A foreigner seeking entry into the country is typically required to obtain a U.S. visa. Once a visa has been obtained, that person can proceed to a port of entry, airport, or land border crossing with a U.S. visa in hand and ask a Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspector for permission to enter the country. Although holding a visa does not ensure admittance into the United States, it does show that a person is qualified to apply for entry for that particular reason (whether that is work, school, or some other specified reason).

Sometimes obtaining a visa is simple, but more often than not, it includes a difficult process and a complicated field of law. For this reason, it is always important to meet with a visa attorney before applying for any type of visa. The Georgia visa attorney at The Law Offices of C. Payne has the resources and experience to help individuals obtain the proper visa.

How Can a Visa Attorney Help?

One of the first actions someone takes when emigrating to the U.S. is to apply for a visa. They will require a visa regardless of whether they intend to stay in the country permanently or are only traveling there temporarily. Many questions will be posed to the applicant when they submit their visa application. An accomplished immigration attorney must be retained to assist you with your visa application.

Visa applications sometimes entail a lot of information, paperwork, and procedures. It is in your best interest to hasten the procedure by enlisting the aid of an attorney.

To make sure your application is accurate and submitted on time, it is best to have an attorney review the application before submission and even help go over what visa is best for you. A person’s prospects of getting a visa may be hampered by an incomplete application or an application that is not completed on time. Additionally, if you need to appear before a judge or a panel, a visa attorney can do so on your behalf.

Fiancé Visas

A K-1 or fiancé visa allows the fiancé of an American citizen to travel to the United States for the purpose of marrying that citizen and immigrating to the country. The U.S. citizen petitioner must marry the foreign citizen beneficiary within 90 days. Once married, the now spouse is eligible to stay in the United States and apply for permanent residency, also known as a green card.

For a U.S. citizen to qualify to petition the government for a K-1 fiancé visa, they must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen
  • Have met your fiancé in-person
  • Both be free to marry
  • Demonstrate you can financially support your fiancé
  • Have no major criminal history

R-1 Visas for Religious Workers

The R-1 visa is a temporary non-immigrant visa given to foreign nationals entering the U.S. to work in a religious capacity for a non-profit organization in America. This visa status can be granted for an initial period of up to 30 months, which can be extended for an additional 30 months, for a maximum stay of 60 months or five years. After five years, the visa holder must return to their home country for 12 months before reapplying.

To qualify for an R-1 visa, the foreign national must:

  • Be a minister of their religion or work in a religious vocation
  • Represent a legitimate non-profit religious organization that is tax exempt
  • Intend to return to their native country once their visa expires and
  • Have been a member of the religious denomination for at least two years immediately prior to submitting their R-1 visa application

Student Visas

Many international students apply to U.S. universities each year in order to pursue full-time studies there. But one needs to have a U.S. student visa in order to go to school here. Unfortunately, getting a visa can be a difficult process. All international applicants must first acquire a U.S. student visa in order to lawfully attend school in America. An international student visa enables a foreign national student to temporarily remain in the country for school.

F-1 Visa

While attending a school, college, seminary, or conservatory, a student is able to temporarily reside in the United States for a predetermined amount of time with the help of an F-1 visa. There are some very clear restrictions for the F-1 visa, but its application is very broad. The first requirement is that the student must be traveling to the U.S. with the intention of temporarily studying. They must be enrolled in an academic program and not receiving training at a job-training facility. Their academic institution must be accredited and have Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approval through the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP).

Contact a Georgia Visa Attorney at The Law Offices of C. Payne

There are many types of visas and then subcategories of those visas. Due to the complexities of the system, it is important to hire a visa attorney before submitting an application. The Georgia visa attorney at The Law Offices of C. Payne can help with the entire visa process, even if you have already been denied.