United States Immigration & US Visa Lawyers in San Francisco, CA
Surowitz & Argumedo
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220 Montgomery Street Ste. 969 San Francisco, California 94104 USA |
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(415) 434-1230
(510) 558-0865
www.eastbayvisalaw.com
Contact Joshua Surowitz
Law Firm Overview
Surowitz & Argumedo is an experienced law firm located in San Francisco, El Cerrito and San Rafael. We are dedicated to helping its clients navigate the complex rules of United States immigration law and developing the most appropriate strategies for their needs, on an individual, customized basis. We provide a full range of legal services regarding employment-based and marriage & family-based temporary and permanent resident visas ("green cards") as well as assistance with U.S. citizenship, immigration appeals, defense for those in deportation / removal proceedings, visa and consular assistance, and a broad compliment of related services.
Our law firm represents clients throughout the State of California, the United States, and all throughout the world. We have been engaged as U.S. immigration counsel for citizens of over 90 countries on every inhabited continent. Our clients include public and educational entities, small companies and larger multinational corporations, as well as families and individuals. In 2011, Surowitz & Argumedo also opened an immigration law liaison office in Barcelona, Spain.
We counsel and assist our clients though every phase of the immigration process, from matters before consular authorities abroad, to the final adjudication of each petition and application, and through each entry into the United States. Our firm was founded on and remains steadfastly committed to the principle of providing premium service with quick turnaround time while meeting our clients’ budgetary requirements. We utilize advanced office technologies for case management, document creation, research, and communications including our electronic on-line case tracking and form filling systems. These capabilities enable our clients to review their applications and their case adjudication status on our website at any time from any location. Our efficient and secure on-line case management system distinguishes us from other Immigration Law firms insofar as it permits us to provide personal service with a high degree of responsiveness to clients in the United States and throughout the world.
Year this Office was Established: 2004
Languages: English, Spanish
Practice Areas
Additional Practice Areas: Deportation Defense and Removal Defense; Asylum; Waivers of Inadmissibility/Excludability; Criminal Defense of Non-Citizens.
Practice Areas Description
Surowitz & Argumedo provides a full range of high quality, flat fee immigration legal service and a broad compliment of related services including:- Marriage Petitions, Fiancée Visas and Fiancée Visas
U.S. Immigration law provides three different methods for U.S. citizens to bring significant others to the United States from abroad for purposes of living together as husband and wife. They are the Alien Spouse Immigrant Visa, the K-1 Fiancée Visa, and the K-3 Visa for Spouse.
- Family Petitions
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents can petition for certain family members to obtain permanent residence (their “green card”) in the United States. Immigrant Petitions for family members are generally filed on Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. Fiancé Visa Petitions, however, are generally filed on Form I-129f, Petition for Alien Fiancé.
- Visas for Work, School, Visitors, etc.
The non-immigrant visa classification covers a broad range of visas used to enter the United States for work, pleasure or study. Some visas are considered 'dual status'; you may attempt to obtain permanent residency (a green card) while under that classification. Most non-immigrant visas, however, require you establish the demonstration of non-immigrant intent. This means you should demonstrate that you have a permanent residence in your home country that you have no intention of abandoning. The duration of time you may spend in the U.S. can range from a few days to several years, depending on the visa. In most situations, your spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 may accompany you on a derivative visa.
- PERM Labor Certification, Employment Permanent Residence Process
Most individuals seeking lawful permanent residence (a “green card”) in the United States through employment must first be the beneficiary of their employer’s or prospective employer’s Labor Certification Application to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Today, the DOL utilizes an electronic attestation-based Labor Certification system called the Program Electronic Review Management System (PERM).
- Employment-Based Green Cards
Permanent immigration is the ultimate goal of many people entering or planning to enter the United States. Lawful permanent residency offers individuals a multitude of benefits, including the freedom to live and work permanently in the U.S. Potential immigrants should be as informed about the laws as possible. That's why our firm is dedicated to providing you with a complete online database of immigration information.
- U.S. Citizenship & Naturalization
To apply for United States Citizenship through Naturalization, and individual must generally first be a Lawful Permanent Resident. An Application for Naturalization is filed on Form N-400, and a Lawful Permanent Resident must ordinarily be at least 18 years old to apply. Foreign nationals can apply for Citizenship through Naturalization after having resided in the U.S. for five years subsequent to becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident (“green card” holder). However, foreign nationals who are married to a United States Citizen can Naturalize after only three years provided the spouse of the foreign national has been a U.S. Citizen for at least three years, they have been married for at least three years, and the foreign national is living with, as husband and wife, the U.S. Citizen spouse.
- Deportation Defense and Removal Defense
Non-citizens who overstay a visa or who enter the U.S. without permission of the government will likely receive a notice to appear in Immigration Court for a “master calendar” hearing. Persons convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude, aggravated felonies, as well as crimes involving controlled substances, domestic violence, or firearms, among others, will be taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”). Frequently this is done by way of an immigration detainer (“immigration hold”) placed on a person already in state or local custody.
- Asylum
An individual who has suffered persecution “refugee” or who has a well-founded fear of persecution in his or her home country might be eligible for permanent residency (“green card”), even if otherwise present in the United States illegally. Persecution might be any form of violence or threat of violence to the refugee or the refugee’s family, including ethnic cleansing, forced abortions, involuntary sterilizations, and female genital mutilation; persecution also includes loss of liberty or deprivation of livelihood. The persecution must have arisen because of the refugee’s political opinion, religion, race, nationality, or membership in a particular social group. If the persecution occurred in the past, it must have been committed by the government or forces that the government is unwilling or unable to control.
- Immigration Appeals
Certain adverse immigration related determinations can be appealed. These include determinations related cases involving the following: The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has jurisdiction to review appeals based on final decisions of an Immigration Judge (IJ) in exclusion, deportation (removal) and certain other matters, appeals based on decisions in deportation or exclusion proceedings related to cancellation of removal applications, adjustment of status applications and appeals of certain other matters that arise before an Immigration Judge, appeals denied family-based preference petitions (Form I-130), appeals related to bond and detention determinations in removal proceedings, and other matters.
- Waivers of Inadmissibility/Excludability
Certain foreign nationals are not considered to be eligible to enter the United States, or to apply for certain forms of relief if in the United States, including Adjustment of Status to Permanent Residence, if they are determined to be ‘inadmissible’. Some grounds of inadmissibility can be “waived”, meaning through application, an individual that would ordinarily be barred from entering the United States or Adjusting Status to Permanent Residence can receive special permission, on a case-by-case basis, to enter the U.S. or Adjust Status notwithstanding the ground of inadmissibility.
- Criminal Defense of Non-Citizens
A criminal conviction can cause problems for a non-citizen beyond the immediate criminal punishment. A person who entered the country illegally or who overstayed a visa might come to the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) after being taken into custody by another law enforcement agency. A permanent resident can be deported because of certain criminal convictions such as those involving controlled substances, domestic violence, as well as crimes involving moral turpitude and aggravated felonies. Even if a person is not deported, the conviction could prevent reentry into the United States after a temporary trip abroad. Juvenile adjudications are generally not considered to be convictions for immigration purposes. Even if the offense is not one which would justify a deportation or denial of reentry, a permanent resident can be denied naturalization as a result of a conviction.
Partners
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Ms. Victoria L Argumedo
Attorney Green Cards, Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship, Visa, Work Permit |
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Contact Surowitz & Argumedo
Other Offices
- Spain - Barcelona - Main Office
