Immigration

Miniature people figures with backpack walking and standing on passport page with immigration stamps

Reliable and efficient immigration lawyer.

The immigration law is a highly technical area of law which constantly changing and being reinterpreted. If you are looking for help with an immigration matter you should only use an experienced immigration attorney. Many people fall prey to the multitude of visa consultants, notary publics and others holding themselves out as qualified in the immigration law. This often an illegal practice and should be avoided.

The Law Office of Thomas V. Sassone P.C. is a full-service law firm which recognizes the special needs and requirements of those who are not citizens of the United States. We’ve been practicing immigration law for over 25 years and provide experience in all areas of immigration law.

Non-U.S. citizens are often treated differently under the many laws of the U.S. Whether people are in the U.S. legally or not, the firm strives to provide its clients with a full range of services while always considering the special circumstances which may affect them

Employment Based Immigration

Employment sponsored immigration is divided into five categories: Priority Workers; Persons with Advance Degrees or Exceptional Ability; Skilled, Professional and Other Workers; Special Immigrants; and Investors.

1st Preference Category—EB-1: Priority Workers

Persons with extraordinary ability in the arts, sciences, business or athletics (no employer is needed). Also, in this category are multinational executives and managers seeking to transfer to the U.S. Labor certification is not required for EB-1s.

Persons with Advance Degrees or Exceptional Ability in the arts, sciences or business which will substantially benefit the national economy. Advance degrees include master’s degree or higher (or its equivalent). Requires labor certification in most cases.

Skilled persons are those who have at least 2 years of experience in a job that requires two years of experience. Professionals are those with a bachelor’s degree or members of a profession. Other workers cover unskilled workers. Labor certification is required in this category.

Special immigrants include religious workers, special immigrant juveniles, returning residents, certain foreign medical graduates, certain Broadcasters, persons who served honorably for 12 years in the armed services. NATO civilian employees, and several other groups. Labor certification not required.

Persons who invest a certain amount of money in a new commercial business that employers at least 10 full-tine U.S. citizens or people authorized to work and manages the business on a day-to-day basis or through policy formation. Investor must be primarily liable for the investment which must be at risk. If approved, conditional residency is given and must apply after 2 years to remove the condition.

Employers who sponsor people who fall with the EB-2 and EB-3 categories are required to certify that there are not enough U.S. workers willing and qualified to do the job, and that the employment of a foreign person will not adversely affect wage and working conditions of U.S. workers. Application is first made to the Labor Department for such certification. Once approved, the employer may then sponsor the employee for Lawful Permanent residence status.

What To Do If Someone Is Caught By Immigration And Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.)

If ICE arrests someone you know, the first thing to do is stay calm. That person will be able to call you within a day.
It is super important that you DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without speaking to an immigration attorney first. Get them a lawyer as soon as possible. Sometimes, a person can get out of jail by paying bail. If the person goes to all of their court dates, they get their money back. If they don’t go, they lose their money.

A judge can review ICE’s decision to detain the person. The judge will decide if the person can go free or if they are a risk. Bail can cost between $1500 and $25,000.

Bars To Entry

To get a green card in the U.S., you generally need to be in the country legally. If you are not and you leave the country, you could have trouble returning.
If you were in the U.S. illegally for more than 6 months but less than a year, you could be barred from returning for 3 years. If you were illegally for more than a year, the bar could be 10 years.
However, there are special exemptions that may be available if the beneficiary can show that not returning to the U.S. will cause extreme hardship to his or her U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident spouse or parent.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and allows children who have been abandoned, abused or neglected by at least one parent to obtain lawful status. 

In N.Y. you must apply to the Family Court for custody or guardianship and ask for “special findings,” that it is not proper for the child to be sent back to their country because there is no one in that country who is willing or able to care for the child.

With the grant of custody or guardianship and the special findings, the child can petition the USCIS for a Lawful Permanent Residence status. 

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