Green Card Lawyer in Dallas, TX
Permanent residence opens doors to stability, opportunity, and eventually citizenship. I'll help you find the right pathway.
Pathways to Permanent Residence
Green Card Categories
Family-Based Green Cards
For immediate relatives and family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Employment-Based Green Cards
For workers with job offers or extraordinary abilities.
Investment-Based (EB-5)
For investors making qualifying investments in U.S. businesses.
Special Categories
Other pathways to permanent residence.
- Diversity Visa Lottery winners
- Asylum/refugee adjustment
- Registry (long-term residents)
- Special Immigrant Juveniles
- VAWA self-petitioners
Eligibility
Green card requirements
Every green card rests on two things: a qualifying basis and admissibility. The basis is the category you apply under — a spouse, parent, child or sibling who petitions for you; an employer who sponsors you; an approved asylum or refugee claim; a diversity visa selection; or one of the special categories such as VAWA or Special Immigrant Juvenile status. Admissibility is the set of grounds that can block anyone regardless of category: certain criminal convictions, immigration violations such as unlawful presence or a prior removal, health-related grounds, and the public-charge test.
Most family and employment cases also need a financial sponsor who signs the affidavit of support (Form I-864), showing income above the federal poverty guideline for the household. Applicants adjusting status inside the United States generally must have been inspected and admitted or paroled on their last entry; those who were not usually process through a consulate abroad, often with a provisional waiver first.
A problem in the history is not always the end of the case — many grounds have waivers — but it changes the order of steps, and it has to be found before filing, not by an officer at the interview. That review is the first thing we do.
Timelines
How long a green card takes
Two clocks run. The first is processing — how long USCIS or the consulate takes to decide a complete application, typically a year to two years for an adjustment case, with the interview at the USCIS Dallas Field Office. The second is visa availability: immediate relatives of U.S. citizens have no wait, while family preference and most employment categories wait for a priority date to become current in the monthly Visa Bulletin, which for some categories and countries means years.
Within any category the case moves faster when it is filed complete, when the work permit and travel document go in with it, and when the affidavit of support is right the first time. Our guides on priority dates and the Visa Bulletin and on why applications get denied cover what the timeline depends on.
The Process
How We Work Together
Initial Consultation
We review your eligibility and discuss the best pathway.
Petition Filing
We prepare and file your I-130, I-140, or other applicable petition.
Wait for Priority Date
We monitor visa bulletin and prepare for next steps.
Adjustment or Consular Processing
File I-485 or process through a consulate abroad.
Interview & Approval
We prepare you for your interview and guide you through approval.
Common Questions
Green Card FAQs
What are the requirements for a green card?
You need a qualifying basis — a family member or employer who can petition for you, an approved asylum or refugee claim, a winning diversity visa entry, or one of the special categories — and you must be admissible: no disqualifying criminal, immigration, health, or public-charge issues, or a waiver for the ones that apply. Family and most employment cases also need a sponsor who signs the affidavit of support.
How do I apply for a green card?
Someone files a petition for you (I-130 for family, I-140 for employment), or you file your own in the categories that allow it. When a visa number is available you apply for the green card itself — Form I-485 inside the United States, or an immigrant visa at a U.S. consulate abroad — with the supporting evidence, a medical exam, and the affidavit of support, followed by biometrics and usually an interview.
How long does it take to get a green card?
Processing times vary significantly. Immediate relatives may receive green cards in 12-18 months, while other categories may take several years due to visa backlogs.
Can I work while my green card is pending?
If you file for adjustment of status (I-485), you can apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) that allows you to work while your case is pending.
What is the difference between adjustment of status and consular processing?
Adjustment of status allows you to get your green card without leaving the U.S., while consular processing requires an interview at a U.S. embassy abroad.
Can I travel while my application is pending?
Only with an approved advance parole document. Leaving without it abandons a pending adjustment application in most cases. We file the travel document with the green card application so it is in hand before you need it.
What happens if my green card application is denied?
It depends on the reason. Many denials can be re-filed with the missing evidence, appealed, or reopened; some place the applicant in removal proceedings, where the application can be renewed before an immigration judge. The reason for denial decides the next step, and it is worth having it reviewed before responding.
How much does a green card lawyer cost?
We quote a flat fee for the matter after a free 20-minute consultation, so the attorney cost is known before you commit. USCIS filing fees, the medical exam, and consular fees are separate and set by the government.
Guides & Resources
Green Cards guides from our attorneys
Removing Conditions on a Green Card: How Form I-751 Works
A marriage-based green card issued in the first two years of marriage is conditional. Form I-751 removes the condition — and the timing, the evidence, and the waivers all have rules.
September 4, 20269 min read
Advance Parole and Form I-131: Traveling While Your Green Card Is Pending
Leaving the country with a green card application pending can cancel the application. Advance parole is the permission that prevents that — and Form I-131 is how you ask for it.
September 4, 20268 min read
Green Card for Parents: The IR-5 Process, Step by Step
How U.S. citizens sponsor their parents for green cards — the IR-5 category, the I-130, and the choice between adjusting status in the U.S. and consular processing abroad.
August 21, 20267 min read
Ready to start your green card journey?
Let's discuss your options in a free consultation.