“The team is excellent and their work is amazing. Everyone truly cares about your case and situation. I constantly felt their support and expertise. The entire greencard process was very fast and smooth.”
Mauricio Salazar CavazosGoogle review · EN
Green cards · McAllen, Texas
McAllen Green Card Lawyer
tu residencia, paso a paso
A green card lets you live and work in the United States permanently. We work out which path fits your family, prepare every form and get you ready for the interview. Call or send the form, and we review your papers in English or Spanish before anything is filed.
- Attorney Alex Martinez handles your case
- Hablamos español, 24/7 hotline
- 4.8 stars from 610 Google reviews
In the media
en los medios
“A mi esposa y a mi nos llego el permiso de trabajo y SSN a los 2.5 meses de que migracion recibio la documentacion y a los 6 meses la residencia permanente”
Heriberto CantuGoogle review · ES
Permanent residence
When to call a green card attorney
A green card makes you a lawful permanent resident. You can live and work here permanently and, after enough years, apply for U.S. citizenship.
Most people qualify through a relative, a job or a humanitarian program. The hard part is choosing the path that fits your history, because one wrong filing can lead to a denial, or to a bar that keeps you out for years. Talk to us before you file, sign or travel.
Why Alex Martinez Law
One team for your whole case
aquí para ayudarte
An attorney who reviews your file.
Alex Martinez, licensed in Texas, checks your history and the path we choose before anything goes to USCIS.
English or Spanish, at every step.
Alex studied in Texas and in Spanish in Mexico, and our team explains each form in the language you choose.
From petition to citizenship.
We also handle family petitions, waivers, work permits and deportation defense, so your case stays with one team as it moves forward.
Reachable day or night.
Call the 24/7 line at (956) 540-2255 or message us on WhatsApp. Meet us in McAllen or at our Brownsville office, or by phone or video.
Protection from notario fraud.
For years Alex has taught Valley families about their rights and how to avoid immigration fraud. A notario cannot give you legal advice.
Paths to permanent residence
Ways to qualify for a green card
USCIS sorts green cards by how you qualify. How you finish depends on how you entered, your category and your history, and we tell you which way applies before anything is filed.
Through a relative
Spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens, and other relatives in the family preference categories. It starts with Form I-130.
Family petitions
Through a job
A U.S. employer files an immigrant petition for you in an employment category. In a few categories, you can petition for yourself.
Work permits and visas
After asylum
Asylees can apply after a year in the U.S. following the grant of asylum. Refugees apply one year after arriving.
Asylum and removal defense
Humanitarian programs
VAWA self-petitions for abused family members, U visas for crime victims and T visas for trafficking victims.
Inside the U.S.
Form I-485
Adjustment of status
You apply without leaving the country and can ask for a work permit (Form I-765) while you wait. It is generally open to people who were inspected and admitted or paroled. Spouses, parents and unmarried children under 21 of U.S. citizens who overstayed may still qualify, and so may some people covered by an older petition under section 245(i).
Outside the U.S.National Visa Center
Consular processing
After the petition is approved, the National Visa Center collects your documents and you interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. If you have unlawful presence here, leaving can trigger a 3- or 10-year bar, so you may need a provisional waiver before you travel.
Waivers of inadmissibility
When a green card needs a waiver
Some problems make a person “inadmissible”, which means the government can refuse the green card: time in the U.S. without status, certain criminal records, or a past misrepresentation to an immigration officer. A waiver asks the government to excuse the problem.
For the most common waivers, you must show that your U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse or parent would suffer extreme hardship if you were refused. We build that evidence with you: medical records, finances, family ties and statements. Some grounds cannot be waived at all, and we tell you early if yours is one.
Waiver of grounds of inadmissibility
Filed with an adjustment application in the U.S., or after a consular officer finds a ground of inadmissibility at the visa interview. It can cover several grounds, each with its own rules.
Provisional unlawful presence waiver
Filed from inside the U.S. before you leave for your consular interview, so you have the answer before you go. It covers unlawful presence only.
Rules that shape a green card case
General information, not legal advice. Your own case depends on its facts.
$1,440
USCIS fee for Form I-485 filed on paper ($1,390 online), for applicants 14 and older.
3 or 10 yrs
Bars after leaving the U.S., for more than 180 days, or a year or more, of unlawful presence.
Aug. 13, 2026
Since this date, a trip abroad on advance parole counts as a departure for those bars.
Sept. 18, 2026
USCIS can weigh any means-tested public benefit received from this date in its public charge review.
Fees: USCIS Form G-1055, edition 10/01/26. Fees change; we check them before filing.
Check your case
USCIS case status Processing times Fee scheduleHow we handle it
From the first call to your green card
Alex Martinez reviews your immigration history first: how you entered, every stay, any arrest and any earlier application. That history decides which path is open and whether you need a waiver.
- 01ConsultationWe review your papers and your history and explain which path fits, in English or Spanish.
- 02The petitionYour relative files Form I-130, or your employer files its petition. Some applicants file it together with the I-485.
- 03The applicationInside the U.S., Form I-485 with the medical exam (Form I-693) and the affidavit of support (Form I-864), then fingerprints at the McAllen Application Support Center. Abroad, the National Visa Center collects your documents.
- 04The interviewUSCIS interviews Valley applicants at its Rio Grande Valley Field Office in Edinburg. We prepare you and stand with you there.
- 05Decision and cardEach stage can take months; USCIS posts current times by form and office. If you receive a two-year card, Form I-751 comes next.
Documents we gather
- Birth and marriage certificates, with certified translations
- Tax returns and pay records for the affidavit of support
- Proof of a real marriage for spouse cases
- Police and court records, if there was ever an arrest
- The sealed medical exam from a USCIS civil surgeon
Fees and consultation
We go through our own fee and any payment plan in your first call, and you have it in writing before you sign.
USCIS filing fees are separate and go to the government. We confirm the exact amounts before you file.
What to bring
- Passport or photo ID
- Any immigration papers: I-94, receipts, USCIS notices
- Your relative's proof of citizenship or residence
- Any arrest, court or immigration court records
Your attorney
Alex Martinez
J.D., Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Licensed in Texas, admitted to the Southern District of Texas.
Reviewed by Alex Martinez, State Bar of Texas
Questions
Green card questions
General information, not legal advice. Ask us and we will tell you where your own case stands.
How much does a green card cost?
The government fees depend on your forms. For an adult applying inside the U.S. through a relative, Form I-130 costs $675 and Form I-485 costs $1,440 when filed on paper, and less online. A waiver, a work permit or a travel permit adds its own fee. Our attorney's fee is separate, and we explain it before you sign.
Can I get a green card if I entered without inspection?
Sometimes, but usually not from inside the U.S. Most people who entered without inspection must finish through a consulate abroad, often with a provisional waiver approved first. An older petition under section 245(i) can change that, so we look at your full history before you decide anything.
Can I work or travel while my green card is pending?
You can ask for a work permit, but travel now carries a real risk. With a pending Form I-485 you can file Form I-765 for a work permit ($260) and Form I-131 for advance parole ($630 on paper, $580 online). Leaving without advance parole usually abandons the application. Since August 13, 2026, a trip on advance parole also counts as a departure for the 3- and 10-year bars, so if you ever had unlawful presence, talk to us before you travel.
What happens at the green card interview?
An officer confirms the answers on your forms under oath and checks your documents. In marriage cases the officer also asks both spouses about your life together. Bring the originals of everything you filed. We go over the questions with you beforehand.
My two-year green card is about to expire. What do I do?
File Form I-751 with your spouse during the 90 days before the card expires. If you are divorced or separated, or the marriage involved abuse, you can ask to waive the joint filing. Missing the window can end your resident status, so call us as soon as the 90 days begin.
Start your green card.
tu familia primero