OUR LEGAL SERVICES
The Law Office of Christine Contreras provides a vast array of immigration services in family-based immigration to assist foreign nationals to obtain lawful status in the country. These services range from assistance in obtaining legal permanent residency, obtaining citizenship or obtaining several other types of temporary or permanent legal status. Call (773)-478-0372 now and schedule a consultation.
Petitions
Adjustment of Status
Relative Petitions
Self-Petitions for victims of domestic violence under VAWA
Petitions to Remove the Conditions on Residence or waivers of the joint filing requirements
Applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Waivers/ Provisional Waiver
Motions and Appeals to USCIS, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Administrative Appeals Office and other Federal Agencies
VISAS
Immigrant Visas
Marriage Based Visas
Fiancee Visas
U Visas for Victims of Specific Crimes
Citizenship
Naturalization
Expedited Naturalization
Acquired or Derivative Citizenship
Consular Record of Birth Abroad
Obtaining US Passports
OUR STORY
The Law Office of Christine Contreras is dedicated to assisting people navigating the complex immigration laws of the United States. Preserving and maintaining family unity is a cornerstone of our beliefs at Law Office of Christine Contreras. The United States is a country built on the foundation of welcoming immigrants. We believe in the important words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty which state, ..."Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Immigrants form the core of this great nation. Our law firm welcomes you and will provide the assistance you require to explore your options for obtaining legal or lawful status.
At the Law Office of Christine Contreras, we believe that successfully addressing client needs requires compassion, empathy and honesty. We take on each case as a personal investment and fight for the best interests of our immigration clients. The Law Office of Christine Contreras strives to provide diligent legal advice and representation to our clients while assisting them in the complex immigration process. We hope you will entrust us to assist with your case.
MEET YOUR ATTORNEY
Christine Contreras
Immigration Attorney
Christine Contreras has been practicing law for over a decade and has extensive experience in matters relating to immigration law. She has dealt with many facets of immigration law including family and employment-based immigration matters, including adjustment of status, immigrant visas, U visas, VAWA petitions, naturalization and citizenship, employment-based visas, removal proceedings, appellate matters and federal court litigation.
Her current practice focuses on the area of family-based immigration matters. Ms. Contreras received a Bachelor of Arts degree, with an emphasis on political science, from DePaul University in 1997. She received a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law in 2000. She is an active member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
Testimonials
Latest Immigration News
I Need to File a Waiver (Unlawful presence, Criminal, Fraud, Smuggling). What Are My Chances?
Those who are officially deemed “inadmissible” to the United States and are seeking an immigrant visa or adjustment of status, must file USCIS Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility. But not everyone is eligible to apply for a waiver of inadmissibility—only certain types of applicants within each category qualify for applying (and Read more about I Need to File a Waiver (Unlawful presence, Criminal, Fraud, Smuggling). What Are My Chances?[…]
Applying for Employment Authorization to Work in the United States
If you are a foreign national who needs to prove you are eligible to work in the United States, you will need to apply for Employment Authorization. This same authorization can be used by legal immigrants who are able to work here but need legal proof of that because their potential employer requires it. You Read more about Applying for Employment Authorization to Work in the United States[…]
Conditional Permanent Residence and Divorce: Your Options
When you get married to a United States citizen and you are married for less than 2 years at the time of issuance of residency, you are issued what is called conditional residence that enables you to live and work in the United States until a later time when you can prove that the marriage Read more about Conditional Permanent Residence and Divorce: Your Options[…]
Breaking Down Trump’s Proposed Immigration Plan
President Trump’s stance on immigration has been clear since long before he was in office. Since that time, little has changed, though the administration’s handling of immigration has been as disorganized as its handling of other policy matters. Finally, in May of this year, President Trump elucidated his immigration plan, which lays out several policy Read more about Breaking Down Trump’s Proposed Immigration Plan[…]
Mid-Year Immigration Policy Review
As we near the halfway point of 2019, immigrants in the United States, both legal and illegal, find themselves mired in as much uncertainty as there was at the beginning of the year. Despite the endless discussions in Congress and incessant media chatter, not much has changed for immigrants over the past six months. A Read more about Mid-Year Immigration Policy Review[…]
What To Do When You Marry Someone Who Entered the U.S. with a Visa
You never know where life will take you next, and for some people that means marrying a person who is in the United States on a temporary (non-immigrant) visa, such as one for tourism or work. The question is, what happens next? It is intuitive that there must be a path to legal permanent residency Read more about What To Do When You Marry Someone Who Entered the U.S. with a Visa[…]
US-born Children of Unlawful Immigrants: Options for the Parents
When the children of unlawful immigrants are born in the United States, the United States Constitution states that these children are citizens. This is obviously a great thing for the child, and can lead to an eventual path to legal permanent residency for the parents, though there are also special restrictions for these types of Read more about US-born Children of Unlawful Immigrants: Options for the Parents[…]
Application Processing Times: What You Can Expect for the Most Common Applications
Probably one of the questions we get more often from our clients is “how long will the government take to process my application”? Obviously, there are many different factors that can affect the processing of your application, so we do not like to tell our clients a particular time frame, because we do not want Read more about Application Processing Times: What You Can Expect for the Most Common Applications[…]
Appealing USCIS Decisions: Your Options
On occasion, despite your best efforts, your application to USCIS may be denied. When that is the case, the first thing clients want to know is what their options are for appealing the decision. There are two basic paths you can take when you find yourself in a situation like this. Appeals When you receive Read more about Appealing USCIS Decisions: Your Options[…]
Everything You Need to Know about Provisional Waivers
For immigrants present unlawfully in the United States who have a relative (a spouse or parent) who is a United States citizen or legal permanent resident , a provisional waiver can shorten the time they are separated from relatives during the application process. Eligibility Requirements To be eligible for a provisional waiver, you must have Read more about Everything You Need to Know about Provisional Waivers[…]