Albuquerque Family Immigration Attorneys

Bring Your Family Together for a Brighter Future

For more than 40 years, Maney | Gordon | Zeller, P.A. has been helping families from around the globe start new lives in the United States. At our office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we often see clients from Mexico, of course, but we love hearing from people from far off places. In fact, throughout our decades of legal service, we have handled more than 38,000 immigration cases from almost every continent!

Are you trying to join your family here in New Mexico? Do you want to enter the U.S. to start a new family? Whatever your answer, we should be the legal team you trust to guide you along the way and navigate the legalese-heavy processes put in place by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Dial (800) 708-4399 to discuss your family immigration options today.

Family Visas You Might Want to Use

When you have a close relationship with someone already in the United States, you might be able to use a family visa to enter the country. You will be “sponsored” by that person, who can be related through blood, marriage, or another legal channel. Your sponsor can also be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident (LPR) depending on your relationship with them.

A few family visa cases and petitions we are equipped to handle include those involving immigrant:

• Spouses
• Fiancé(e)s
• Children
• Siblings
• Parents
• And more

Types of Immediate Relative Visas:

• IR-1: Spouse of a U.S. Citizen
• IR-2: Unmarried Child of a U.S. Citizen Under 21 Years of Age
• IR-3: Orphan adopted abroad by a U.S. Citizen
• IR-4: Orphan to be adopted in the U.S. by a U.S. citizen
• IR-5: Parent of a U.S. Citizen who is at least 21 years old

Currently, the USCIS does not limit how many family visa petitions can be filed each year by immediate relatives, like a spouse, parent, or child. It does, however, only restrict how many petitions can be filed by less-immediate family members, who must file under “family preference” rules. We advise you to call (800) 708-4399 as soon as possible to learn about filing a petition before the USCIS reaches its yearly family preference visa cap and automatically rejects your application. If the cap has already been reached, then we can help you prepare to file soon in the next fiscal year.

Family Preference Immigrant Visas:

• First preference (F1) - unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age and older) of U.S. citizens
• Second preference (F2A) - spouses and children (unmarried and under 21 years of age) of lawful permanent residents
• Second preference (F2B) - unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age and older) of lawful permanent residents
• Third preference (F3) - married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
• Fourth preference (F4) - brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens (if the U.S. citizen is 21 years of age and older)

Intercountry Adoption Options

According to the USCIS, “intercountry adoption” is one of its top priorities. However, if you try to adopt a child from another country, even a neighboring one like Mexico, then you will see that the “priority” process is still rife with legal complications. To make matters worse, international adoption processes can be expensive. If a petition or form is rejected due to an error, then you will likely need to reapply and repay all fees.

To avoid complications in the intercountry adoption process, team up with our Albuquerque family immigration lawyers from the offset. We can help you understand your rights and options as someone who wants to grow their family by adopting a child from across borders. As your legal counsel, we can help ensure that your petition is done correctly, minimizing the risk of needing to refile.

Every Family Deserves a Place to Call Home

At Maney | Gordon | Zeller, P.A. in Albuquerque, we think that everyone deserves a loving family and that every family deserves a safe home. Regardless of what country you once called your home, we would be happy to help you find your safe space here in New Mexico or elsewhere in the United States. If you are leaving Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, or another Central American country for a non-family-related reason, like to seek asylum in the U.S., then we can help you with that important immigration process as well.

Fill out an online contact formor call (800) 708-4399 now.