Adjustment of Status Immigration Law Services

Adjustment of Status Law Firm Broward County

Adjustment of status lets some people already in the United States apply for a green card without leaving the country. The application is filed with USCIS on Form I-485. This page explains the rules, the steps, and how AG Immigration Law P.A. handles these cases. Adriana Gomez is the responsible lawyer for this page.

What Adjustment of Status Is and Who It Is For

Adjustment of status is a request to become a lawful permanent resident while you stay in the United States. It differs from consular processing, where you apply at a U.S. consulate abroad.

The main statute ties this route to a person who was inspected and admitted or paroled into the country, and a special immigrant described under section 101(a)(27)(J) of the Act shall be deemed, for the purpose of applying the adjustment to status provisions of section 245(a) of the Act, to have been paroled into the United States (8 U.S.C. § 1255). The person must also be eligible for an immigrant visa, admissible for permanent residence, and have a visa immediately available when filing (8 U.S.C. § 1255).

Some bars block filing. The statute bars adjustment for a person who works without authorization before filing, or who is in unlawful status on the filing date, other than an immediate relative or a special immigrant described in section 1101(a)(27)(H), (I), (J), or (K), or an alien having an approved petition for classification as a VAWA self-petitioner (8 U.S.C. § 1255). Immediate relatives are excluded from that bar. The statute also bars a person who has not kept lawful status since entry, other than an immediate relative or a special immigrant described in section 1101(a)(27)(H), (I), (J), or (K), unless the failure came through no fault of their own or for technical reasons, and other than an alien having an approved petition for classification as a VAWA self-petitioner (8 U.S.C. § 1255).

This route fits people living in Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Hollywood, Miramar and nearby areas who were inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States, or who have an approved petition for classification as a VAWA self-petitioner. Eligibility depends on the facts: how you entered, your status history, and your work history.

What the Adjustment of Status Service Covers

The service covers reviewing your filing basis, preparing Form I-485 and supporting forms, and handling USCIS notices and requests. It includes:

• Reviewing your basis, such as a family petition, an employer petition, or another qualifying category.
• Checking the statutory bars before anything is filed.
• Preparing Form I-485, plus related forms such as the work permit application (Form I-765) and the travel document request (Form I-131).
• Reviewing the affidavit of support when one is needed. The law treats it as a contract the sponsor signs (8 U.S.C. § 1183a).
• Coordinating the medical exam. A designated civil surgeon must examine the applicant, and the report goes into the record, unless the applicant entered as a nonimmigrant spouse, fiancé, or fiancée of a United States citizen (or the child of such an alien) and was medically examined before the visa was issued, not more than 1 year before the application (8 C.F.R. § 245.5). 8 C.F.R. § 245.5 reads: “A medical examination shall not be required of an applicant for adjustment of status who entered the United States as a nonimmigrant spouse, fianceé, or fianceeé of a United States citizen or the child of such an alien as defined in section 101(a)(15)(K) of the Act and § 214.2(k) of this chapter if the applicant was medically examined prior to, and as a condition of, the issuance of the nonimmigrant visa; provided that the medical examination must have occurred not more than 1 year prior the date of application for adjustment of status.”
• Organizing documents, tracking USCIS notices, and answering a Request for Evidence when USCIS asks for more proof.
• Preparing you for an interview if USCIS schedules one.

Adjustment can also connect to family petitions, removal of conditions on green cards, waivers, and BIA appeals, which the firm handles as well.

Common Paths to Adjustment in Broward County

Most cases move through a family petition or an employer petition. The visa must be available for the case to move forward.

• Family-based cases. A U.S. citizen or permanent resident files a petition for a qualifying relative. If approval would make a visa available at filing, the adjustment application can be filed with the petition or after it (8 C.F.R. § 245.2). 8 C.F.R. § 245.2 reads: “(B) If, at the time of filing, approval of a visa petition filed for classification under section 201(b)(2)(A)(i), section 203(a) or section 203(b)(1), (2) or (3) of the Act would make a visa immediately available to the alien beneficiary, the alien beneficiary’s adjustment application will be considered properly filed whether submitted concurrently with or subsequent to the visa petition, provided that it meets the filing requirements contained in parts 103 and 245.”
• Employment-based cases. A sponsoring employer files the petition. For preference cases, the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows whether a visa is available. A visa is available for processing when your priority date is earlier than the date in the Bulletin, or when the Bulletin shows current numbers for your category (8 C.F.R. § 245.1).
• Removal proceedings. If you have a notice to appear, the application may belong before an immigration judge instead of USCIS. USCIS has jurisdiction unless an immigration judge has it under the rules (8 C.F.R. § 245.2). Our removal defense work covers these cases.

How the Adjustment of Status Process Works

The process starts with a paid consultation. It then moves through document review, filing, biometrics, and a USCIS interview or decision.

1. Contact. Reach the office by form, phone, or WhatsApp to schedule a paid consultation.
2. Document review. We review passports, entry records, prior USCIS notices, and the petition or other basis for filing.
3. Filing package. We prepare Form I-485 and supporting forms and review them with you before filing.
4. Receipt and biometrics. USCIS issues a receipt notice, then schedules biometrics. We track each notice.
5. Medical exam. A designated civil surgeon completes the exam, and the report goes into your record. An applicant who entered as a K nonimmigrant spouse, fiancé(e), or child of a U.S. citizen does not need the exam if a medical exam was done before the nonimmigrant visa was issued, provided that exam occurred not more than 1 year before the adjustment application.
6. Interview or Request for Evidence. We prepare you for an interview, or respond if USCIS asks for more evidence.

Processing times vary by office and case type. We check current times for your case rather than promising a date. Adriana Gomez is the responsible lawyer for this page. Our support staff handles scheduling, intake, and filing logistics.

Why Clients in Broward Work With AG Immigration Law P.A.

AG Immigration Law P.A. focuses on removal defense, adjustment of status, family petitions, naturalization, removal of conditions on green cards, waivers, and BIA appeals. Those are the matters the firm handles.

Because the firm handles both USCIS filings and removal defense, a case that involves both can be reviewed in one place. You get a clear picture of your options before any form is filed.

Adriana Gomez is the responsible lawyer for this page. Our team includes support staff who keep scheduling, documents, and filings organized from intake to decision.

Costs, Fees, and the Consultation

Consultations are paid, and the fee is confirmed with you before you book.

Clients may owe several kinds of costs:

• Attorney fees under your engagement terms
• USCIS filing fees
• The civil surgeon’s exam fee, paid to the doctor
• Biometrics fees, where they apply
• Translation or courier costs, if needed

If your application is filed in immigration court, the law sets a separate fee for it (8 U.S.C. § 1812).

The paid consultation covers your basis for adjustment, the documents you’ll need, and a filing plan.

Frequently Asked Questions About Adjustment of Status in Broward