Here To Help Your Family Resolve All Immigration Matters

Bringing a family member to the United States is an important, life-changing event. I am Jason Karavias, an experienced Pittsburgh immigration lawyer who is dedicated to providing efficient and personalized service to my clients. I know how significant this step is for you and your family. As such, I will be by your side throughout the immigration and green card processes, answering your questions and providing you with trusted legal guidance.

To arrange a free, no-obligation consultation directly with me, call 412-223-7924.

Assistance Obtaining A Green Card And Other Services

Whether your family member is currently abroad or already in the U.S. on a temporary visa, I will diligently work to help him or her obtain legal status to live and work permanently in the United States. A green card can be obtained through a family member in the following ways:

1. Marriage to a U.S. citizen: If a foreign national is married to a U.S. citizen, he or she may obtain a green card through his or her spouse. If you have been married for less than two years, the green card will be granted on a conditional basis. The conditions will be removed through a joint petition 90 days prior to the expiration of the two-year period. This is referred to as “removal of conditions.”
2. Family-based petitions: United States Citizens can petition for green cards for their Spouse, Parents, Children and Siblings, while Green Card Holders can petition for green cards for their Spouses and Unmarried Children.

In addition to assisting clients with obtaining legal permanent residence for their family members, I offer the following immigration services:

• U.S. citizenship: If you are a U.S. green card holder, you can apply to become a citizen of the United States if you are eligible, meeting requirements including residency, knowledge of the English language and good moral character. Contact me to learn more.
• Fiancé(e) visas: If you are a U.S. citizen engaged to be married to a foreign national, you can petition for a fiancé(e) visa, which will allow your fiancé(e) to enter the U.S. for 90 days during which time you must be married. After the marriage, the foreign national will then apply for a green card through his or her new spouse.
• Extension of stay visas: Visitors to the U.S. with current visas who wish to stay beyond the time period allowed by their visas may petition for extensions.

Common Challenges In Family Immigration

They include, but are not limited to:

• Documentation errors or omissions: May include missing birth certificates, outdated translations or incomplete applications.
• Lengthy processing delays: The delays are often outside the applicant’s control and can be made worse by backlogs or administrative errors.
• Confusion about eligibility: This happens particularly due to changing policies regarding who qualifies under family-based categories.
• Language and cultural barriers: May cause misunderstandings during interviews or correspondence with immigration officers.
• Policy shifts or legal updates: They can affect cases mid-process and require legal intervention to resolve.

Many of these challenges are avoidable when working with a family immigration lawyer who understands how to anticipate problems and resolve them efficiently. Legal guidance streamlines the process and also improves the chances of success.

What Happens After Your Family Member Gets A Green Card?

While getting a green card marks a major milestone, it is a chapter filled with legal and personal responsibilities. Therefore, after getting a green card, expect the following:

• Complying with all U.S. laws, including filing federal and state taxes accurately yearly.
• Understanding the rules around international travel. For example, leaving the country for too long can risk losing permanent residency without a reentry permit.
• Exploring the path to U.S. citizenship, which becomes available after five years of lawful permanent residency.
• Recognizing that the sponsor still holds financial responsibility until the immigrant becomes a citizen or meets other termination conditions.

The green card process does not end at approval. I can explain the full scope of responsibilities and help families avoid legal missteps.

The Affidavit Of Support: What You Need To Know To Sponsor A Family Member

The Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) is a binding contract with the U.S. government, requiring sponsors to accept financial responsibility for the immigrant. Some of the key facts of Form I-864 include:

• Sponsors must meet specific income thresholds to qualify, often based on household size.
• The obligation remains until the immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen or earns 40 quarters of work credit (about 10 years).
• Failure to meet support requirements can result in legal liability and repayment obligations if the immigrant receives public assistance.
• In some cases, joint sponsors may be needed if the primary sponsor’s income is too low.

This form is one of the most legally sensitive parts of the process. A family immigration lawyer can help ensure compliance with immigration regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Immigration

Those seeking family immigration often face many questions. Below, I address issues that commonly arise when pursuing family‑based immigration in Pennsylvania.

How long does it take to get a family-based green card in Pittsburgh?

Processing times depend on the family relationship, location and the workload of the Pittsburgh USCIS Field Office. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, including spouses, parents or unmarried children under 21, generally move through the system more quickly because family visas are always available. 

Preference category applicants must wait until the government reaches their priority date and a visa becomes available before the case can be approved. Local interview scheduling can fluctuate throughout the year, which means applicants in Pittsburgh may experience longer or shorter timelines depending on staffing levels and case volume.

Can I sponsor a family member if I am a green card holder and not yet a citizen?

Yes. Lawful permanent residents may file petitions for spouses and unmarried children. These cases fall within the F2A or F2B preference categories, which means the beneficiary must wait for a visa to become available before completing the process. 

Many families choose to naturalize before filing because U.S. citizens can sponsor a broader range of relatives and often benefit from faster processing. When a petitioner becomes a citizen during a pending case, USCIS can automatically upgrade the petition, which may shorten the overall wait time.

What happens if my income is too low to be a financial sponsor?

If the petitioner’s income does not meet the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the household size listed on Form I‑864, a joint sponsor may assist. This sponsor must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, must reside in the United States and must independently meet the income threshold. Their financial information is submitted in a separate Affidavit of Support, and USCIS evaluates both sponsors to ensure the immigrant will not become dependent on public assistance. Families often use a joint sponsor when the petitioner has recently changed jobs or has fluctuating income.

What is the “Visa Bulletin,” and how does it affect my family’s case?

The Department of State publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin that lists which priority dates are eligible for further processing. Families in the preference categories must track this bulletin because a case cannot move forward until the priority date becomes current. Movement in the bulletin can speed up or slow down depending on annual visa limits, demand from other countries and government allocation patterns.

Contact Me For A Free Consultation

To discuss your immigration law or green card legal needs with me in a free, no-obligation consultation, call my immigration law office at 412-223-7924 or contact me online.