Family services
Applying for the green card from inside the United States, without leaving your family.
Your relative is already in the U.S. and may be able to get the green card here.
Adjustment of status means applying for a green card without leaving the U.S. The main form is the I‑485, usually filed with a work permit request (I‑765) and, when it makes sense, a travel permit request (I‑131).
Not everyone in the U.S. can adjust. It depends on how the person entered, what has happened since, and the family relationship. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who entered lawfully can often adjust even after a visa expired. Others may need to process abroad, sometimes with a waiver first.
We screen this carefully before anything is filed. A wrong guess here can be costly, so we will tell you plainly if adjustment is not the right path for your family.
Every step has an owner. You always know whether we are waiting on you, on us, or on the government.
Our team
Entry records, any past visas, overstays or arrests. We ask for the person's own travel history request if records are unclear.
You
Your relative sees a USCIS-designated civil surgeon, who gives you the sealed exam form.
Our team
I‑485 with the petition (if not already approved), work and travel permit requests, and the affidavit of support.
USCIS
Fingerprints and photos, then the work permit and travel document, which often arrive first.
USCIS
Many cases have an interview at the local field office. An attorney can attend with you.
USCIS
If approved, the green card arrives by mail. We tell you what comes next, including citizenship dates.
Often 8 months to 2 years, depending on the field office.
Work and travel permits usually come sooner. Every one of these ranges moves, so we check current published times with you. We never promise a date.
Why cases waitDo not have everything? That is normal. Luis, our senior paralegal, helps you find or replace missing records.
None of these means your case is over. They mean it needs a plan before anything is filed.
Example outcome
Adjustment of status
Situation: A couple hoping to file for a green card inside the U.S.
What happened: Our record review found an old removal order the spouse did not know about. Filing would have put him at risk. We declined the case and referred them to a removal defense attorney first.
Example outcomes describe past matters in general terms, with details changed to protect privacy. Every case is different. They are not a promise or prediction of your result.
More example outcomesOnly with an approved travel document (advance parole), and even then it can carry risk for some people. Please ask us before you book anything.
A standard exam and vaccination record review by a doctor USCIS has designated, called a civil surgeon. The doctor's fee is paid to the doctor, not to us or USCIS.
Most people who entered without inspection cannot adjust inside the U.S., though there are exceptions, such as some older petitions filed long ago. Many families instead process abroad with a provisional waiver first. We check every exception before we recommend a path.
A 45-minute consultation with an attorney, in English or Spanish. We tell you the route, the flat fee and the honest range.
1820 S Blue Island Ave, Suite 300, Chicago. Near the 18th Street Pink Line stop.
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