Immigration Law Services

Immigration Law: Rights, Pathways, and Protections for Immigrants in NC and FL

Immigration law in the United States is one of the most complex and rapidly changing areas of federal law. The laws governing who can enter, remain, work, and ultimately become a citizen of the United States are set primarily by federal statute — the Immigration and Nationality Act — but are interpreted and applied by a network of federal agencies including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (immigration courts). Navigating these agencies requires specialized knowledge that general-practice attorneys simply do not have.

Family-based immigration allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (green card holders) to sponsor certain relatives for permanent residence in the United States. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens — spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents — have the fastest processing times with no annual numerical limits. Other family categories (adult children, married children, and siblings of U.S. citizens; spouses and children of LPRs) are subject to annual numerical caps and can have wait times ranging from several years to decades depending on the applicant's country of birth. Our attorneys help families prepare complete and accurate petitions, navigate USCIS requests for evidence, prepare for consular interviews, and address complex issues like unlawful presence bars and grounds of inadmissibility.

Employment-based immigration encompasses a wide range of visa categories for workers with specialized skills, advanced degrees, extraordinary ability, and those seeking to invest in U.S. businesses. H-1B specialty occupation visas, L-1 intracompany transferee visas, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, and EB-1 through EB-5 green card categories each have distinct eligibility requirements and procedural pathways. Employers who want to sponsor foreign national employees for permanent residence typically must complete the PERM labor certification process, demonstrating that no qualified U.S. workers are available for the position. Our business immigration practice assists both employers and employees through every step of this complex process.

Deportation defense — formally called removal defense — is the most urgent area of immigration law. When ICE issues a Notice to Appear (NTA), it begins removal proceedings in immigration court. Respondents have the right to be represented by an attorney (at their own expense), to present evidence and witnesses, and to appeal adverse decisions to the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal circuit courts. Effective removal defense often involves asserting eligibility for relief from removal, including cancellation of removal (for long-term residents with U.S. citizen or LPR family members), asylum, withholding of removal, Convention Against Torture protection, adjustment of status, or voluntary departure. Our immigration attorneys appear regularly before the Charlotte and Orlando immigration courts and have the knowledge to identify the most viable defenses for each client's unique situation.

North Carolina and Florida are home to large and diverse immigrant communities. Charlotte, Raleigh, and the Research Triangle area have seen rapid growth in immigrant populations from Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, while Orlando and South Florida have large Hispanic, Haitian, and Caribbean immigrant communities. Vasquez Law Firm has served these communities for over 30 years with bilingual (English and Spanish) immigration services. We understand the cultural nuances and specific immigration patterns of these communities and provide personalized, compassionate legal representation. Whether you need help with a visa application, green card, citizenship, or emergency deportation defense, contact us today for a free consultation.