Family-Based Green Card Process: A Mother and Son’s Journey
[Please note: The Client’s name and case key details may have been altered to preserve the identity of the client. This Success Story is not intended to be an offer of service or case plan. Every case is unique. The Success Story is presented for information purposes only.]
At the end of 2017, Nabil became a United States citizen. This was a joyous milestone because it had been his goal since arriving from France in 2010 on an F-1 visa as a college student.
After graduation, Nabil secured a position as a chemist with an excellent firm. That employer helped him obtain an H-1B visa, an employer-based green card, and eventually a permanent green card. From there, citizenship was only a matter of time. Our team was thrilled because we had worked with him throughout the entire process, starting with the H-1B application.
Less than a year later, Nabil booked an appointment with our team to secure legal permanent residency for his mother, Iman. She was visiting on a B-2 visa. Like her son, Iman had been born in Syria but moved to France years earlier to escape instability. Also, like Nabil, she was highly educated and well-versed in the sciences.
Starting the Process
In September 2018, we filed a package for Iman that included an I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative), an I-485 (Application for Legal Permanent Residency), and an I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization Document). This was important because Iman had worked as a nurse in Syria, France, and several European cities. She wanted to start her own consulting firm after passing the boards and becoming certified to practice in the United States.
Overcoming Challenges
Just as in Nabil’s case, the biggest challenge was obtaining an Arabic version of Iman’s original birth certificate from the Syrian government. We accomplished this just before her USCIS interview in November 2020. The interview went well, except for one additional requirement: Iman needed a police clearance from every city she had lived in during the past five years. Her work had taken her to several locations.
Fortunately, family members in Europe and the Middle East were ready to help. We submitted the required documentation by the end of December. As a result, Iman’s legal permanent residency was approved by the end of January 2021.
A New Chapter
When we congratulated her and Nabil, Iman expressed happiness but admitted she had always been content living and traveling in Europe. She explained that there was no urgent need for her to resettle in the United States. She chose to do so because she wanted something better—and she found it.
Her story shows that with proper guidance, the family-based green card process can be successful, even when challenges arise.
If you or someone you know needs help with the family-based green card process, contact our team today.