Immigration Visa Lawyers Serving Tampa, Clearwater, St Petersburg, Sarasota & the Greater Tampa Bay Area

The Tampa Bay, Florida area is a tranquil and prosperous place. The stability and success of our area continues to attract an increasing number of immigrants from all over the world. As immigration traffic increases in Tampa and other popular locations, the US government has passed more restrictions to handle the influx of people desiring an immigration visa.

In spite of changing immigration laws and an overburdened system, it is still possible to receive lawful permanent residence in the Tampa Bay, Florida area by obtaining an immigration visa. Immigration laws, however, are filled with steps and limitations that can easily derail your attempt to secure an immigration visa. The Tampa immigration lawyers at Maney | Gordon, P.A. have more than 30 years of experience in immigration and visa law, and our knowledge often means all the difference in achieving the dream of living and working in the US.

An immigration visa allows a non-citizen to live permanently in the United States. Most immigration visas are classified under one of two categories, family immigration visas or work immigration visas. There are also special immigration visas available to assist specific groups of foreign nationals such as foreign born US veterans, widows and widowers of US citizens, and children who are under court protection.

If you are a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident in the Tampa Bay, Florida area and you want a foreign family member to join you in the US, you may be able to apply for a family immigration visa. One of the first steps to get a family immigration visa is for you (as the family member who legally lives in the US) to sponsor your foreign born family member. To be a sponsor, you need to fill out an immigration visa petition, called the I-130 Petition for Alien Relative, and this petition must be approved by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Keep in mind, however, that only certain family members are permitted to be sponsors. Depending on the case, the sponsor of an immigration visa may be a spouse, child, sibling, or parent. Another crucial step for this visa is proving your family relationship with the immigrant.

If you have an employment opportunity in Tampa Bay, Florida area and you want to become a lawful permanent resident, you may be able to do so with a work immigration visa. Like a family immigration visa, the work immigration visa also must have an American sponsor. The sponsor of a work immigration visa is a U.S. employer who completes a labor certification request (Form ETA 750) and an immigrant visa petition, Form I-140, Petition for Alien Worker. Priority is given to workers with extraordinary abilities such as those in the fields of science, art, education, research, medicine, etc.

Neither the family immigration visa nor the work immigration visa makes you a citizen of the United States, but these visas do come with several privileges—most importantly, lawful permanent residence in the US. Often, these visas are an important step toward US citizenship.

The immigration visa requirements listed above are just the tip of the iceberg in this complex and lengthy process. At Maney | Gordon, P.A., our Tampa visa lawyers have been able to facilitate immigration visas for families, corporations, and foreign nationals throughout west central Florida and beyond. To learn more, please contact us for a free initial consultation about your case.