Green card lawyer in Orlando: your path to permanent residence
We find the right path to your green card (family, marriage, humanitarian protection or immigration court), prepare your case and go with you to the interview. In English or Spanish.
Ask about your green card
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What is a green card?
A green card is the card that proves you are a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Permanent residence lets you live and work in the U.S. indefinitely, travel and come back, petition for certain relatives and, after a few years, apply for citizenship. The card itself is usually valid for 10 years and is renewed with Form I-90; a conditional card from a recent marriage lasts 2 years.
There is no single way to get a green card. The law has several paths, and each one has its own requirements. Knowing how to get a green card starts with two questions: what path fits you, and how you entered the country.
This page is for people who want to know which path they have: spouses and relatives of U.S. citizens and residents, people with an asylum, U visa, T visa or VAWA case, Cubans under the Cuban Adjustment Act, and people in immigration court. It is part of our immigration services.
If you are looking for an immigration lawyer for green card cases, we can help from Orlando. We file with USCIS for clients anywhere in Florida. Green card applications are federal filings, so your county does not matter.
How to get a green card: the main paths
Each path has its own rules. Many people qualify for one they did not know about, and some qualify for more than one.
Green card through family
A U.S. citizen or permanent resident files an I-130 for you. Immediate relatives of citizens skip the visa line; other relatives wait in the F1 to F4 preference categories.
Through marriage
The spouse of a U.S. citizen is an immediate relative. If you entered lawfully, you can usually adjust status without leaving. The spouse of a resident waits in F2A.
Through employment (EB-1 to EB-5)
EB-1 extraordinary ability, EB-2 advanced degree or national interest waiver, EB-3 skilled workers, EB-4 special immigrants, EB-5 investors. Most need an employer and a PERM labor certification.
Humanitarian paths
Asylees and refugees can apply one year after the grant or admission. U visa and T visa holders after 3 years. VAWA self-petitioners and SIJS youth also have their own path.
In immigration court
Cancellation of removal can give a green card to someone in court with 10 years in the U.S., good moral character and exceptional hardship to a citizen or resident spouse, parent or child.
Cuban Adjustment Act
Cuban natives or citizens who were admitted or paroled into the U.S. and have been here at least one year can apply for permanent residence. Spouses and children may also qualify.
Green card through family: immediate relatives and preference categories
A green card through family starts with Form I-130, filed by your relative who is a citizen or permanent resident. Who files for you decides whether you wait in line:
| Who files | For whom | Category |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. citizen | Spouse, unmarried children under 21, parents (citizen 21 or older) | Immediate relatives, no visa line |
| U.S. citizen | Unmarried sons and daughters 21 or older | F1 |
| Permanent resident | Spouse and unmarried children under 21 | F2A |
| Permanent resident | Unmarried sons and daughters 21 or older | F2B |
| U.S. citizen | Married sons and daughters | F3 |
| U.S. citizen 21 or older | Brothers and sisters | F4 |
In the preference categories the wait depends on the country of birth and is published every month in the State Department's Visa Bulletin. See our family petition service.
Humanitarian paths to a green card
- Asylum and refugees: an asylee can apply for the green card one year after asylum is granted; a refugee, one year after admission. If you are asking for asylum in court, see defensive asylum.
- U visa: after 3 years of continuous presence in U status, for victims of certain crimes who helped law enforcement. See U visa.
- T visa: for victims of human trafficking, generally after 3 years in T status.
- VAWA: spouses, children and parents abused by a U.S. citizen or resident can self-petition, without the abuser knowing. See VAWA petition.
- SIJS: young people under 21 who were abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent and have a state juvenile court order.
Adjustment of status or consular processing
Once the petition or the humanitarian case allows it, the green card is obtained in one of two ways:
- Adjustment of status (inside the U.S.): you apply on Form I-485 without leaving the country. In general it requires a lawful entry (inspected and admitted, or paroled). Immediate relatives who entered lawfully can usually adjust even after overstaying. VAWA self-petitioners and some other cases have exceptions. While the I-485 is pending you can usually ask for a work permit and a travel permit.
- Consular processing (outside the U.S.): the case goes to the National Visa Center, and the immigrant attends an interview at a U.S. consulate abroad and enters as a permanent resident.
An adjustment of status attorney in Florida should review your full history before choosing. Leaving the U.S. can trigger a bar to returning: more than 180 days of unlawful presence triggers a 3-year bar, and one year or more triggers a 10-year bar.
The I-601A provisional waiver
If a relative petitions for you and your only problem is unlawful presence, you may be able to ask for the I-601A provisional waiver before you leave for the consular interview, so you are not stuck outside the country. You must show extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen or resident spouse or parent. Some people also qualify under section 245(i) if a petition or labor certification was filed for them, or for a parent or spouse, by April 30, 2001.
Do not leave the country without talking to a lawyer first.
Family petition, green card and citizenship are not the same thing
Many people think the family petition is the green card. They are three separate steps, each with its own form and its own fee.
1. Family petition (I-130)
Your citizen or resident relative proves the family relationship. Approval does not give you status, a work permit or a green card by itself.
2. Permanent residence (green card)
With adjustment of status (I-485) inside the U.S. or consular processing abroad, you become a lawful permanent resident. This is the step this page covers.
3. Citizenship (N-400)
Years later, usually after 5 years as a resident, or 3 if married to and living with a U.S. citizen, you can apply to naturalize with Form N-400.
Documents for a green card application
Every case is different, but most green card applications need these documents. Documents in another language need a certified English translation.
Identity and entry
Passport, birth certificate, and proof of how you entered: visa, I-94 record or parole document.
The basis of your case
The approved or pending I-130, or your asylum, U visa, T visa, VAWA or SIJS approval, depending on your path.
Marriage and family records
Marriage certificate, divorce decrees or death certificates for prior marriages, and children's birth certificates.
Affidavit of Support (I-864)
In family cases, the sponsor's tax returns, pay stubs and employment letter. A joint sponsor can help if income is too low.
Medical exam (I-693)
A medical exam and vaccination record completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon.
Court and police records
Certified dispositions for any arrest or charge, and any immigration court papers or prior removal order. Tell us about them before filing.
Conditional residence and Form I-751
If your green card is based on a marriage that was less than 2 years old when you became a resident, you receive conditional residence: a green card valid for 2 years.
To keep your residence, you and your spouse file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, in the 90 days before the card expires. You prove the marriage is real with evidence of your life together after the green card: joint lease or mortgage, joint accounts, taxes, insurance, children's birth certificates and photos.
If you divorced, if your spouse was abusive, or if losing your residence would cause extreme hardship, you can ask to file the I-751 alone with a waiver. If you do not file, your conditional residence ends and you can be placed in removal proceedings.
Once you have a 10-year card, renewing or replacing it is done with Form I-90.
How we handle your green card case
This is how we take a permanent residence case from our Orlando office for clients anywhere in Florida.
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1. Free call
A free 15-minute phone call to learn your family, how you entered and what you have filed before.
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2. Full review
We review entries, departures, arrests and prior filings to choose the right path and spot any bar or waiver before filing.
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3. Documents and evidence
You get a clear checklist. We review certificates, translations, the I-864 and, in marriage cases, the proof that the marriage is real.
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4. We prepare and file
We prepare the I-130, I-485 and related forms, or the National Visa Center file, with a complete evidence package.
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5. Follow-up and RFEs
We track notices, answer any Request for Evidence and keep you informed.
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6. Interview
We prepare you for the green card interview and, in marriage cases, later for the I-751.
Flat fees, in writing
Each step is a separate service with its own flat fee. You can pay in full or in monthly payments.
Family petition (I-130): $2,500
Green card through marriage inside the U.S. (adjustment of status): $4,000
Green card through family inside the U.S. (other relatives): $3,500
Fiancé(e) visa (K-1): $2,500
Waiver of inadmissibility (I-601 / I-601A): $4,000
Removal of conditions (I-751): $2,000
Green card renewal or replacement (I-90): $500
Consultation in person or longer than 15 minutes: $150
Prices cover the firm's legal fees. USCIS and State Department fees, medical exams and translations are paid separately. We confirm your price in writing at your consultation.
Attorney Luis A. Morales
Luis A. Morales has been a lawyer since 2001 and is admitted to practice in Florida and Puerto Rico. He is a U.S. Army veteran who served as a military legal officer.
He handles each green card case personally, in English or Spanish, from his office at 390 N Orange Ave, Suite 2300, in downtown Orlando. Because green card applications are filed with USCIS, we help clients anywhere in Florida, in person, by phone or by video. Immigration court cases are handled at the Orlando Immigration Court.
Talk to the attorneyQuestions about the green card
How do I get a green card?
Through one of the paths the law allows: a family petition, marriage, employment, a humanitarian case (asylum, refugee status, U visa, T visa, VAWA or SIJS), cancellation of removal in immigration court, or the Cuban Adjustment Act. Then you either adjust status inside the U.S. (I-485) or go through consular processing abroad. Which one fits depends on your family, your case and how you entered.
Does marrying a U.S. citizen give me a green card automatically?
No. Marriage lets your spouse petition for you, but you must file, prove the marriage is real and pass the interview. If you entered lawfully, you can usually adjust status without leaving. If the marriage is less than 2 years old when you are approved, you get conditional residence and must later file the I-751.
I entered without a visa. Can I get a green card?
It depends on your case. Options can include the I-601A provisional waiver with consular processing, section 245(i), parole, a U visa, T visa, VAWA, asylum or cancellation of removal. Do not leave the country without talking to a lawyer first: departure can trigger a 3- or 10-year bar.
What is the difference between adjustment of status and consular processing?
Adjustment of status is applying for the green card inside the U.S. on Form I-485, usually with an interview at a USCIS office. Consular processing is getting an immigrant visa at a U.S. consulate abroad and entering as a resident. Which one you can use depends mainly on how you entered and your immigration history.
Is the family petition the same as the green card?
No. The I-130 family petition only proves the relationship. The green card comes in a second step, adjustment of status or consular processing. Citizenship is a third, separate step years later with Form N-400. For immediate relatives already in the U.S. who qualify, the I-130 and I-485 can often be filed together.
Can I work while my green card application is pending?
If you filed for adjustment of status (I-485) inside the U.S., you can usually ask for a work permit and a travel permit while you wait. Do not travel abroad without the travel permit approved, and talk to us first if you were ever out of status.
Can an asylee or refugee get a green card?
Yes. An asylee can apply one year after asylum is granted, and a refugee one year after admission. A pending asylum application alone does not give a green card. If you are in immigration court, your asylum case is decided there first.
What happens with my conditional green card after 2 years?
You and your spouse file Form I-751 in the 90 days before the card expires, with proof of your life together. If you divorced or suffered abuse, you can ask to file alone with a waiver. If you do not file, your residence can end.
How much does a green card lawyer cost?
We charge flat fees in writing. Green card through marriage inside the U.S.: $4,000. Through other relatives: $3,500. The I-130 petition: $2,500. Government fees, medical exams and translations are paid separately. Payment plans are available.
Do you offer a free consultation?
Yes. We offer a free 15-minute phone call, in English or Spanish, to understand your case and explain your options. An in-person consultation, or one longer than 15 minutes, costs $150.
Part of our immigration services
A green card is often the result of another case. These services can lead to permanent residence.
Immigration court representation
Defense and cancellation of removal at the Orlando Immigration Court.
Which path to a green card do you have? Let's review your case.
Message us for a free 15-minute call. We tell you which path fits, what you need and the flat fee, in English or Spanish.