Amazing law firm and amazing attorney, Christine V. She is incredibly knowledgeable and professional. She helped me with my green card process , all the way to my citizenship. Special thanks to Esperanza for always being there to answer all my questions. Would definitely recommend them to anyone who needs an immigration attorney.
Chicago Immigration Advocates provides top-notch service. They always responded promptly to our calls and emails. They kept us informed and guided us through the entire process from start to finish. Attorney Christine is very professional. Esperanza supported us with everything we needed and was patient with our questions.
I am incredibly grateful to James Ten Broeck for his exceptional legal work in helping me win my Change of Status case. After my application was denied twice, I was left with no other option but to go to immigration court. That’s when I found James, and I can honestly say that choosing him was the best decision I could have made.
Very experienced lawyers! Karla and James helped me get back home. It was a very long process and also complicated but James was able to get my 601 waiver approved. The staff is very nice and always on point. Hilda and Esperanza were always there to give me updates and answer any questions I had. I highly recommend these lawyers thanks to them I am now back in Chicago reunited with my family. They have what it takes to do the same for you.
My father’s case was very complicated. We went through numerous attorney’s in the past and they really were never able to provide us with the expertise that Christine had. After seeing all the past filings Christine laid out exactly what needed to be done and what documents we needed to prepare. Keep up with what she requests and she will get the job done for you. After 30 years of my father going through BS with the immigration, he is now a permanent resident waiting to become a citizen as soon as he is eligible. We will be going back to Christine for his Citizenship application as well.
Immigration offices in the Chicago area include:
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Field Office101 West Ida B. Wells DriveChicago, IL 60605(800) 375-5283
USCIS Application Support Center8004 B South Cicero AvenueBurbank, IL 60459-1570(800) 375-5283
USCIS Asylum Office181 West Madison StreetSuite 3000Chicago, IL 60602(312) 849-5200
The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a hub for a network of over 700 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other programs. It has children’s and school-based programs, older adult programs, and job training.
Esperanza Health Centers is an approved site for immigration physicals, which are typically required for any person applying for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. Esperanza prides itself on providing bilingual, high quality primary care, behavioral health, and wellness services to the community, regardless of their immigration status, insurance status, or ability to pay.
The Immigrant Family Resource Program (IFRP) provides information on whether you or your family member qualifies for public benefits or other types of assistance.
If you need assistance with any kind of immigration-related issue in the Chicagoland area, you do not want to be representing yourself in court. Make sure to contact Chicago Immigration Advocates Law Offices for a diligent legal defense of your rights.
Our firm represents individuals in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Kentucky, but we have represented people in Immigration Courts in Texas, New York, Louisiana, and California. You can call (312) 704-8000 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. Schedule a Consultation
If you wish to temporarily stay in the U.S., you need to apply for a non-immigrant visa. Applicants need a specific reason for being in the United States. Reasons for successful visa applications include tourism, employment, and educational opportunities.
Here are some of the many valid purposes for obtaining a non-immigrant visa:
These various purposes have different visa classifications, and they don’t necessarily lead to approval of permanent residency. Obtaining one can be a complicated task, but our law group has experience in untangling such immigration matters for clients. Call our firm office if you need an immigration lawyer to help you with the process.
One of the biggest immigration goals is to find a meaningful job or a good school placement in a timely manner. Fortunately, there are several agencies that help newcomers navigate the immigration process and find work or educational opportunities.
The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) maintains a lengthy list of community service agencies handling immigration matters. The City of Chicago also has information about college access for undocumented students.
The Illinois Dream Fund is a kind of college scholarship fund for undocumented immigrants who are ineligible to apply for federal financial aid. The fund is for high school seniors who intend to enroll and current undergraduates enrolled at accredited two or four-year colleges who can apply for the Illinois Dream Fund scholarships.
All applicants need to have attended school in Illinois for a minimum of three years before graduating or receiving a GED, have at least one parent who immigrated to the United States, and have lived with either a parent or guardian while going to school in Illinois.
The CPS Dream Fund Scholarship is another talent and need-based, last-dollar scholarship that assists academically talented undocumented CPS students who are pursuing post-secondary educations. Students need to be recommended by principals, counselors, or college and career coaches and also must have a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 and a minimum ACT score of 17.
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that helps refugees and other immigrants find employment in the United States. World Relief partners with a network of employers who value the experiences of immigrants. Plus, clients seeking a job through World Relief earn an average wage 184 percent above the federal minimum wage.
Finding affordable housing is a pressing concern for many immigrants to the United States. Here are some agencies that can help those looking for a home.
The City of Chicago has a lengthy list of community resources providing support to immigrants seeking housing
The Illinois Legal Aid Foundation has a list of immigrant family support organizations. Organizations listed here can help people obtain food stamps (SNAP), housing, or medical care.
The Resurrection Project was established by six local parishes focusing on helping residents with property management, real estate development, and financial services and education. Its real estate development efforts include Casa Puebla, a $14.8 million development that led to the creation of 74 units of affordable housing, and Casa Maravilla, a $20 million development that helped create 72 units of affordable senior housing.
The Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants (ICDI) has coordinated with many communities to offer housing, financial assistance, and case management to people who would have otherwise been detained in cruel and traumatizing conditions. ICDI believes independent no-cost housing is essential to giving people privacy and agency, striving to provide people with spaces that promote healing in neutral settings and encourages independence.
If you need help with issues such as work permits, consular processing, or other immigration services, we suggest contacting these offices in the area:
The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a network of over 700 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other programs. It has children’s and school-based programs, older adult programs, and job training.
Esperanza Health Centers is an approved site for immigration physicals, which are typically required for any person applying for LPR status. Esperanza prides itself on providing bilingual, high-quality primary care, behavioral health, and wellness services to the community, regardless of their immigration status, insurance status, or ability to pay.
The Immigrant Family Resource Program (IFRP) provides information on whether you or your family member qualifies for public benefits or other types of assistance.
Everyone deserves a shot at the American dream, but many experience complications that can grind their immigration journey to a halt. If you need legal services or help with immigration cases, contact Chicago Immigration Advocates Law Offices.
Schedule a consultation with us so we can learn more about your immigration needs. With our help, an experienced immigration attorney in Chicago can represent you in court and diligently defend your rights.
Our law group represents individuals in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Kentucky, but we have represented clients in Immigration Courts in Texas, New York, Louisiana, and California. You can call (312) 704-8000 or contact us online to schedule a consultation with our firm.
Our attorneys have worked with many clients who are U.S. citizens that want to help their spouses or family members share in the American Dream. Family-based immigration law applies to the visa application process of the spouses, children, siblings, and parents of United States citizens or legal permanent residents (LPRs). The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 provides an unlimited number of immigrant visas for immediate relatives, but other kinds of relatives will be subject to country and category limits on the number of visas that are available each year.
Immediate relatives include:
Family-preference immigrants, in order of preference, include:
Foreign employees or employers need work-based visas to reside and work/operate businesses in the U.S. The United States has five categories of employment-based immigrant visas for those seeking to immigrate based on their job skills. Here’s a breakdown of all five categories:
Title 8 U.S. Code § 1227 identifies multiple classes of deportable aliens. These are some of the most common grounds for removal proceedings that we’ve handled for our clients:
The process begins when United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) accuses a noncitizen of being removable. When a person is placed in deportation proceedings, they are scheduled to appear before an immigration judge who decides whether to order the person to be deported.
Other removal proceedings may include expedited removals for people who are in the United States without documentation. They may also remove those who have misrepresented material facts in order to obtain admission, or reinstate the removal of those who were ordered deported but returned to the United States without permission. After an adverse immigration decision by a judge, parties have the right to appeal.
If you are facing removal, it’s in your best interest to contact a Chicago immigration attorney as soon as you can. Our dedicated Chicago immigration attorneys work ‘round the clock to establish strong legal defenses for our clients.
Tell our immigration attorneys more about your situation so our legal team can establish the best removal defense. Our firm attorneys have won numerous deportation cases, allowing our clients to remain in the U.S. We’ve also helped clients who previously lost their cases by filing timely, detailed appeals.
Some immigrants experience unusual delays or issues with the Department of Homeland Security. Do you have a naturalization law issue that hasn’t been resolved, or has your citizenship law matter been pending for a long time? If so, it’s best to hire immigration lawyers to ask the federal courts for a decision.
Consult our immigration lawyers to find out if filing a lawsuit would be beneficial in your situation. For naturalization applications, our legal team can file a lawsuit only after 120 days have passed since your interview during the application process.
For other petitions, there are different periods that must pass before a Chicago immigration lawyer can file a lawsuit. We encourage you to contact our law firm, so we can assign an experienced immigration lawyer in Chicago, IL to your case.
Our law firm has helped clients who qualify to apply for U.S. citizenship according to nationality law. We’ve also assisted those who immigrated to the country and want to enjoy all of its benefits and rights.
If you have foreign citizenship and wish to become a U.S. citizen, an immigration attorney from our Chicago office can check if you meet the basic requirements. They can also help you with the documents that establish meeting these qualifications.
Some of the basic requirements for acquiring U.S. citizenship under immigration law include the following:
Our law group can also see if you can get a waiver or exemption from these requirements in certain conditions, such as:
If you’ve struggled with your application, an immigration attorney from our law group can frame your situation in the best light possible to the USCIS. Even clients who have no criminal record or immigration law issues have experienced setbacks that make it challenging to obtain citizenship. But with the help of our lawyers, we can go through every detail to ensure that you supply complete, correct information to smoothen the process.
One of the most common immigration matters that our law group handles for clients is a green card application. There are two kinds of these cards: those for permanent residents, and those for conditional residents. Here’s a quick explanation of each kind.
The Permanent Resident Card enables its holders to live and work permanently in the country for ten years. There are different categories that make applicants eligible for a permanent resident card, each with its own requirements. These are:
There are also green cards known as Conditional Resident Status Cards. These are only valid for two years. Within 90 days before their expiry, their holders need to submit requirements that remove conditions on their residency. These conditional cards are typically issued to those married to U.S. citizens with a marriage less than two years old at the time the residency was granted. They are also granted to stepchildren whose parents face this marriage issue.
Applying for or renewing either green card requires complicated documentation, and the smallest omission can delay your green card’s issuance. Something as simple as a misspelled address or omitted middle name can lead to prolonged processing time for Conditional Resident Status Card.
In the worst cases, some green card applications have been denied over simple errors. To avoid the delay or denial of your green card application, seek help from a Chicago immigration attorney. Our law group can double-check all necessary documentation for family-based, employment-based, or asylum/refugee-based green cards.
The U.S. government recognizes that many undocumented immigrants are minors who are staying in the country because of their parents. Luckily, UCIS allows them temporary exemptions under Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
Relief under this exemption is granted on a case-to-case basis. These are some of the criteria that our clients have had to meet to qualify for deferred action:
Proving these qualifications requires a lot of complicated, detailed documentation. The more evidence that an immigration attorney can provide to establish your qualification for DACA, the higher your chances of being exempted. Talk to our firm attorneys so they can help you establish a strong case for exemption.
James is an overly caring and dedicated lawyer . He help me through my immigration process. While there were some mix-ups and confusions, he worked tirelessly to figure out the right path and get my case back on track . I would recommended James and his team to anyone who is going through this process . Trust me you don’t want to deal with USCIS alone and James and his team certainly someone to have in your court . I’m very happy to work with him and everything worked out . Big Thanks to his efforts and advice .
Outstanding quality of service! My husband hired them to first get my K1 visa, then to file for the green card and finally to have my naturalization done. They are very attentive to the details, they prepare you very thoroughly for the interviews and they will answer all your concerns and questions in a timely manner. The attorney who guided me through my immigration journey is Carla Espinosa, to whom I’m very grateful for the stress-free experience of the otherwise rather stressful process.
On my first initial meeting with Chicago Immigration Advocates, I felt very comfortable, so my husband and I decided to use them to do my paperwork. They are knowledgeable about whatever you need done, they are friendly, they will walk you through the entire process and if you’re not sure about anything, you can always reach out for help as I did on many occasions. Not to mention the fee….. incredible. I would recommend anyone to them. Exceptional service. 100% satisfaction.