How an Immigration Attorney Can Help You Obtain a Work Visa or Green Card
Every successful visa or green-card story starts with a disciplined plan. Espinoza Law Offices builds that plan from day one, so approvals arrive sooner and with fewer setbacks. Below you will find every major step, the paperwork involved, and the specific ways an attorney protects your time, job offer, and family status. If you are ready to act, request a strategy session now and let a bilingual online immigration lawyer map your timeline within 48 hours.
The Process of Getting a U.S. Work Visa
Obtaining a U.S. work visa involves a series of critical steps, each requiring careful attention to detail and adherence to specific immigration regulations.
- Confirm Eligibility and Select the Correct Visa
H-1B for specialty occupations, L-1 for intracompany transferees, E-2 for treaty investors, and O-1 for extraordinary ability all serve different goals. USCIS approved 399,395 H-1B petitions in FY 2024, but only after a lottery that left many applicants waiting another year.
What the lawyer does: A business immigration attorney compares cap-subject and cap-exempt categories, verifies degree equivalencies, and drafts a detailed position description that satisfies the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
- Secure Employer Sign-Off and Labor Filings
H-1B and E-3 visas require a Labor Condition Application; L-1 and O-1 do not, but must still show the U.S. role meets federal wage rules.
What the lawyer does: Coordinates with payroll to pull prevailing-wage data.
- Assemble Evidence and File Form I-129
Incomplete packets trigger a Request for Evidence (RFE) that can add two months to the clock. USCIS completed more than 10 million cases in FY 2023, yet RFE rates for H-1B still reached 17 percent.
What the lawyer does: Curates degrees, employment contracts, and company financials into a single PDF set, reducing RFE risk.
- Consular Interview or Change of Status
After approval, most foreign workers visit a U.S. consulate for fingerprinting and a short interview.
What the lawyer does: Prepares you for standard questions, flags any prior visa overstays, and ensures officers receive supporting documents in advance—critical assistance from a top-rated immigration lawyer near Tampa Bay when flights and hotel stays hinge on a one-day appointment.
- Maintain Status and Plan Extensions
Florida’s E-Verify statute now requires private employers with 25+ workers to confirm each new hire’s authorization within three days.
What the lawyer does: Sets alerts for extension filings and audits I-9 files so you stay compliant.
The Process of Getting a Green Card
The journey to obtaining a Green Card, which grants permanent residency in the U.S., involves several distinct stages, each with specific requirements and varying processing times.
- Lock In a Preference Category and Priority Date
Employment cases start with PERM labor certification or the I-140 petition; family cases begin with Form I-130. Median I-130 processing now stands at about 14 months, while the typical I-485 adjustment averages 9.2 months.
What the lawyer does: A family immigration lawyer chooses the quickest lawful category, files early to secure a priority date, and monitors each month’s Visa Bulletin.
- Prepare the Underlying Petition (PERM, I-130, or I-140)
Each petition demands evidence of the bona-fide job offer or relationship.
What the lawyer does: Drafts affidavits, translates civil records, and uses sworn statements when original documents are unavailable.
- Submit Form I-485 or Consular Packet
Adjustment inside the United States avoids consular travel; consular processing may be faster for applicants living abroad.
What the lawyer does: Files fee-waiver requests when eligible and uploads digital civil documents through our secure client portal.
- Biometrics, Interview, and Supplemental Evidence
USCIS collects fingerprints and may call you for an interview to confirm eligibility and admissibility.
What the lawyer does: Conducts mock interviews, updates records to reflect job promotions, and deploys an abogado de deportacion if any status lapse has triggered removal notices.
- Receive Your Resident Card and Remove Conditions
Marriage-based green cards issued within two years of the wedding are conditional and require Form I-751 removal after 24 months.
What the lawyer does: Tracks deadlines, gathers joint-asset proof, and prepares waiver requests if the marriage ends.
Espinoza Law Offices–Dedicated Representation for Your U.S. Immigration Goals
Your career and family goals deserve more than guesswork; enlist Espinoza Law Offices for precise filing, real-time status updates, and steadfast representation from initial petition to green-card delivery. Contact us today and let our immigration attorneys lead you to approval.