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
FAQs for the Immigration Attorney: Our Answers
In our line of work, we answer a ton of immigration-related questions every month. Here are five questions we hear all the time, and their answers. What is conditional permanent residence? And how does it differ from legal permanent residence? Conditional residence mostly applies to marriage-based green cards. Because these marriages need to be tested Read more about FAQs for the Immigration Attorney: Our Answers[…]
Updates to the U.S. Naturalization Test for 2020: What Applicants Can Expect
For many permanent residents, the test for United States citizenship is one of the culminations of their life’s work. The test very rarely changes, and has been the same for the past decade. Last year, USCIS naturalized over 750,000 people, the highest number in five years, with an overall pass rate of 90% for the Read more about Updates to the U.S. Naturalization Test for 2020: What Applicants Can Expect[…]
Recent Updates to the U-Visa Qualification Process
The U-Visa program is one of the greatest achievements of our immigration program. It helps to protect those who have been victims of crimes, while also helping police effectively prosecute these crimes with the help of a committed witness. Technically, U-visas are for victims of certain crimes who “have suffered mental or physical abuse and Read more about Recent Updates to the U-Visa Qualification Process[…]
5 Things You Can Learn from “90 Day Fiance”
It is the show many love to hate. Over the past few years, TLC’s 90 Day Fiance has exposed a huge audience to the standard process for the K-1 fiance visa process. This process is used by a U.S.Citizen to bring the foreign national to the United States with the intention to marry them and Read more about 5 Things You Can Learn from “90 Day Fiance”[…]
Analyzing the Impact of the Final Rule on Public Charge Inadmissibility
For immigrants looking to apply for permanent residency sometime soon, the recent changes to the public charge designation are a serious concern. We already covered this topic when the issue was first brought up last year. In August of this year, the final rule was finalized and the policy will take effect October 15, 2019. Read more about Analyzing the Impact of the Final Rule on Public Charge Inadmissibility[…]
As an Existing DACA Participant, Can I Renew My Status?
If you are an existing DACA participant, you have probably heard a lot of back and forth in the news about the future of the program. You may not know what to think. Here is what you need to know about the status of your DACA renewal: For a while there, USCIS was not accepting Read more about As an Existing DACA Participant, Can I Renew My Status?[…]
2020 Presidential Candidates and Their Proposed Immigration Policies
For immigration advocates, the past 3 years of the Trump administration have been unprecedented in the number and scale of anti-immigration changes that have been implemented. We have heard of everything from large-scale ICE raids in particular areas, to children being detained at the border and separated from their parents, to overhauls of legal paths Read more about 2020 Presidential Candidates and Their Proposed Immigration Policies[…]
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[…]