Immigration Overview

Every year, hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals leave their home countries and come to the United States to pursue their education at U.S. universities, to begin employment with U.S. companies, to invest into the U.S. economy, or simply to reunite with their family members. Foreign nationals flock to every state of the country, and here in Wisconsin we have a large population of foreign nationals who call our state home. There are many opportunities here for foreign workers, investors, and students. If you are interested in exploring them, you should consider contacting the experienced Wisconsin immigration attorneys at Attorney Spiros Stavros Nicolet. We treat each of our clients with the personalized care and attention to detail that they deserve.

The U.S. is home to many of the most prestigious universities around the world, such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and Princeton. These schools are eager to welcome the most talented students from all over the globe, and interested foreign nationals can come to the U.S. and study at an American university by obtaining an F-1 visa.

The F-1 visa allows foreign nationals to enter the U.S. and pursue a specific degree program at an authorized university. F-1 visa holders may also bring their spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 with them to the U.S., since these family members are eligible for F-2 visas.

Another common way to move to the U.S. and eventually get permanent residence with a green card is through employment. To work in the U.S., the foreign national must find a U.S. employer who is willing to sponsor the national for one of the many work visas or for a green card. The different types of work visas all have different requirements and their own benefits and disadvantages, so speaking to a Wisconsin immigration attorney is very helpful in determining which visa best fits the employer’s needs and the worker’s immigration goals.

The free-market economy in the U.S. offers excellent investment opportunities for foreign nationals who are seeking to start a business, diversify their investment portfolios, or otherwise take advantage of the exciting business innovations that are happening on a daily basis in this country. Investment-based immigration petitions can be very complicated to prepare correctly, and costly to fix after the fact, so interested foreign investors are advised to contact a knowledgeable immigration lawyer before beginning this process.

One of the greatest benefits of becoming a green card holder (lawful permanent resident/LPR) or a U.S. citizen is that LPRs and citizens can sponsor certain family members for their own green cards. The type of family member who can receive a green card depends upon the immigration status (LPR or citizen) of the sponsor.

There are alternate pathways to getting a green card as well. For instance, a foreign national may qualify for a green card by obtaining asylum if the foreign national can prove that he or she has a well-founded fear of persecution based upon race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

If the foreign national is from a country that does not have many outbound emigrants to the U.S., such as Botswana, Kenya, Egypt, Somalia, and Morocco, the national may be eligible to apply for a green card through the diversity visa lottery system (DV Lottery). The DV Lottery is just what it sounds like: a lottery system that randomly selects applicants for a green card.

All types of immigration applications require many supporting documents, forms, fees, and other materials. Due to the complexity of immigration laws and the changing regulations that govern the requirements of these petitions, interested immigrants are encouraged to contact a Wisconsin immigration lawyer at Attorney Spiros Stavros Nicolet who can explain all of their possible options. By consulting an attorney, immigrants can be assured that their case will proceed as quickly and efficiently as possible. Contact our office at (773) 562-6884 or via our online form to start discussing the details of your plans.