New Jersey, New York, PA, Maryland & Delaware Immigration & Citizenship Lawyers
Serving Immigration, Citizenship, Deportation and Asylum Clients in Haddon Heights, Cherry Hill, Camden County, Vineland, Cumberland County, Salem, Salem County, Northfield, Atlantic City, Atlantic County, New Brunwsick, Middlesex County and Surrounding Areas
Description
If you are any of the following you need an attorney to assist you through the confusing and complex immigration laws in the United States:
- Living in the United States without a legal immigration status and wish to obtain permanent residency
- Facing removal (deportation) proceedings
- Unlawfully present in the United States and have been convicted of a crime
- A company that wishes to employ workers from other nations
- Being looked for by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- A permanent resident and wish to apply for citizenship
Immigration Services Offered in New Jersey, New York, PA, Maryland & Delaware
The New Jersey lawyers of Helmer, Paul, Conley & Kasselman, P.A. handle all immigration matters. The law firm provides an extensive range of legal services to individual and corporate clients throughout the United States.
- Abused spouse self-petitions
- Criminal representations of aliens
- Diversity lottery process
- Employment-based immigration
- Extraordinary ability immigrant visas
- TPS (Temporary Protected Status) from eligible countries
- Withholding of removal (CAT-Convention Against Torture)
Immigration, Citzenship, Deportation and Asylum Attorneys in New Jersey, New York, PA, Maryland and Delaware
Scott C. Elwell
Kara M. Guzzetti
Law Clerks
Edwin Cintron
Sean Conley
Paralegals
Miriam Marrese
Why choose our New Jersey immigration and citizenship lawyers?
New Jersey-based Helmer, Paul, Conley & Kasselman, P.A. streamlines the complex immigration process for our clients. As part of our client-centered approach, our immigration lawyers use a detailed questionnaire to fully understand the complexities of each case. Our attorneys then take this information to the numerous government agencies and departments that control immigration. Come in and meet with our attorneys to discuss your case, free of charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. I came to the United States on a visa that expired, but I am now married to a U.S. citizen. Can I file for a work permit or green card?
Yes. You and your spouse can file an adjustment of status for a "green card." The adjustment of status application is filed at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services national processing center in Chicago, Illinois. By law, the employment authorization document ("EAD") must be granted, within 90 days, or an interim card will be issued. Roughly seven to ten months after filing the application package, you and your spouse will be interviewed together at the local district office.
2. I have had a green card for over five years and want to apply for U.S. citizenship, but I was convicted of a DWI two years ago. Am I eligible to become a US citizen?
Not yet. You must wait until five years have elapsed since the DWI conviction to be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. Under the law, you must show at least five years of good moral character prior to applying for U.S. citizenship. Because you have been a legal permanent resident for over five years, you would be eligible for U.S. citizenship if you had not been convicted of the DWI.
3. I am a U.S. citizen and my parents are in my birth country. Can I apply for them to come here to live permanently?
Yes, you can file a visa petition at a USCIS Service Center. Once the petition is approved, it is sent to the consulate of your birth country to determine status adjustment. Your parents will then be interviewed, and, if approved, they would receive their green cards once they have arrived in the United States.
4. I am not legal in the United States and I cannot obtain a Social Security number. What can I do?
You can apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). An ITIN is a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is a nine-digit number that always begins with the number nine and has a seven or eight in the fourth digit (e.g. 9XX-7X-XXXX). IRS issues ITINs to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer identification number but who are not eligible to obtain a Social Security number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration (SSA). ITINs are issued regardless of your immigration status because both resident and non-resident aliens may have U.S. tax return and payment responsibilities under the Internal Revenue Code. Individuals must have a filing requirement and file a valid federal income tax return to receive an ITIN. Obtaining an ITIN for immigration purposes is important since all income earned, even without an employment authorization document, must be reported to the IRS. An ITIN permits such reporting, and in many instances can help someone attempting to gain an immigration benefit before USCIS or before an immigration judge. It should be noted, however, that an ITIN must never be used as if it were an SSN since this could cause severe problems.
5. My friend told me that there is an amnesty program I can sign up for. Is that true?
No, not yet. The Senate recently passed a bill that would permit specified people unlawfully present in the United States to become legal guest workers. However, the Senate bill was not an amnesty program since it would take an individual 11 years to become a U.S. citizen.
Immigration Press Release
Last week’s announcement from the Department of Homeland Security to provide Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti creates an opportunity for Haitian immigrants in the U.S. to stay here legally until conditions improve in Haiti, according to attorneys from the New Jersey immigration law firm of Helmer, Paul, Conley & Kasselman (HPCK). Read more..
