A family-based green card is the most common way El Paso residents help a spouse, parent or child become a lawful permanent resident. If you are a U.S. citizen and your relative entered the United States with a visa or was inspected at the bridge, they can often apply for the green card without leaving the country through a process called adjustment of status. Permanent residents can petition for spouses and unmarried children too, though they may wait longer for a visa number. We see every version of this in El Paso: a citizen who married someone from Juárez who came on a border crossing card, a resident petitioning for a teenage son, a daughter petitioning for her mother who has lived here for decades.
The process starts with Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, which proves the family relationship. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, parents and unmarried children under 21) have a visa available immediately under INA § 201(b); other relatives fall into preference categories controlled by the monthly Visa Bulletin. If the relative is in the U.S. and eligible under INA § 245(a), we file Form I-485 with the I-130, along with Form I-864 Affidavit of Support, the Form I-693 medical exam from a USCIS civil surgeon, and usually Forms I-765 and I-131 for a work permit and travel document while the case is pending. Relatives who entered without inspection generally cannot adjust and instead need consular processing, often with a waiver.
No court is involved. Once the package is filed, USCIS schedules biometrics and then, for most marriage cases, an interview at the USCIS El Paso Field Office where both spouses answer questions about their relationship and history. You attend that interview; we prepare you for it and can be present. The danger in doing this yourself is that the I-485 asks about every entry, every period of unlawful presence and every arrest, and the wrong answer or a missing I-864 sponsor can lead to a denial and, for someone without status, placement in removal proceedings before the immigration court. Our flat fee covers the entire package so nothing is filed until it is complete and consistent.
Who can adjust status in El Paso and who must go through Juárez
Adjustment of status inside the U.S. generally requires a lawful entry: a visa, a border crossing card, parole, or an inspection at the port of entry, even if the person later overstayed. Spouses, parents and minor children of U.S. citizens are forgiven for overstaying and unauthorized work. Relatives of permanent residents must have maintained status, with limited exceptions. Someone who crossed without inspection usually cannot adjust here and instead completes consular processing at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juárez, frequently after an I-601A provisional waiver. We tell you which path applies before we file anything.
The Affidavit of Support and the medical exam
Every family green card needs a sponsor who signs Form I-864 and shows income of at least 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for their household size, using tax returns and pay stubs. Many El Paso petitioners fall short and need a joint sponsor, usually a relative or friend, which we arrange and document correctly. The applicant also needs a medical exam on Form I-693 from a USCIS-designated civil surgeon; several practice in El Paso. Under current USCIS policy the sealed I-693 is submitted with the I-485, so we schedule the exam before filing to avoid a request for evidence.
What's included
- Strategy consultation: adjustment of status vs. consular processing, and any waiver needs
- Preparation and filing of Form I-130 with relationship evidence
- Form I-485 adjustment package, including I-864 Affidavit of Support and joint sponsor documents
- Concurrent Form I-765 work permit and Form I-131 travel document applications
- Coordination of the Form I-693 medical exam with an El Paso civil surgeon
- Responses to requests for evidence and a mock marriage interview
- Attorney availability for your interview at the USCIS El Paso Field Office
How it works
Consultation and path selection
We review how your relative entered, their immigration history and your income, then confirm whether they can adjust status in El Paso or must process through Ciudad Juárez. You leave with a flat-fee quote and a document checklist.
We assemble and file the package
We prepare the I-130, I-485, I-864, I-765 and I-131, organize your relationship evidence and medical exam, and file everything together with USCIS. Receipt notices and a biometrics appointment usually arrive within a few weeks.
Interview and approval
We prepare you both for the interview at the USCIS El Paso Field Office and can attend with you. The work permit typically arrives while the case is pending, and the green card is mailed after approval.