Immigration Law

Establish legal immigration status for your peace of mind
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Immigration Law Attorney In Kansas City

Tackling Your Immigration Challenges

When you first plan to go to the United States as an immigrant, you feel so much uncertainty. What type of visa should I apply for? What forms do I fill out? How can I stay in the U.S. permanently? How long before I can get a green card? Could I be deported? Relax. Our immigration law firm has years of experience handling immigration and naturalization cases of all kinds throughout the United States. Whether you’re a first-time visitor, applying for a green card so you can marry your U.S. fiancé, or appealing a removal order, we can help you and your family fight for your rights. With us by your side, you can have peace of mind, knowing that an experienced immigration attorney has your back.

Contact Jeffrey Y. Bennett Law to schedule a consultation with a lawyer today. 816-656-3282

Immigration Law encompasses a complex set of laws and regulations that are constantly changing. There are also many government agencies and sub-agencies that play a central role in the immigration process such as the Department of Homeland Security (US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); the Department of Justice (Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO), Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), and Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL); the Department of State (Bureau of Consular Affairs (BCA), U.S. Consulates Overseas, National Visa Center (NVC), Visa Office (VO), Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), Office of Legislation, Regulations and Advisory Assistance (Advisory Opinion Division), and Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA); and the Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC), Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) and Administrative Review Board (ARB). Other agencies and government authorities such as the Social Security Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (Division of Global Migration and Quarantine and Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the Internal Revenue Service, and local and state governments playing supporting roles in affecting one’s immigration related matters.


In our Family and Business Immigration Law practice, we represent persons in removal (deportation), cancellation of removal proceedings, consular processing, and adjustments of status; assist persons or those who are petitioning for a family member to become legal residents or naturalized US citizens; and deal with asylum, juvenile, domestic violence, divorce, immigration consequences on criminal issues, foreign student visas, I-9 compliance, foreign employment visas, and work authorization immigration issues.

Untangling the Complex Web of Immigration Law

U.S. immigration laws tend to be complicated, confusing, and difficult to understand – even for native English speakers. Breaking those laws, unfortunately, can lead to severe consequences. Our experienced, compassionate immigration lawyers help you untangle the legal web to ensure that you and your loved ones comply with every aspect of the law. You deserve all the rights the U.S. immigration system grants to new immigrants. From getting into the country to becoming an American citizen, we help you overcome barriers and take advantage of the opportunity this country offers.

Helping Businesses Solve Immigration Issues

Our team doesn’t only help individuals and families. We assist U.S. businesses attract and retain the finest talent from all over the world with employment-based visas. Starting with the application process overseas, we make sure that your candidates meet all the criteria for legal immigration, keeping you – and them – completely compliant with the law. That’s not all. We help foreign businesses and investors leverage the United States’ favorable business environment with visa assistance, advice on setting up a business in the US, and much more. Partnering with you and your team, we help you solve all the immigration issues that stand in your way.

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Some Of Our Top Immigration Services

Naturalization

Naturalization is the legal process that allows a foreign citizen to become a United States citizen. The path to citizenship is administered by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship, and Immigration Services. There are a series of steps and requirements that a person must follow to become a naturalized citizen, and the process can take several years. Those requirements include:


  • Be at least 18 years old at the time they file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.
  • Be a permanent resident of the United States for at least three or five years. (Three years if you are still married to the US citizen spouse who petitioned for you originally or five years in all other circumstances) This means they have had a “Green Card” for that amount of time, and they must be able to show continuous residence in the U.S. for at least more than one half of the time required for one to wait before being able to apply) immediately proceeding the date of filing Form N-400.
  • Show that they have lived at least three months in the state or USCIS district where they are applying.
  • Be able to speak and write basic English
  • Have a basic understanding of U.S. government and history
  • Be a person of good moral character, especially within the last five years preceding one’s application for naturalization, and demonstrate a belief in the principles of the U.S. Constitution.
  • Not have any deportable criminal convictions


Jeffrey Y. Bennett Law has helped many people determine if they are eligible to apply; assisted them with their Form N-400 application; and has coached them through the English and civics tests, and a final interview that are all part of the naturalization process.


Green Cards (Lawful Permanent Resident Status)

One of the key steps to citizenship is obtaining a “green card” or lawful permanent resident status. A green card provides proof that the non-citizen cardholder is a permanent resident of the United States and has been granted certain benefits, including permission to live and work in the country. A green card also allows holders to apply for a social security card, apply for a driver’s license, attend public schools and colleges, and in some cases join some branches of the U.S. military. However, a green card holder may NOT vote in any US elections. Unless a person obtained a green card through a US citizen spouse and they are still married to that citizen, a person must be a green card holder for a minimum of five years before they can apply for U.S. citizenship.


Mr. Bennett assists clients in obtaining green cards in a variety of situations. Most people who obtain green cards are sponsored by a family member or an employer in the United States. US citizens may sponsor spouses, children under age 21, adult sons or daughters, parents, and siblings, but lawful permanent resident sponsors can only petition spouses, children, and adult sons and daughters. Employment-based green cards are issued based on a tiered ranking system. Preference is given to priority workers, including multinational executives and professors; followed by members of professions holding advanced degrees; skilled workers; those in special categories; and then investors and entrepreneurs.


Because there is only a limited number of green cards issued each year in some categories, making sure that your application is completed correctly and that your information is compelling and correct is essential for the best possible chance at being issued a green card. Mr. Bennett’s many years of experience means that he understands what it will take to ensure your personal narrative and your information are given the best possible consideration.


Travel Visas

Foreign nationals who want to enter the United States must generally obtain a visa. There are two kinds of visas.


Immigrant Visas

Immigrant visas are for those people seeking to start on the path to legal permanent status and eventually become citizens. Aliens living outside of the United States can apply for an immigrant visa at a consular office in the country where they currently live. Once issued, they can come to the U.S. and become legal immigrants. Aliens who already live in the U.S. including undocumented immigrants, foreign students, refugees, and others may either file an application for adjustment of status with USCIS or through a complicated process of consular processing which may require waivers of inadmissibility or deportability based on past criminal history, unlawful presence in the United States, or past deportation history.

Immigration attorney Jeffrey Y. Bennett has not only helped family members and employers obtain permanent residency for their beneficiaries but also for persons who are willing to make considerable investment of money under the EB-5 investor visa program.


Non-Immigrant Visas

Non-immigrant visas are generally related to securing documentation that will allow aliens to come to the United States for work or education purposes, or for those who want to visit the country as tourists or business travelers. There are several main categories of non-immigrant visas, each with its own requirements.


In many cases, documentation can be extensive to demonstrate eligibility. However, immigration attorney Jeffrey Y. Bennett has a deep understanding of the non-immigrant visa process and has assisted numerous clients with all types of employer-related visas, including B1/B2, H1-B Visas, H2B, H-3, O, P-1A, Q, R-1, S, T, U, and V visas.


Family sponsored and employer sponsored visa applications both involve many steps and several submissions. This complicated process can take several months, if not years, depending on each unique situation. Part of the reason for the length of time is that the United States caps the number of visas issued each year as well as overseeing a complicated system of issuing visas by country within that framework.


Asylum and Withholding of Removal

Due to the nature and immediacy of most political asylum immigration cases, they are often given priority by the federal government. However, there are several other enumerated categories for basing an asylum or withholding of removal claim. When seeking asylum, a person must be able to show that they are or will be persecuted in their country of origin based on their race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or due to their political beliefs. If you fall into any of these categories, you must apply for asylum within one year of entering the United States with a few minor exceptions to this rule. If you are granted asylum, you will be allowed to stay in the United States and one year after it is granted you will be able to apply for a green card. Withholding of Removal is similar type of claim as asylum however there are no filing deadlines, but one has to be in removal (deportation proceedings) before one can apply for this benefit. In addition, the amount of proof is much higher to win on a withholding of removal claim as compared to an asylum claim. An asylum claim can be submitted regardless if one is in removal proceedings or not.


Jeffrey Y. Bennett is a member of the Missouri & Kansas Bar, and is licensed to practice in the State of Missouri and the U.S. District Court, the State of Kansas and the U.S. District Court of Kansas, and the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District.

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