Achieving the American Dream

What did Annie dream? When Annie Moore stepped onto American soil for the first time, did her heart skip a beat? She was 15 years old, the year was 1892 and she was the first immigrantan alien admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident. Permanent residents are also commonly referred to as immigrants; however, the Immigration and NationalityThe country of a person’s citizenship or country in which the person is deemed a nationalA person owing permanent allegiance to a state. Act (INAThe Act (INA), which, along with other immigration laws, treaties, and conventions of the United States, relates to the immigration, temporary admission, naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth., and removalThe expulsion of an alien from the United States. This expulsion may be based on grounds of inadmissibility or deportability. of aliens.) broadly defines an immigrant as any alien in the United States, except one legally admitted under specific nonimmigrantAn alien who seeks temporary entry to the United States for a specific purpose. The alien must have a permanent residence abroad (for most classes of admission) and qualify for the nonimmigrant classification sought. The nonimmigrant classifications include: foreign government officials, visitors for business and for pleasure, aliens in transit through the United States, treaty traders and investors, students, international representatives, temporary workers and trainees, representatives of foreign information media, exchange visitors, fiance(e)s of U.S. citizens, intracompany transferees, NATO officials, religious workers, and some others. Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children. categories (INAThe Act (INA), which, along with other immigration laws, treaties, and conventions of the United States, relates to the immigration, temporary admission, naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth., and removalThe expulsion of an alien from the United States. This expulsion may be based on grounds of inadmissibility or deportability. of aliens. section 101(a)(15)). An illegal alien who entered the United States without inspection, for example, would be strictly defined as an immigrant under the INAThe Act (INA), which, along with other immigration laws, treaties, and conventions of the United States, relates to the immigration, temporary admission, naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth., and removalThe expulsion of an alien from the United States. This expulsion may be based on grounds of inadmissibility or deportability. of aliens. but is not a permanent resident alien. Lawful permanent residents are legally accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States. They may be issued immigrant visas by the Department of State overseas or adjusted to permanent resident status by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the United States. to step through the gates of Ellis Island. Every day Bashyam Spiro & Coats LLP helps people like Annie realize a timeless dream – to become an American citizen. Every day we devote our time, energy and passion to making the dreams that come with citizenshipThe country in which a person is born (and has not renounced or lost citizenship) or naturalized and to which that person owes allegiance and by which he or she is entitled to be protected. possible – families reuniting, careers realized, even freedom from oppression.

The law firm of Bashyam Spiro & Coats is committed solely to the practice of Immigration and NationalityThe country of a person’s citizenship or country in which the person is deemed a nationalA person owing permanent allegiance to a state. Law. By practicing exclusively in the area of immigration, we are able to keep abreast of the rapidly changing immigration laws and provide our clients with accurate, timely immigration strategies. We remain on the forefront of immigration law integrating the most advanced technology to successfully manage cases and provide an unparalleled level of customer service.

Our team of lawyers, talented paralegals and support staff work to expertly navigate our clients through the complex and rapidly changing immigration process.