Top Summerville, SC Immigration Lawyers Near You

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Do You Have Immigration Needs?

Immigration law affects the lives of many people living in the United States. People may come to the U.S. from other countries to find work, educational opportunities, or a safer environment. Family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents may want to come to the U.S. on a family visa to be with their families. Immigrants without legal status may get caught up in immigration issues when facing deportation. Immigrant visas and U.S. immigration law enforcement come under the authority of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The immigration process in the U.S. can be confusing and they are often changing. Many people turn to a local South Carolina immigration attorney to help them through the process.

Different Types of Immigration Cases

There are many different types of immigration matters, including people who want to permanently come to the U.S., temporary visitors in the country, and people who are already in the country but without legal status. For individuals who want an immigration visa to get naturalization or U.S. citizenship, immigration generally involves applying for permanent status.

How Can I Get a Green Card and Citizenship?

There are different ways to apply for residency, including through family, employment, business immigration, entrepreneur investment, asylum-seekers, refugees, victims of abuse (VAWA), and the diversity visa lottery. The application process under U.S. nationality law can take time. After coming to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident (LPR), the resident has to wait a certain amount of time, spend enough time in the country, and be of good moral character to get naturalized and become a citizen.

Nonimmigrant Visas

Temporary visitors may come to the U.S. for education, medical care, work opportunities, or just for tourism. Temporary visitors may still need a visa to get into the country. However, visitors from certain countries can come into the U.S. without a visa if they qualify under the visa waiver program. There are also nonimmigrant visas that allow someone to stay in the U.S., such as the U visa for crime victims who cooperate with law enforcement.

Immigrants Without Legal Status

There are millions of people in the U.S. who do not have lawful immigration status. If immigration enforcement finds someone in the U.S. without a valid visa or permanent residency, they may be deported or removed from the country. Immigrants in removal proceedings may be able to use a deportation defense to continue to stay in the country until they have a chance to appear with legal representation before an immigration judge.

What Happens to Your Immigration If You’re Arrested in Summerville?

If you are not a naturalized U.S. citizen, an arrest could jeopardize your green card or visa. If you are arrested, it is important to speak with a criminal defense attorney who understands the immigration consequences of a guilty plea or guilty verdict. Certain crimes make someone ineligible for immigration. Certain types of crimes can also be deportable offenses.

How Do I Get a Family Member Out of Detention?

Some immigrants without legal status can end up living and working in the U.S. for years. However, being in the wrong place at the wrong time can lead to detention, deportation, and removal proceedings. Deportation can happen very quickly when the immigrant is not sure of their legal rights. Using an immigration law firm with a strong deportation defense can help an immigrant get out of detention and even get temporary or permanent status in the U.S.

Best Time to Seek Legal Help

No matter what your legal issue may be, it is always best to seek legal help early in the process. An attorney can help secure what is likely to be the best possible outcome for your situation and avoid both unnecessary complications or errors.

What to Expect from an Initial Consultation

• Seek to determine whether the attorney can represent you. There is no one-size-fits-all legal solution and it may turn out your needs are better served by an attorney in a different specialization.
• It’s important to find a legal ally who is both competent in the law and someone you can trust to protect your interests.
• Discuss how the practice’s billing works and discuss possible additional charges or fees that may arise during or after the resolution of your case.

An attorney consultation should provide you with enough information so that you can make an informed decision on whether to proceed with legal help.

How will an attorney charge me?

A reputable attorney will be very upfront about how he/she will charge you. The three most common fee structures that attorneys use to charge for their services are:

• Bill by the hour
• Contingent fee agreement
• Flat fee agreement

Depending on your specific legal situation, it’s possible that only one type of fee structure is available. For instance, criminal defense attorneys almost always bill by the hour. In a flat fee arrangement, an attorney accepts a one-time payment to help you resolve your issue. With a contingent fee agreement, the client pays little to nothing upfront and the attorney receives a percentage of the money recovered if you win your case.

Common legal terms explained

Pro se – This Latin term refers to representing yourself in court instead of hiring professional legal counsel. Pro se representation can occur in either criminal or civil cases.

Statute – Refers to a law created by a legislative body. For example, the laws enacted by Congress are statutes.

Subject matter jurisdiction – Requirement that a particular court have authority to hear the claim based on the specific type of issue brought to the court. For example, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court only has subject matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy filings, therefore it does not have the authority to render binding judgment over other types of cases, such as divorce.