Law Office of Brian T. Richards Frequently Asked Questions

As you begin this process, you must be very careful of the information you accept to be true regarding your family-based applications. During a recent search on the internet of so-called immigration help sites, we discovered that some of the information contained on those sites was so outdated that your application would not even be considered. Some information on these websites had not been updated since 1992.

With the everchanging systems and processes at USCIS, the State Department's advice from someone that just recently received their permanent resident status may not be accurate. You might imagine that the self-filing method is right for you, but you should strongly consider whether you are willing to take that risk to find out if your submission was processed correctly and if you will be reunited with your loved one anytime soon. Also, an attempt to save a few dollars may very well cost far more in the long run.

Bringing families together is our life’s work and we do it every day. We are always saddened when people come into our office as a last attempt to obtain immigration status, having already spent hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars in their failed efforts to file on their own. Unfortunately, there are no refunds allowed with USCIS. When you hire our office to take you through your immigration process, you have the security of knowing that you have an ally in preventing all things that can, and sometimes do, go wrong in these cases. As the immigration firm Lansing, MI trusts, we know that one small and simple mistake could make the difference between your immigration request being approved or denied.

Visas vary depending on where you live and are dictated by which service center you will need to file with. The wait time can be a few months to one year. Although we cannot guarantee a specific timeframe, our immigration firm in Lansing, MI will make every effort to ensure that your packet is submitted correctly the first time to avoid any setbacks that can cost valuable time.

Our initial consultation is always free and our prices are the most competitive you can find when looking for the best immigration attorneys in Lansing, MI and the surrounding areas. We charge what we believe to be fair and reasonable prices for the professional, competent, and experienced representation that you will receive when you use our services.

All clients are given a fixed rate for legal services at the time they enter into a retainer agreement so there are no unexpected surprises regarding cost. Many agreements are broken down into equal installments based on the progress toward the goal of the case. This is an incentive for us to continue to meet our client’s goals while at the same time allowing clients additional time and substantial notice of pending payments. This affords our clients the added benefit to communicate regularly with us in all manner without concern of additional legal fees. As one of the top immigration law offices Lansing, MI has to offer, we also do not charge any additional fees for items such as postage, copies, and mileage.

This is not a problem, as long as you let us know in advance. Our immigration firm in Lansing, MI can usually assist you in obtaining all documents that we will need to submit your filing. According to Pew Research Center, over 40 million people living in the U.S. were born in another country. Let us help you with your case.

We offer free consultations and are happy to discuss your immigration matter now and advise you on the best way to prepare for your filing. We are here for you with excellent services for immigration in Lansing, MI when you are ready to begin the process.

You are not required to marry your fiancé once they come to the United States. A fiancé visa grants permission to marry should you so desire. If you decide not to marry your fiancé, the only requirement is that they must leave the U.S. before the visa expires. However, if you plan to remain together, you must marry within 90 days of their arrival so you can avoid issues with adjusting their status as your spouse. 

There is no limit to the number of fiancé visas that you can file, but the filing fee must be paid each time. There is also no limit to the number of times you can file for the same fiancé. You are permitted to receive multiple fiancé visas (until you decide to get married), and you are also permitted to bring the same fiancé to the United States multiple times. Contact us today to work with the marriage immigration lawyer Lansing, MI counts on.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents (sponsors) who apply for family members to get permanent residence in the U.S. must provide an affidavit of support along with their petition. The affidavit of support is an enforceable contract in which the person who signs the affidavit promises to be financially responsible for the immigrant until he or she becomes a U.S. citizen, or until he or she can be credited with 40-quarter years of work (usually this is about 10 years). The sponsor who signs this contract must show that he or she has income or assets that place them at or above 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for their household size. Our marriage immigration lawyers in Lansing, MI will be happy to provide you with the most updated guidelines for this form and explain your responsibilities upon submitting the form.