PRACTICE AREAS

If you are in removal proceedings before an immigration court, you may ultimately be deported from the United States under an order of removal. However, depending on the circumstances, Respondents in removal proceedings may be eligible for relief from removal allowing them to remain in the United States. Attorney Jose Perez will help identify whether you are eligible for any forms of relief from removal, in order to properly advise you of your options before the immigration court. If you are in immigration court proceedings, contact Attorney Jose Perez to determine how best to proceed with your case.

U.S. Asylum law allows certain individuals who fear returning to their country, to remain in the United States indefinitely in order to avoid being harmed in their home country. In order to qualify for asylum, you must show that you have been persecuted in the past, or that you have a well-founded fear of future persecution based on your race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or your membership in a particular social group. Recent changes in the interpretation and implementation of Asylum laws may also impact the likelihood of success and will require careful navigation of legal issues. If you or someone you know fears returning to their country, contact Attorney Jose Perez to determine whether you would be eligible for asylum.

If you have a spouse, parent, child, or sibling who is a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States, that family member may be able to file a petition for you (via form I-130) as step one to becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident or “Green Card” holder. Additionally, if you are a U.S. Citizen engaged or soon-to-be engaged to a foreign fiancé(e) living abroad, you may be able to petition for him or her to obtain a fiancé(e) visa (via form I-129F) in order to get married here in the United States. Whether or not you or your fiancé(e) are eligible for a green card and how your case will proceed, depends on a number of factors and can often require the simultaneous filing of complicated waivers depending on your immigration or criminal history. Depending on the facts of your case, the family-based petition process may require consular processing at a U.S. Embassy overseas, or an Adjustment of Status (I-485) interview within the United States. Recent changes in immigration law may also impact the likelihood of success and will require careful navigation of potential legal issues. Attorney Jose Perez will carefully identify whether or not you and your family member are eligible to file a family-based petition, and will provide you with realistic expectations regarding the length of the process and potential case outcomes. Contact Attorney Jose Perez if you think you may be eligible.

If someone you know is detained in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), he or she may be eligible to be released from custody on an immigration bond depending on their immigration and criminal history. Contact Attorney Jose Perez for immediate assistance if you or a loved one is detained by immigration authorities.

In Maryland, undocumented minor children who are under the age of 21, and who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by one or both of their parents, may apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). SIJS is a complicated and multi-step process that is navigated through both Maryland state courts, and federal immigration authorities, and can afford a child who has been abused, abandoned, or neglected with lawful permanent resident status. Contact Attorney Jose Perez for a consultation if you think you or someone you know qualifies for SIJS.

If you have been the victim of domestic violence or another crime committed in the United States, and were helpful to law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of the crime, or are willing to cooperate with law enforcement officials in the future, you may be eligible to apply for a U-Visa. Contact Attorney Jose Perez if you have been the victim of a crime to determine your potential eligibility.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) allows for certain non-citizens who have been battered or abused by their U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident Spouse or Parent, to independently apply for lawful permanent resident status without the consent, knowledge, or help of their abusive spouse or parent. VAWA relief protects non-citizens who have been victims of domestic violence, from having to remain in an abusive relationship with their spouse or parent in order to obtain a green card.

Naturalization (via form N-400) is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a foreign citizen or national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). There are several different paths and requirements to becoming a U.S. citizen via Naturalization, and every case is different. In order to determine your potential eligibility, contact Attorney Jose Perez if you are interested in applying to become a U.S. citizen.

A person’s ability to obtain an employment authorization document or “work permit” allowing them to legally work in the United States, is directly tied to his or her immigration status. Put simply, not everyone is eligible to apply for and receive a work permit (via form I-765) in order to work in the United States. For more information on whether you or someone you know is eligible to obtain an employment authorization document or “work permit,” contact Attorney Jose Perez to schedule a consultation.

Whether you are a noncitizen with pending or past criminal charges, or a Maryland criminal defense attorney handling a criminal matter for a noncitizen, Attorney Jose Perez will help you in carefully analyzing the immigration consequences of your criminal charges or convictions. Criminal convictions can lead to a wide range of collateral immigration consequences, including detention, deportation, ineligibility to apply for Citizenship, and much more. Attorney Jose Perez will carefully review your criminal charges in order to properly advise you of their potential immigration consequences, so that you or the attorney handling your criminal matter can proceed accordingly.