Services

We can help with a variety of immigration cases

Types of Cases

Florida Justice For Our Neighbors provides free immigration legal services to low income immigrants, education, and advocacy for immigrant rights. We offer free advice and counsel by an experienced immigration attorney to every individual who comes through our doors. We take as many cases as possible and those that we cannot take are referred to other area non-profits. The case types listed below are among the most common services we provide.

Advice and Counsel

JFON attorneys meet with clients to discuss how the complex U.S. immigration laws affect them. If a client is eligible for relief, the attorney will so advise. However, if a client learns that he/she is not eligible to obtain legal status, having this information helps protect him/her from immigration fraud. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous attorneys or notarios who prey on uninformed immigrants, charging them exorbitant fees in exchange for promises of visas which never materialize.

Citizenship

Naturalization is the process by which a lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder) applies for citizenship. It is an expensive and rigorous process through which JFON attorneys expertly guide clients. Our attorneys provide study guides for the English and U.S. civics tests. They also help prepare clients for their interview.

Family Petition

This is a two-step process, first requiring the family member with legal status to file a petition for his/her immigrant family member. Only spouses, parents, or adult children can apply on behalf of certain family members. Once the Family Petition is approved, the client may then apply for an immigrant visa or green card.

Asylum

Men, women and children flee their country of origin for many reasons, including persecution because of their race, religion, political ideology, or gender. JFON attorneys represent such asylum-seekers to ensure that they will not be forced to return to a country where they will face persecution, torture or death.

Refugee Adjustment of Status

Refugees who have been in the United States for at least one year are eligible to apply for lawful permanent residence. JFON attorneys assist them with this process. Our clinic volunteers enjoy hosting refugee green card clinics to serve a large number of our refugee neighbors efficiently and effectively. Refugees are granted refugee status abroad after proving that they fear persecution on the same grounds as asylees.

Deportation Defense

These time-consuming and work-intensive court cases involve defending immigrants from deportation. One such defense is Cancellation of Removal, which requires the immigrant to prove that he/she has been living in the U.S. for at least 10 years, has good moral character and that his/her U.S. citizen spouse, parent or child would suffer extreme hardship if he/she were to be deported.

VAWA (Violence Against Women Act)

Under VAWA, an abused spouse, parent or child of a U.S. citizen or LPR (green card holder) may apply for lawful permanent residence without the abuser’s knowledge, which allows the victim to seek both safety and lawful status independently from the abuser.

U Visa

The U Visa was created by Congress to encourage undocumented victims of violent crimes to come forward to report crimes without the fear of deportation. Among other tasks, JFON attorneys walk these vulnerable victims through the process of securing a “law enforcement certification” to prove that the victim was helpful to the police.

SIJ (Special Immigrant Juvenile)

This is a form of relief for unaccompanied immigrant children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by one or both of their parents. This multi-step case requires up to four distinct proceedings:

The family court case, where the child must prove that she has been abused, neglected or abandoned,
Filing the SIJ petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service,
Filing for the Immigrant Visa or Green Card once the SIJ has been approved, and
Removal defense in Immigration Court.

If you need immigration legal advice, please request an appointment with us.

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