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Helping Columbus Families Obtain Permanent Residency
Permanent residency is about building a life you do not have to leave behind. A Columbus family green card attorney at Brown Immigration Law can help your family pursue long-term stability here in Ohio. With more than ten decades of combined experience, our firm provides practical, solution-focused legal guidance for families and individuals facing immigration challenges. We assist parents, spouses, siblings, and fiancés in Ohio with family green card applications, work authorization during the process, and complications that may arise along the way.
Our family-based green card lawyers in Columbus help clients plan strategically at every stage, from proving qualifying family relationships and submitting supporting documentation to addressing travel concerns, prior visa violations, and denials. We also represent individuals in removal proceedings when family immigration issues overlap with enforcement concerns. At Brown Immigration Law, our attorneys approach each case with care and attention, recognizing that immigration outcomes directly affect your family’s future and stability in the United States.
Family Green Cards vs. Temporary Family Visas
Many families mistakenly assume that temporary status in the United States can simply be extended. A visa allows you to present yourself at the U.S. border for lawful admission, but a green card allows you to remain in the country long term. Green card holders are also known as lawful permanent residents (LPRs), because you may stay in the United States indefinitely [TM1.1]so long as you do not engage in certain criminal matters or otherwise abandon your green card. You can still face removal even if you have a green card.
That said, securing a family green card is not always straightforward. Families applying for a green card after holding a temporary visa often encounter avoidable issues, including:
- Incomplete documentation of family relationships (missing marriage certificates, death certificates of prior spouses, adoption paperwork or proof of relationship)
- Missing deadlines or Requests For Evidence (RFEs)
- Overstaying or prior visa violations
- Failure to maintain temporary status (changing jobs, schools, or location without re-qualifying)
- Financial concerns
- Missing signatures, paperwork, or other errors in the initial petition
- Problems with biometrics information or interviews
- Unauthorized travel outside the US during the waiting period
A Columbus family green card lawyer can help ensure your application is filed accurately and on time. Our attorneys work to prevent missed RFEs and other time-sensitive notices, including filings related to the removal of conditions on a temporary green card. Failing to respond properly or within required deadlines can result in loss of status, placing the life you have built in Ohio at risk. At Brown Immigration Law, we understand the red flags USCIS looks for in fiancé visas, adoption cases, step-family claims, and other specialized family green card filings.
Who Qualifies for a Family-Based Green Card in Columbus?
Some of the most common pathways for a family-based green card in Columbus, OH include:
- Marriage-based green cards, either to a US citizen or LPR
- Immediate relative (IR) sponsorship for parents or children of US citizens
- Family preference categories for siblings of US citizens, married sons or daughters of US citizens, or spouses and unmarried children of LPRs
Expect extended wait times for certain family relationships, as family-based cases filed under the preference categories are subject to annual caps. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are not subject to those caps, which can allow cases to move forward without visa bulletin delays. Eligibility for a family-based green card depends not only on the qualifying family relationship, but also on the sponsor’s status in the United States, whether as a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
Immediate Relatives vs. Preference Categories
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are not subject to annual numerical limits, and their cases generally move more quickly. By contrast, family-based preference categories are capped each year. Currently, Congress sets a maximum of 226,000 family-based preference immigrant visas annually. In limited circumstances, additional visas may become available if the prior year’s allotment was not fully used, though this is uncommon. Country-specific limits also apply, meaning applicants from countries with higher demand often experience longer delays.
Backlogs in the family-based preference categories are tied to the Visa Bulletin, a monthly USCIS publication that lists priority dates. The Visa Bulletin identifies both Dates for Filing and Final Action Dates, which determine when applicants may move forward with adjustment of status or consular processing. Missing the timing tied to a priority date can delay a case significantly, so it is critical to act as soon as a date becomes current.
Visa backlogs often affect families with strong ties to the United States, as higher demand causes available visa numbers to fill quickly. Columbus families with relatives abroad may face extended wait times and travel restrictions during pending cases, which can keep families separated. When applying under a family-based preference category, additional pressures may include:
- When work authorization becomes available
- Maintaining temporary visa status during the delay
- Risks of aging out (over 21) for children in the system
At Brown Immigration Law, our Columbus family green card attorneys help families manage these delays and plan proactively. We work to file cases accurately from the outset, monitor visa bulletin movement, and address work authorization issues that arise during the waiting period. In some cases, proactive legal strategies may be available, such as preserving a child’s age under the Child Status Protection Act, pursuing self-petitioning options under VAWA, or addressing other legal mechanisms that are often overlooked. If you receive a Request for Evidence or a denial, our family-based green card lawyers can explain your options, help assemble the necessary documentation, and pursue appeals when appropriate.
Marriage-Based Green Cards for Columbus Families
Some Columbus families find themselves filing for a marriage-based green card without realizing that there are two different ways to do so. Choosing the right process for your needs ensures that you and your fiancé do not spend unnecessary time apart. You might also decide as a couple whether or not you have work or travel needs during the application period that can impact how you will proceed.
Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing
Adjustment of status is available only to couples who are physically located in the United States and who meet eligibility requirements for lawful admission. If you wish to bring your fiancé to the U.S., you may either pursue a temporary visa or proceed through consular processing. For U.S. citizens filing under the immediate relative (IR) category, concurrent filing may be available, allowing the adjustment of status application to be filed at the same time as the initial immigrant petition. This can significantly shorten the overall timeline. Many applicants may also be eligible to work in the United States while their adjustment of status is pending by filing for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or relying on authorization tied to an existing work visa.
Filing for adjustment of status typically involves:
- Submitting the correct USCIS forms
- Attending interviews with USCIS officers
- Paying required filing fees
- Submitting biometric information and passing background checks
- Undergoing a medical examination
- Providing supporting documentation, such as passports and birth certificates
While adjustment of status offers important advantages, it also carries limitations. Travel restrictions generally apply while an AoS application is pending, and timelines are never guaranteed. Although adjustment of status often moves more quickly for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, cases involving spouses of lawful permanent residents may face delays. In some situations, this can leave fiancés unable to travel and restricted from working without an approved EAD.
Consular processing is the alternative pathway for a marriage-based green card. Unlike adjustment of status, consular processing takes place at a U.S. consulate or embassy, usually in the applicant’s home country. This option is often appropriate when a fiancé is located abroad, does not qualify for adjustment of status, or has significant travel needs or family obligations outside the United States.
One critical consideration with consular processing is that departing the United States can trigger reentry bars. Errors are often more difficult to correct once a case leaves USCIS jurisdiction and enters consular processing. Prior to March 4, 2013, immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens who could not demonstrate lawful entry were required to apply for unlawful presence waivers from abroad. This process frequently resulted in lengthy separations and, in some cases, three- or ten-year reentry bans when waivers were denied.
Today, the I-601A Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver may be available to qualifying immigrant spouses before they depart the United States to complete consular processing through a U.S. consulate abroad. Brown Immigration Law helps eligible couples apply for this waiver in advance, reducing the risk of prolonged separation and improving overall case outcomes. Contact Brown Immigration Law to determine whether you qualify for the I-601A provisional waiver and to ensure it is filed properly before consular processing begins.
Common Challenges in Columbus Family Green Card Cases
Applying for a family green card does not automatically resolve many of the legal and practical challenges Columbus families may face. For example, submitting an adjustment of status application does not grant work authorization unless a separate Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is approved. Likewise, consular processing may appear straightforward, but mistakes related to lawful entry or prior immigration history can trigger reentry bars, separating families for years.
Some of the most common challenges a family-based green card lawyer can help address include:
- Prior overstays or periods of unlawful presence
- Three- or ten-year reentry bars
- Requests for Evidence (RFEs) related to proof of a bona fide family relationship
- Financial sponsorship requirements and the need for joint sponsors
- Delays caused by missing, inconsistent, or foreign civil documents
- Conditional residence and future removal of conditions filings
- Relatives living abroad and ongoing travel needs
- Mixed-status households
Speaking with a Columbus family green card lawyer before these issues escalate can significantly affect the outcome of your case. Waiting to seek legal guidance often leads to additional delays, higher costs, and limited options. At Brown Immigration Law, we help families anticipate complications, respond strategically, and protect their ability to live and work together in the United States.
How a Columbus Family Green Card Lawyer Can Help
Family-based green cards are one of the most common paths to permanent residence, but timing, eligibility, and procedure all matter. The right approach depends on where your family member is located, their prior immigration history, and any work or travel needs during the process. These cases often involve overlapping requirements and strict deadlines, making accuracy essential at every stage.
Family green card applications are legally dense filings, and even minor mistakes or omissions can result in delays, denials, additional filing fees, or more serious consequences, including loss of status or removal proceedings. A Columbus family green card lawyer can help identify risks early, prepare filings correctly, and respond strategically to requests from USCIS.
Local familiarity also matters in federal immigration cases. Working with a Columbus immigration lawyer can help your case move more smoothly through area USCIS offices and Ohio immigration courts. At Brown Immigration Law, we offer in-person consultations to evaluate your situation, explain available options, and guide you through a process that often requires sharing sensitive family and personal information. Our goal is to provide clear direction and steady support while helping your family pursue lawful permanent residence in the United States.
Do You Have an Immigration Lawyer Near Me?
Our Columbus immigration attorneys are located at 2000 W Henderson Rd, Suite 150, Columbus, OH 43220. Our office is conveniently accessible from either direction coming off of I-33 or RTE 315. In addition to Columbus, we maintain offices in Cleveland, Tampa, Orlando, and North Carolina.
¿Tiene un Abogado de Inmigración Cerca de Mí? | Servicios en Español
Si está buscando un abogado de inmigración en Columbus que pueda ayudarle con un caso de inmigración familiar, Brown Immigration Law cuenta con un equipo local preparado para asistirle. Nuestros abogados trabajan con familias de Columbus y comunidades cercanas, ofreciendo orientación clara durante todo el proceso migratorio, desde la preparación de peticiones hasta la resolución de obstáculos que puedan causar retrasos. Puede reunirse con nuestro equipo en persona o de manera remota, según lo que sea más conveniente para su familia, y recibir apoyo legal enfocado en proteger sus objetivos y mantener a su familia unida.
