A GUIDE TO ENJOY A FASTER AND SMOOTHER IMMIGRATION PROCESS

Introduction 

You have chosen to move to the United States as the ideal solution for your life. Now you are trying to find out how to make your way through the US immigration process with the fewest problems and in the shortest period. This is understandable, and you are not alone—the same hopes exist for many others.  

But you have probably heard that the US immigration process is very complicated and very slow to act on new applications. This can lead you to believe that your dreams will be practically impossible to achieve. 

If you are ready to make the move to the US but getting mired in this complicated immigration process, don’t fret—you don’t have to do it alone. The immigration attorneys in Brooklyn are ready to assist with your case and improve your chances of realizing your American Dream.  

It is absolutely natural for prospective applicants to ask themselves how easy it can be to expedite the process of having their immigration request accepted and relocating to the US. Let’s take a look at some things that immigrants can do to make the immigration process faster and smoother. 

Things to do to make your immigration process faster and smoother 

• Make sure you have the right documents. 

When working with USCIS, it is actually very important to make sure that your petition has all of the right documents. If you leave something out, they will send you an RFE. 

Getting an RFE may slow down your case, and the delays can last weeks or months. To prevent that, make sure you provide all that is relevant to your case. An immigration lawyer in Brooklyn can help you avoid or deal with an RFE. 

• Premium processing. 

Premium processing is a way of speeding things up with USCIS if you want to pay extra. If you do pay the extra fee, they will complete your case within 15 days. 

Just a heads up, premium processing is not offered for all types of applications, so you have to see if your case meets the requirements. 

You can also ask for premium processing once you have filed your application. So, if you have already submitted and must expedite, you can pay for the premium processing upgrade later. Learn more about premium processing by talking with an immigration lawyer in Brooklyn. 

• USCIS service request. 

A service request lets you make a request for the status of your case. What is significant with a service request is the manner by which you make it. You can only make one when your case is processing more slowly than regular processing times.  

For example, if you had petitioned an I-130 for a spouse in the California Service Center, it would take around 11 to 14.5 months. You can only request a service request after 14.5 months. Make sure to check the right website before requesting a service request, or they will deny it because it is still within their normal processing time. 

A service request is also known as a case inquiry. If your service request is granted, it could potentially speed up your case. Get clarifications on how to explore this option by talking with an immigration lawyer in Brooklyn. 

• USCIS case expedite request. 

You might not have heard of an expedite request, but it can be an option to speed up your case processing. It is different from the service request mentioned earlier. 

There is a specific process you must go through to make an expedited request. USCIS considers expedite requests case by case. So, when you submit an expedite request, they will adjudicate and determine if they will approve or deny it. 

When you submit an expedite request, there is some supporting documentation that you are required to submit. An immigration lawyer in Brooklyn can help you look over your case to decide if you can make an expedited request. 

If you can be eligible for premium processing on your case, you cannot submit an expedited request. You would have to apply for premium processing instead. If premium processing is not an option for the kind of case you have, then you can submit an expedite request. Get to know the option that suit your case from an immigration lawyer in Brooklyn. 

Other options 

You could try reaching out to a member of Congress to see if they can help push your application through faster. But remember, USCIS will ultimately decide if they speed things up or not.  

Getting in touch with the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman can also be useful if you are having a hard time getting a response from USCIS. 

If you have a pending I-130 or I-485 petition, you can benefit from USCIS’s initiative to cut down processing time. 

It is always best to call an experienced immigration lawyer in Brooklyn. They know the intricacies of immigration law and can guide you to process your petition more effectively and learn how to get it processed with fewer problems and less time. 

In the following section, we will go over some of the reasons why you would need to take steps to speed up your case with USCIS. 

Reasons to expedite your case 

In the last section, we explained how to speed up your immigration process. Now, let’s review some of the reasons why you would request to speed up your immigration case with USCIS. 

• Severe financial loss. 

First, if you or your employer hiring you would suffer significant financial loss, you would need to file an expedite request. You would need to provide evidence as to why the financial loss would suffer. 

• Humanitarian emergency. 

Another basis for a request expedite is if you are facing a humanitarian emergency. You will need to substantiate this with documentation as well. 

• Government interest. 

Third, the third basis for submitting an expedited request is if there is a government interest that will be prejudiced if your case is not expedited. For example, if you must start working on a project of governmental interest right away. 

• USCIS error. 

The last reason to ask for an expedited request is in the case USCIS made an error while processing your case. 

Get help! 

Since USCIS is taking longer than normal to process cases, getting help from a good immigration lawyer in Brooklyn can really help you out. 

It is totally normal to want your US immigration application to be looked at quickly so you can start living here sooner. An immigration lawyer in Brooklyn from Gehi and Associates can speed things up for you. 

Give us a call today to chat with an immigration lawyer at Gehi and Associates for an initial free consultation!