Immigration is the act of moving to another country.  A person may choose to immigrate to the United States to obtain work opportunities not available in many countries.  Immigration may be on a permanent or temporary basis.  When a person decides to immigrate to the United States, he/she must adhere to certain immigration laws and statutes.  If a person does not follow U.S. immigration laws, he/she will be classified as an illegal immigrant and shall be subject to deportation. 

Before a person can immigrate to the U.S., he/she must gain a legal permission to enter the United States.  The procedures for gaining legal status will depend upon the person’s reason for immigrating, such as investment, employment, family reunification, or education. 

Immigrant Investors
The U.S. government has approved Regional Centers that allow an investor to invest $500,000 U.S. Dollars(with all administration and legal fees the actual dollar amount is about $575,000) in order to obtain permanent residency.  The program requires the creation of ten jobs along with the investment and in return, the foreign investor will obtain permanent residency for a spouse and minor children.  If you do not use one of these center, the investment must be $1,000,000 U.S. Dollars and the creation of ten jobs.

Employment Immigration
If a person wishes to immigrate into the U.S. because of an employment opportunity, he/she must meet several requirements  To be eligible, the person must be classified under 1 of the 5 categories of employment-based immigration.  If the person is eligible, his/her employer must fill out and submit a labor certification request, which must be approved by the Department of Labor.  The employer must also file an immigrant petition visa and the visa must be approved by the U.S. State Department prior to arrival in the United States.  Many employers bring an employee to the United States as a non-immigrant and only apply for permanent status after a person proves their worth to the company.   

Family Immigration
If a person wishes to immigrate into the U.S. because they have a close relative who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, he/she must have immigration eligibility.  Some family members are permitted to immigrate, while others may not be allowed to.  Usually, spouses and children are considered immediate relatives of U.S. Citizens, but not permanent residents, where  other relatives such as cousins and uncles are not a close enough relative to be allowed to immigrate.  If the person is considered eligible, the relative that is the U.S. citizen or permanent will be considered the person’s “sponsor”, and will have to file a Petition for Alien Relative.  The Petition must be approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services first and then by the U.S. Department of State prior to the relative being allowed to immigrate. 
 
Deportation Defense
Some permanent residents and non residents are put into removal proceedings.  In some cases, relief from deportation may be available based upon specific circumstances.  The Law Offices of Robert West provides professional defense when people are in trouble of being deported from the United States.
  
Las Vegas Immigration & Naturalization Attorney
If you are considering immigration, or if you have questions related to immigration, contact the Las Vegas Law Offices of Robert West.  At the Law Offices of Robert West, we have handled a wide variety of immigration matters for clients in Las Vegas, United States, and overseas.  The Law Offices of Robert West provides all types of immigration services for individuals and businesses.   

Contact our Las Vegas Law Office about your Immigration matter!