Introduction
Immigration to the U.S. involves more than just immigrant visas, adjustment of status and green cards. Successfully immigrating to the U.S. often involves several steps and interacting with many different federal agencies.
The most common other immigration services are listed below:
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Advance Parole »
Certain foreign nationals who are in the U.S. must obtain “advance” permission to leave the U.S. so then re-enter the U.S. without a nonimmigrant or immigrant visa. Some of the individuals who are eligible to receive Advance Parole are those with pending Adjustment of Status applications, refugees and asylees, those granted Temporary Protected Status, and individuals with DACA.
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Removal of Conditions – Marriage Based »
Those in the U.S. in Conditional Resident Status after marriage to a US citizen must apply to remove the conditions on their residency in the 90-day period before the conditional residence status expires. In some cases, including those involving termination of the marriage or spousal abuse, the conditional resident may be able to apply for Removal of Conditions before or after the 90-day window.
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Reentry Permit »
Lawful permanent residents who remain outside the U.S. for more than 1 consecutive year may be deemed to have abandoned their LPR status in the U.S. Those with prolonged absences are generally required to apply for the SB-1 Returning Resident Visa in order to return. The Re-entry permit is advance permission from USCIS to re-enter the U.S. after absences for up to 2 years without having to obtain the SB-1 visa.
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Employment Authorization Document »
All foreign nationals in the U.S. must have authorization to work. Many individuals can work pursuant to their nonimmigrant status- like H-1B, L-1 and TN visa holders. Others must obtain an “Employment Authorization Document” or EAD (aka “work permit”) before they can work. Some examples include the spouse of E-2/E-2, L-1 or J-1 visa holders in dependent status or those with a pending Adjustment of Status.