Your adjustment of status options

Your journey toward U.S. citizenship may have started before you reached California, while you were still living in your home country. Or, you may be a foreign national who visited and discovered the many benefits of life in the United States. However you came to be here, if you currently have a valid nonimmigrant status, your next step toward becoming a permanent resident may not be clear. At U.S. Law Center, we have provided legal advice to many people wanting to apply to change their status.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services states that there are certain restrictions that would disqualify you from applying for adjustment of status, such as engaging in criminal activity. You may also lose your eligibility if you do not follow all the rules that pertain to your current visa. For example, if you do not have a work permit, but you accept employment in California, it may affect your eligibility. On the other hand, if you are in the country to conduct business, and you also engage in tourist activities, it does not violate your status as long as you do not stay past the expiration date on your visa.

You cannot wait until after your current visa expires to apply for approval to change the purpose of your stay in the country. Because you must have a valid status when you file the paperwork, it is important to consider your options well in advance of the deadline listed on your documentation. For more information about U.S. immigration law, please visit our web page.