Green Card Lawyer in Austin, Texas
A green card makes you a lawful permanent resident, free to live and work anywhere in the United States. There are several routes to one and they behave very differently. A green card lawyer in Austin will tell you which route you actually qualify for before anything is filed, and whether you qualify yet at all.
What a Green Card Is, and What It Is Not
A green card, formally a permanent resident card, is issued to people authorised to live and work in the United States permanently. The holder is a lawful permanent resident, may live and work anywhere in the country, may travel in and out, and may sponsor certain family members. The card runs 10 years and can be renewed.
It is not a visa, and it is not citizenship. A visa is permission to seek entry to the country; a green card is the status you hold once you are here permanently. A permanent resident is not a U.S. citizen and does not become one automatically, though holding the card is what makes you eligible to apply for citizenship later.
It is also not one thing. The routes to permanent residence are genuinely different processes with different forms, different waiting behaviour and different odds, and the useful question is never “how do I get a green card” but “which of these am I on”. That is what the next two sections are for.
- A green card is a status, not a travel document you apply for at an embassy
- The card is valid for 10 years and is renewed rather than reapplied for
- A card issued on a marriage under two years old is conditional and runs two years
- Permanent residence is what makes you eligible to apply for citizenship later
Green Cards at a Glance
What a green card is, the routes to one, and who can petition for you.
The right to live and work anywhere in the United States.
Renewable. A conditional card from a recent marriage runs two.
Family, employment, investment, or a self-petition.
A relative or an employer. Some categories let you petition yourself.
Adjustment of status inside the country, or a consulate outside it.
Three years on some spouse routes. The clock starts at residence.
Four Ways to Permanent Residence
Which one applies to you is decided by facts you already have, not by preference. Each of these has its own page with the detail.
Through Family
A spouse, parent, child or sibling petitions for you. The most common route the firm handles, and the one where the immediate relative distinction below matters most.
Through Employment
An employer sponsors you, usually after a labor certification. EB-3 and the professional categories sit here.
By Self-Petition
The EB-2 national interest waiver and EB-1A let some people petition without any employer at all, which is the exception worth knowing about.
Through Investment
EB-5, for people investing in a U.S. enterprise. The E-2 is a related non-immigrant route that does not lead to a card by itself.
What People Say After the Case Closes
My wife and I truly recommend Mr. Nossa, Excellent lawyer he was always true to his word. My process was about 5 months (adjustment of status with me entering with visa) No issues.
Efrain A.From the very beginning, Mr. Nossa was exceptionally upfront and detailed about the process we had to follow to get my green card. We started the process in 2020, but due to COVID and the circumstances of my entry into the country, it took a while before we could go to Juarez for my appointment. On the day of my appointment, my interview took less than five minutes, and I was approved which I believe was a direct result of the meticulous preparation and attention to detail that Mr. Nossa put into my paperwork. He is a great attorney, was extremely fair with his price, and was always available to answer any questions we had. I highly recommend him to anyone who needs help with any type of immigration. Thank you Attorney Nossa!!
Edith T.I went through a very difficult divorce and didn’t have any solid evidence to support my case, as I had been deprived from the start. The removal of conditions made me extremely anxious. Three different lawyers I consulted all said my case would be tough. Then a friend referred me to Noosa Law Firm. From the moment I met Mr. Pablo, I felt at ease. One thing he said stuck with me: ‘When you’re telling the truth, the truth itself will lead you to the evidence.’ To my surprise, my son and I received our 10-year green cards. Now, I’m preparing for my oath-taking ceremony for citizenship. I can’t thank Mr. Pablo enough for everything he’s done.”
Sherry B.I don’t know where to start. I absolutely loved working with Pablo. My husband and I received our green cards (EB-2 NIW), and I cannot thank Pablo enough. He was amazing to work with—very responsive, kind, and professional. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Yuliia S.Pablo is a great lawyer and a great person. He an his team were always professional and knowledgeable from day 1. I’m glad I chose him to help me along the way my residency process. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend his services to my colleagues and friends.
Kevin M.My spouse and I had an immigration case that was complicated due to his visa situation. We spoke with two other attorneys who both said there was no way for us to adjust immigration status to US permanent resident without leaving the country and re-entering. Then we went to Mr. Nossa… he knew all the correct case law to allow us to adjust easily from within the US. Everything went very smoothly and we got the green card in the mail a few weeks ago. The whole staff was very friendly and professional. I’d recommend Nossa Law to anyone!
Tyler M.Mr.Nossa is a really good lawyer! My process took a little long but when I had my interview I had my green card in a week! He is also really affordable and just a text or phone call away.
Joey D.Pablo helped me achieving my permanent resident status last week. It was a great experience to work with him. He is very responsive to all the questions during my process and usually answer them right away, even on weekends and evenings. He made the process very easy. He is very knowledgable and experienced with immigration cases. We would like to highly recommend him.
Scarlett L.3 years ago, when I decided to once for all work on immigration papers, I did like many would do, ask friends and go online. What I felt at that time when reading Pablo’s reviews was that he was personable. That’s exactly that. He was available along the journey at every step and one phone call away. His team with Adriana and others is top notch. Very detail oriented, very knowledgeable, respectful and compassionate. You get confident knowing you have the best on your side. I thank all of them for what they do. His attorney fee is ridiculously low compared to the work they put in and the time it takes for the whole process. I received my green card (10yrs) and I’m for ever grateful to him. You can call him, you can text him and he’ll respond. It’s like having a powerful lawyer as a best friend! This guy will be blessed for years because of all the good he does. From the Diop family!
Ibrahima D.I never write reviews but these guys deserve my time, because they gave us so much of theirs – so helpful!!! Anyway, my friend’s green card had been expired for a year and he was too scared to even look into fixing the problem. I wanted to help him so while searching, I came across Nossa law, and reached out to Pablo to see if he could do anything. He began by first explaining the full extent of the situation in a way we could understand, then went through the step by step process of what we were in for. By the end of our first meeting we were fully knowledgeable. My friend went from scared to educated and empowered, ready to move forward to fix his immigration issues. Pablo kept in contact with us regularly so we were actually able to understand what was going on throughout the process. Thank you Pablo and the sweet people at Nossa law for working to make the renewal process so seamless. Pablo even went so far as to help my friend’s mom come visit from Mumbai. He genuinely cared to help us, and he is clearly experienced and good at what he does. Dealing with immigration stuff sucks plus it’s so confusing, these guys really know how to make it less of a burden. Highly recommmend!!!!!!
Angela E.I hired Mr. Nossa to take care of my green card application. He has always been straight forward answering all my questions and concerns, very detailed on all papers I could submit, and extremely fast replying back to all my emails (not even minutes, sometimes it would take seconds…). His staff always kept me updated, always making sure I got the letters I was supposed to receive from the USCIS, and very knowledgeable on answering all my questions. The best part is that his fee was more than reasonable, I found real value on the services he provided, and honestly speaking I feel like he could charge even more for all the work they do at his office.
Rodolfo K.Highly recommend Pablo for all immigration matters. As an attorney, he is extremely knowledgeable about all of the immigration processes and timelines and can work with you to make sure your application is complete and filed correctly, which is fundamental in making sure your application is reviewed and accepted. We worked with Pablo for my wife to change her status and get a Green Card once already in the US and Pablo was able to get it done much faster that we ever would have estimated to be possible. Anybody taking the time to read these reviews I’m sure has done their research and assumes that all of the immigration documents were created to be filled out by regular people, but the problem with this is that there are so many forms that have to be filled out and submitted in a certain order that if it isn’t done correctly you can set your application processing back by several months. I am certain that working with a knowledgeable lawyer like Pablo is definitely worth the investment as you can rest assured that things are getting done correctly and expediently. The other huge benefit is being able to ask Pablo questions 24/7 by email, text message or phone call and he gets back to you within minutes. Highly recommend Pablo, we are going to be using him on all immigration issues moving forward.
A Y.Every case is different. Past results and timelines do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Immediate Relatives, and Everybody Else
This is the single most useful thing on this page, and almost nobody explains it plainly. Two people with what looks like the same family relationship can be on completely different timescales, and the reason is a category rather than a queue.
| Immediate relative | Family preference category | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is in it | Spouse, unmarried child under 21, or parent of a U.S. citizen | Everyone else, including the spouse of a permanent resident |
| Is there a numerical limit | No | Yes. Visas are limited per category and per country |
| Do you wait for a visa number | No | Yes. The Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin for this |
| Filing together | The I-485 may be filed with the I-130 concurrently | Not until a visa number is available to you |
| What decides the wait | USCIS processing times | The Visa Bulletin, which moves in both directions |
| Practical effect | Months, and USCIS publishes the current figures | Potentially years, and we will not guess a number for you |
If you are the spouse of a permanent resident rather than a citizen, this is the row that matters, and it is worth understanding before you file anything. If your petitioner naturalizes while you wait, your category can change.
How the Process Runs, in Outline
Every route follows the same four beats. What differs is who files the petition, whether you wait for a number, and where the interview happens.
Establish the Basis
Somebody files an immigrant petition for you: a relative, an employer, or in some categories yourself. This is where your route is fixed.
UsWait for a Number, If Your Category Has One
Immediate relatives skip this. Preference categories do not, and the Visa Bulletin is where that is tracked.
The Department of StateApply
Either adjustment of status inside the United States, or an immigrant visa application through a consulate abroad. Which is open to you is not always a choice.
UsBiometrics, Interview, Decision
Fingerprints and a background check, then an interview in most categories, then approval and the card.
You, with usMost people arrive here unsure which route they are even on.
Your relationship to the petitioner and one date put you in a category. Everything above follows from which one.
What We Will Ask You to Gather
The list differs by route. These are the items every route needs, and having them ready shortens the work considerably.
The Route Is the Decision That Matters
Filing the wrong petition costs more than a fee. It costs the time the right one would have taken, and on some facts it makes the right one harder. Choosing the route is the work, and it is work for an attorney rather than a form.
Pablo Nossa has practiced immigration law and nothing else since 2010, from offices in Austin and Houston, across every route on this page. Every consultation is with him, clients get his cell number, and he follows up himself by phone, text or email.
The firm handles the whole span, which matters more here than on a single-service page: a client who arrives on a family petition and later needs an employment one does not have to start again with somebody new. The firm also tells you plainly when it does not see a viable route, before a fee is agreed.
- Immigration law since 2010, and no other practice area
- Family, employment, investment and self-petition routes under one roof
- AILA member, with a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin
- Upfront pricing and flat-fee rates
Pablo Nossa
Principal attorney, and the person who conducts the consultation. J.D., University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in Latin American Studies. Practicing immigration law since 2010, from the Austin and Houston offices.
Questions People Ask First
What is a green card?
Is a green card a visa?
Is a green card holder a U.S. citizen?
How long does a green card last?
How long does it take to get a green card?
How do I get a green card?
How do I renew a green card?
What does a green card cost?
Two Offices, One Attorney
Consultations with the attorney at either office.
Austin
7000 N Mopac Expy, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78731
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5
Houston
2950 North Loop West, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77092
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5
Find Out Which Route Is Yours
The route decides everything else. Start there.
- Bring your passport, your I-94 and any prior immigration paperwork
- You will leave knowing which category your facts support and what it involves
- Upfront pricing and flat-fee rates
Austin · 7000 N Mopac Expy, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78731
Houston · 2950 North Loop West, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77092
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 · pablo@nossalaw.com
Contact
(713) 599-1633pablo@nossalaw.com
Austin7000 N Mopac Expy, Suite 200
Austin, TX 78731
Directions
Houston2950 North Loop West, Suite 500
Houston, TX 77092
Directions
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5