Immigration

We provide a wide range of immigration services for children and families across the country and around the world, including but not limited to the following:

Family-based immigration: Marriage-based and fiancé visas, whether the spouse or fiancé is here or abroad (adjustment of status and consular processing), with an emphasis on LGBTQ+ marriage-based filings. We are currently not accepting this type of case at this time.

Children’s immigration: We have extensive nationwide experience in children’s immigration, including but not limited to Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (“SIJS”), working with both private individuals and public entities like county agencies to obtain SIJS for the child. For more information, see our handout listing the different visas for children, and our handout on SIJS.

International adoption: We can help with many types of international adoptions, including incoming and outgoing, agency matches, independent matches, relative adoptions, and adoptions of foreign-born children in state courts within the United States. Here, too, we help individuals and county agencies comply with the relevant treaties and federal law. Click here for more information on International Adoption.

Re-adoption and registering intercounty adoptions in Wisconsin state courts: We handle re-adoptions and registrations of orders for families in Wisconsin, and we can provide trusted referrals for adoption attorneys in other states through the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (“AAAA”).

Adoption-based citizenship: We can help your family finish the final step in your international adoption: the filing of an N-600 Application for Certificate of Citizenship.

Date of birth changes for internationally adopted children: One of our attorneys, Emily Dudak Leiter, through AAAA, wrote federal legislation on this topic, making it easier for families to correct dates of birth for their foreign-born children. The legislation was called the Accuracy for Adoptees Act of 2013.

International surrogacy and other assisted reproduction arrangements: One of our attorneys, Emily Dudak Leiter, is a leading attorney in this complex area of immigration law. She represents clients from all over the United States, when bringing home their children born abroad through surrogacy. Emily has significant experience in Canada-to-United States surrogacies (and is open to working with certain other countries). Click here for more information on International Surrogacy.

Citizenship issues (derivation and acquisition): Parents are sometimes shocked to learn that their foreign-born children may not be U.S. citizens when they apply for their passports, driver’s licenses, or college financial aid. We can help resolve this uncertainty and if relevant, help you satisfy the prerequisites to making your child a U.S. citizen. See our handout here regarding the various ways children can become U.S. citizens.

Naturalization: We handle naturalizations from start to finish at an affordable rate, guiding the client through the filing and supporting evidence, the Civics test, and the interview. We are currently not accepting this type of citizenship case at this time (versus citizenship cases involving derivation and acquisition, see above).