Maryland’s Green Card Attorneys Since 1999, Serving Immigration & Family Law
A green card, formally called a Permanent Resident Card, grants lawful permanent resident (LPR) status and is the primary pathway to permanent residence in the United States. Unlike a visa, it doesn’t expire on a schedule tied to employment or school enrollment. Green card holders may live and work in the U.S. indefinitely, and after five years as an LPR, they may apply for U.S. citizenship. Spouses of U.S. citizens living in marital union with their citizen spouse may apply after three years. At Fatemi Law, our green card attorneys have served Maryland clients from our Gaithersburg office since 1999, guiding individuals and families through every stage of this process.
Green card holders gain meaningful protections: the ability to work legally without an employer-sponsored visa, eligibility for education and healthcare benefits available to permanent residents, and international travel with fewer restrictions than visa holders face. One condition to keep in mind is that holders can’t remain outside the United States for more than 12 consecutive months without risking abandonment of their status.
Ready to start your green card application? Call our Gaithersburg office at (301) 857-4914 or submit our online contact form to schedule a consultation with a green card lawyer at Fatemi Law.
Pathways to a Green Card
Several recognized routes lead to permanent residence in the United States. The right pathway depends on your current visa status, family relationships, employment situation, and country of origin.
Family sponsorship: A U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident may sponsor qualifying relatives. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens aren’t subject to annual visa quotas, which makes this the fastest family-based route.
Employer sponsorship: Sponsorship through an employer for a work visa or direct immigrant petition, which typically requires a USCIS-approved petition and, for most categories, a labor certification through the PERM process.
Asylum: Individuals granted asylum in the United States may apply for permanent residence after one year.
Diversity visa lottery: The diversity lottery awards green cards annually to applicants from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States.
Work & Travel Authorization While Your Application Is Pending
Once your application reaches a qualifying stage, you may apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which permits legal work in the United States while your green card is pending. You may also apply for advance parole, a travel document that allows you to leave and re-enter the United States without abandoning your application. Traveling internationally without advance parole while an adjustment of status application is pending can result in that application being considered abandoned. Our green card attorneys in Gaithersburg help clients apply for both documents at the right point in the process.
The Green Card Application Process
The process begins when USCIS approves an immigrant petition filed by a qualifying sponsor, typically an immediate relative who is a U.S. citizen or a qualifying employer. U.S. citizens may sponsor spouses and their unmarried children under 21, unmarried children over 21, married sons and daughters, and siblings once the citizen is over 21.
For applicants who aren’t immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen, a visa quota limits the number of immigrant visa numbers issued annually, with additional per-country caps. These applicants must wait until their priority date becomes current before they can apply to adjust status in the United States or apply for an immigrant visa at a U.S. consulate abroad. USCIS may conduct a background check as part of the review, and marriage-based cases typically include an interview with both the petitioner and the beneficiary. Maryland applicants, including those in Gaithersburg and Montgomery County, are served by the USCIS Baltimore Field Office for interview-based applications such as the Form I-485 adjustment of status.
Sponsoring a Foreign Spouse as a Green Card Holder
Green card holders who marry a non-U.S. citizen can’t automatically bring that spouse to the United States. The foreign spouse must wait for a visa number to become available under the family preference quota, a process that can take months or years. Until the immigrant visa is approved, the foreign spouse can’t remain in the United States unless they hold a separate valid visa. Early planning with a green card lawyer can help reduce delays in this process.
Note that certain investor visa holders may also qualify for a green card depending on their visa category and investment structure.
Why Gaithersburg Families Choose Fatemi Law
Our firm has represented Maryland and Washington, DC clients in immigration and family law matters since 1999. Attorney Anthony A. Fatemi holds admission to the United States Supreme Court, and Partner Mariah D. Stover served as a judicial law clerk in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, giving our team firsthand familiarity with how local courts handle cases that touch both family law and immigration.
That dual-practice capability matters in ways immigration-only firms don’t address. A divorce filed in Montgomery County can disrupt a pending marriage-based green card petition. A criminal charge, even a misdemeanor, can create admissibility issues that put a green card application at risk. We identify these intersections before they become problems. One client described the experience this way: “Outstanding teamwork that went into making the green card application from Mr. Fatemi’s office.”
We offer flexible payment options and multilingual communication for the diverse communities we serve throughout Montgomery County and Maryland. If you’re navigating an immigration matter that touches family law, we’re ready to help.
Two distinct routes lead to a green card, and the right choice depends on where you are located, your current immigration status, and the specifics of your case.
Adjustment of Status (Form I-485)
Adjustment of status is available to applicants who are already in the United States in a lawful status, and it allows you to apply for a green card without leaving the country. After filing Form I-485, you can apply for an Employment Authorization Document and advance parole while the application is pending. One critical caution: if you leave the United States while an I-485 is pending and you don’t have advance parole, your application may be considered abandoned. Maryland applicants completing this route attend their interview at the USCIS Baltimore Field Office.
Consular Processing
Consular processing is used by applicants who are outside the United States or who can’t adjust status domestically due to prior entries, visa violations, or other factors. After USCIS approves the underlying immigrant petition, the National Visa Center coordinates the case with the appropriate U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. The applicant attends an interview at that consulate and, if approved, receives an immigrant visa to travel to the United States and become a lawful permanent resident upon arrival.
Processing times differ between the two routes and shift with USCIS and consular caseloads. Our green card lawyers can help Gaithersburg and Montgomery County residents determine which route is faster or more appropriate given current conditions.
When Family Law & Immigration Overlap in Montgomery County
A green card application doesn’t exist in a vacuum. For Maryland clients, family law developments and criminal matters can reshape what’s possible in an immigration case, sometimes quickly and without warning. This is where Fatemi Law’s combined immigration and family law practice provides something some immigration-only firms don’t.
Divorce & Marriage-Based Green Cards
When a marriage-based green card petition is pending and the sponsoring marriage ends in divorce, the petition may be affected depending on how far along the application has advanced. Conditional permanent residents, those who received their green card within two years of marriage, face an additional layer of complexity: if they divorce before the two-year conditional period ends, they must still file Form I-751 to remove the conditions on their residence and meet specific requirements to do so without a joint filing. We handle both the immigration petition and the family court proceedings in Montgomery County, which means neither side of the matter moves forward without awareness of the other.
Criminal Charges & Admissibility
Any criminal charge in Montgomery County, including misdemeanors, should be reviewed for immigration consequences before a plea is entered. Certain offenses can render a green card holder deportable or make an applicant inadmissible, ending an otherwise viable green card case. Our work at the intersection of criminal charges and immigration consequences, sometimes called crimmigration, helps clients understand what’s at stake before making decisions in court that can’t be undone in an immigration proceeding.
“Anthony Fatemi Law is a professional legal firm. They staff are very knowledgeable, professional, and friendly.”
Hakima A.
“Top-Notch Immigration Services”
“I am beyond grateful and impressed with the exceptional service provided by Anthony Fatemi and his entire team! They handled my citizenship case with professionalism, expertise, and compassion. ”
Moufoutaou L.
“Everything Was Handled Smoothly”
“Going through a car accident was incredibly stressful, but Mr.Fatemi and his team’s professionalism, guidance, and care made all the difference.”
Sepideh E.
“Outstanding Teamwork”
“Outstanding teamwork that went into making the green card application from Mr. Fatemi’s office. My wife and I are extremely grateful and lucky to have Mr. Fatemi support through this process. I will be recommending to family and friends.”
Diego R.
“Very Positive”
“This office is very experienced, friendly, and respectful to me and my family needs. I am so happy I hired them.”
Al-hassan M.
“Always 5 Stars!!”
“All the team members are very knowledgeable, understands clients' time schedules, get the job done.”
Suman T.
“Truly Cared”
“If you've been hurt, don't think twice-go see Anthony Fatemi and his team. They're the best!”
Mimi C.
“Guiding Me Through”
“They are very professional and honest with what to expect through this journey!”
