the highest preference and can usually obtain green cards within one year of submitting their application. Other applicants, such as the siblings or the adult/married children of U.S. citizens can also obtain green cards based on the family relationships, but the process may take longer.  In certain situations it is possible to obtain temporary visas for the family members and fiancés of U.S. citizens while the family-based green card application is being processed under the Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act.

o   Visas for Fiancés: United States immigration allows U.S. citizens to obtain visas for their fiancés and their fiancés children. Once a fiancé visa has been issued, the couple has 90 days to get married following the arrival of the non-citizen fiancé in the United States.  Due to the fact that the fiancé visa has been used to illegitimately circumvent immigration law by individuals in the past, the process of obtaining the fiancé will require you to prove that your relationship is authentic and legitimate in nature.  In addition to advising you through every step of the fiancé visa process, the attorneys at the Federal Practice Group will help you prepare for the interviews by briefing you on the questions you’ll likely be presented with.

o   Visas for Medical Professionals: The United States issues a limited number of visas to foreign-born doctors every year, allowing them to qualify for medical residencies, fellowships, and perform patient care.  While visas for medical professionals are similar to other visas, there are some important exemptions and waivers which apply, including an exemption from the foreign labor certification requirement for medical professional who have been licensed through certain foreign professional programs.

§  There are 3 visa classifications for doctors:

·         H-1B Visas for Foreign Doctors

·         J-1 visas for Foreign Doctors

·         Permanent Residence for Foreign Doctors

o   Visas for Researchers, Professors & Scientists: The United States also offers visas to professional educators, scientists, and researchers.  Such visas are available to individuals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability in their fields (EB-2), as well as people who have proven themselves as being in the top of their field (EB-1). If you meet the threshold requirements to qualify for an EB-1 or EB-2 visa, the process of obtaining can be significantly expedited.

o   Treaty Trader Visas and Treaty Investor Visas: There are two types of visa available to foreign nationals of a treaty nation to enter into the United States for the purpose of carrying out substantial trade between the United States and the treaty county (E-1) or investing in a business in the United States (E-2).

·         Naturalization & Citizenship:

If you have been a permanent resident in the United States for a long enough period of time (usually 3-5 years depending on the type of visa you have), it is possible to apply for citizenship through a process known as naturalization.  However, your application may be denied by the Citizenship and Immigration Services (C.I.S.) for a variety of reasons, so it’s important to work with an immigration attorney to ensure your application is free and clear of any problems which may pose obstacles to its successful processing and acceptance.

o   Common Obstacles to Naturalization:

§  Insufficient knowledge about U.S. history and government

§  Poor moral character

§  Defaulting on student loans

§  Failure to pay taxes

§  Failure to care for your children

§  Obtaining a green card illegally

§  Making false claims of U.S. citizenship

·         Refugee/Asylum: U.S. Immigration law allows for certain individuals to come to the United States if they are fleeing countries where they are subject to persecution or the dangers of war or a natural disaster.

o   Asylum: If you are fleeing your home country to avoid being persecuted for your religious beliefs, your race, your gender or your political beliefs, you may have grounds to seek asylum in the United States.  Should you wish to seek asylum in the United States, you must typically apply within one year of arriving in the United States.  Attorneys with the Federal Practice Group can help you file for asylum, advise you throughout the process, and represent you at any and all interviews and hearings required by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

o   Refugees Fleeing Wars and Natural Disasters: If you’re a refugee who fled your home country, were caught after coming to the United States illegally, and are now facing deportation or wish to improve your immigration status, the attorneys at the Federal Practice Group can help you to assess your situation and evaluate what options may be open to you. If your home country has been designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a war zone or disaster area, you may be able to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Alternatively, the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) provides individuals from certain countries with a defense against removal and even an avenue for permanent resident (green card) status.

·         Deportation Hearings: Deportation is one of the most serious consequences that a person can face for violating U.S. Immigration laws, and if you’re facing deportation it is absolutely imperative that you speak with an immigration attorney right away. Individuals who have immigrated to the United States illegally can face deportation as a consequence of being in the country illegally, whereas legal immigrants and green card holders can face deportation for overstaying their visas, committing crimes, or spending too much time abroad.

o   Deportation cases usually begin when an immigrant, whether legal or not, is detained during a traffic stop, at a work site, or charged with a crime. 

o   If you or someone you know has been detained, we can apply for their release from custody, which may be granted or denied on the basis of several factors.

o   After reviewing the reasons cited as the basis for deportation, we can advise you of the strategies or solutions which may be available and file an application for relief.

Providing Criminal Defense to United States Immigrants

Following 9/11, the United States has increased its monitoring of immigrants inside its border. Judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers with a political agenda do not hesitate to take action against immigrants who may be guilty of a crime. Without an advocate who understands the consequences of criminal conviction and immigration your future in the United States could be in jeopardy.  Even if you are a permanent legal resident or hold a valid visa, ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) can detain, or even potentially deport you for various criminal charges and convictions, many of which may not seem serious to you.  

Do not attempt to handle the situation on your own. Even in cases involving undocumented immigration, you DO have rights that must be protected. Call the federal criminal defense attorneys at Murphy & Price, LLP, at 410-777-8723.

Our federal criminal defense lawyers have extensive experience in defending both criminal immigration-related offenses, including:

• DUI/DWI
• Drug crimes
• Financial crimes
• False statements made on immigration documents and forms
• Employment Violations
• Harboring
• Exploitation
• Traffic Offenses containing elements of fraud or carrying stiff penalties
• Theft, Embezzlement, Structuring or Money Laundering
• So-Called Crimes of Moral Turpitude

If you are not a citizen of the United States, criminal conviction can lead to dire consequences. The Department of Homeland Security can take several actions against you as a result of a criminal conviction. In some cases, they may deny you re-entry into the United States if you choose to leave. In other cases, they may pursue deportation, automatically removing you from the United States.

Actions by the Department of Homeland Security are often permanent and do not take into consideration any family members you may having remaining in the United States. To protect yourself and your loved ones, it is essential to work with a lawyer experienced in the immigration consequences surrounding criminal charges.

Free consultation: Contact an Annapolis, Maryland, immigration attorney at Murphy & Price, LLP, for a complimentary evaluation of your case involving criminal offenses and immigration concerns.