Immigration Services

The Hollis Law Firm, LLC is here to help you! Attorney Chuck Hollis will guide you every step of the way through your immigration process. He represents clients in cases involving: citizenship and naturalization, lawful permanent residence (green card), family-based immigration, employment-based immigration, changes and extensions of non-immigrant status, asylum, and employment authorization.

Naturalization is the process through which many green card holders become U.S. citizens. Green card holders wishing to naturalize must:

  • Be lawfully admitted for permanent residence;
  • Be at least 18 years of age;
  • Have maintained continuous residence in the U.S. for the past five years (or three years in certain cases);
  • Have been physically present in the U.S. for at least half of the five-year (or in some cases three-year) period;
  • Be of “good moral character”;
  • Pass tests in English and U.S. history/government; and
  • Take an oath of allegiance to the U.S.

Family-Based Green Cards

A person pursuing a family-based green card must be either an “immediate relative,” or fall under one of the other “preference categories.”

“Immediate relatives” include:

  • Spouses of U.S. citizens
  • Parents of U.S. citizens
  • Unmarried children (under age 21) of U.S. citizens

The other “preference categories” include the following:

  • F1: Unmarried sons and daughters (age 21 or older) of U.S. citizens
  • F2A: Spouses and unmarried children (under age 21) of green card holders
  • F2B: Unmarried sons and daughters (age 21 or older) of green card holders
  • F3: Married sons and daughters (age 21 or older) of U.S. citizens
  • F4: Siblings of U.S. citizens

K-1 Fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens

K-1 status is available for the fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen who wishes to enter the U.S., marry the fiancé(e) within 90 days of entering, and obtain a green card. We assist our clients with all phases of this process.

Employment-Based Green Cards

We do not handle most varieties of employment-based green card cases. However, we have many colleagues who do, and are happy to provide you with their contact information.

The legal framework for immigration in the U.S. includes a veritable “alphabet soup” of different non-immigrant statuses, including:

A – diplomats and foreign officials

B – visitors

C – transits

D – crew members

E – treaty traders, treaty investors

F – students

G – employees of international organizations

H – specialty workers

I – media employees

J – exchange visitors

K – fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens

L – intracompany transferees

M – certain vocational students

O – extraordinary ability

P – performing artists, athletes, and entertainers

Q – cultural exchange visitors

R – religious workers

S – witnesses to crimes

T – victims of human trafficking

TN – NAFTA workers

U – victims of crimes

We can assist you in identifying and obtaining the right non-immigrant status in the U.S.

If you already hold a non-immigrant status in the U.S., we can help you to change it, extend it, or even adjust to lawful permanent resident (green card) status.

Change of Non-Immigrant Status

In many instances, someone must apply for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to change their non-immigrant status from one to another.

Extensions of status

In other instances, someone must apply for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to extend their existing non-immigrant status.

Adjustment of status

Someone who wishes to apply for a green card while physically present in the U.S. must apply for adjustment of status.

U.S. citizens and green card holders are always authorized to work in the U.S. But only certain non-immigrants are authorized to work. Moreover, in some cases, a non-immigrant may not begin working until he or she has obtained an Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”), which is sometimes called a “work card.” We routinely counsel and represent clients needing assistance in securing employment authorization.

Asylum is permission for someone to lawfully remain in the U.S., based upon a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Individuals receiving asylum in the U.S. may later qualify to become lawful permanent residents (green card holders). We have successfully assisted clients from many different countries with their asylum claims.

“Chuck has been our lawyer and friend for almost ten years. He has helped me and my family with several cases. Always available to answer any questions I may have in any legal matter. Always friendly and knowledgeable. He also helped all friends to whom I recommended him. He always stands up for his clients and does a great job at getting favorable outcome in any case. Great lawyer, but most of all great friend!”

Karina Z.

“When my employer hired Chuck to assist with my H-1B case, the owner told me that they would find and hire the best attorney in Ohio to deal with my case. Even before I met Chuck, the owner assured me that everything would be fine. Everything was taken care of, and my H-1B was approved. Even after I found a new job, Chuck remained available to help and encourage me. This means a lot to me.”

Xiaowen C.

“I got to know Chuck a few years ago, when I just came to US and since then have used his services a few times. He was first recommended to us when I started my immigration process and applied for a green card. Chuck has been very responsive, understanding, and ready to help with any questions with the immigration law. With his help the entire process is easy and flawless. Needless to say, when I had issues with my naturalization, I reached out to Chuck again. And with his help, I got the result I was hoping for. I’d be glad to recommend him to anyone who needs help in the immigration. On a side note, he has a good command of Russian language, so this can remove the language barrier for the Russian immigrants.”

Katya H.

“I am admittedly a very neurotic person. Chuck exhibited wonderful patience, knowledge, and empathy with the multitude of questions I would ask him. Throughout the various stages and updates of my case, Chuck did a superb job of presenting me all my options. His recommendations were accompanied with well-explained justifications and discussions. Having Chuck on my permanent resident case made the experience much less stressful. As I have told my friends, family, and colleagues, his services are worth every penny. I highly recommend him.”

Dr. Matthew S.

“I originally made an appointment with Chuck because I needed a consultation about how to bring my then fiancée to the United States. At that point I was a Green Card holder (with the intention to become an American citizen eventually) and so the fiancée visa wasn’t an option. In our conversation I told Chuck that I haven’t applied for the citizenship yet because I was a bit concerned about the 1 to 1.5 year long process. Chuck said that I apparently got wrong information because the process is usually (and if there aren’t any problems with the paperwork, the history, etc.) only 5 to 6 months. This information changed my plans totally and I decided to go for the American Citizenship right away. I applied on Nov 14th and had my naturalization ceremony on February 4th – less than 3 months later. Chuck did an incredibly great job, the communication was fast, and he was there for me every step of the process.  He is absolutely competent and handled the whole process in a very professional and at the same time very personal level. Six months after I became a citizen, my daughters, who came together with me as Green Card holders to the USA, also applied for the citizenship and within less than 3 months after the application they had their naturalization ceremony. We cannot thank Chuck enough for the great job he has done for us!”

K. Wagner, with daughters J. Worthington & T. Adkins

“Chuck has the essential qualities required to be an outstanding immigration lawyer: knowledge, patience, and most importantly he listens carefully to his clients’ needs. We feel fortunate to have had his legal advice and guidance for our naturalization process. Not only is he responsive and careful regarding his work but he also understands the challenges and stress that his clients are exposed to. With his calm attitude and soothing tone in a professional manner, he made the “journey” bearable. We are very thankful for all he did for us and we would not hesitate to recommend him.”

Eva & Tiberiu B.

“Chuck has always been highly professional, efficient and honest in advising me on my options, helping me to navigate the maze of immigration law, and successfully representing me in my case. He has treated me with respect and consideration every step of the way. The service is friendly and courteous. His door and phone are always open for questions and support. I will always be thankful for what he has done to improve my life in the U.S.”

Manzura I.

“I heard about Chuck from a friend in 2012 who was helped by him, and they recommended him to me. I had so much anxiety surrounding the legal paperwork of petitioning my husband to move to America to live with me. The immigration lawyer I saw (before learning about Chuck) made a huge error in my paperwork and put our case at risk! After I moved my case into Chuck’s hands, I felt at ease. He was always open and honest with me about everything and always explained everything clearly and completely. When I had to collect documents for our case he always provided helpful lists and was always available for a phone call if I had a question. He is also very quick to respond to emails. After a little over a year my husband became a permanent resident in 2013. Now my husband is a US citizen and I am proud to know that Chuck played a part in that. There aren’t many people who are as honest and reliable as Chuck, and we will be using him if we ever need any of his services.”

Elizabeth A.

“Chuck was my Mom’s attorney.  He was very kind and respectful.  He was also very fast with obtaining my Mom’s green card! I highly recommend his services.  My Mom and I are very thankful to him for reuniting us!”

Happy A.

“Working with Chuck on my immigration processes was a calming delight.  He not only paid attention to all the details, but also made it a stress-free process.  USCIS makes a lot of mistakes in many cases that it processes, and Chuck ensured that these errors did not result in a complete halt to the process. If I had filed on my own, I might easily have given up.

Chuck is honest and fair about making sure fees are applied to the case exactly as promised, with no frivolous additional charges.

I appreciate having had his representation on my case, and am now grateful and honored to call him a friend.”

Maxwell M.

“Chuck is an excellent immigration attorney who has extensive knowledge and experience regarding the immigration and naturalization process. Chuck represented my wife and me through every step of my wife’s U.S. naturalization  — from completing her initial green card application to her obtaining eventual citizenship. He was understanding and attentive to our individual needs, responded quickly to any questions/concerns that arose, and did an all-around outstanding job helping us navigate through the immigration minefield.”

Collin R.
“Chuck is an outstanding attorney – starting from his vast expertise, dedication and attention to detail to his evident compassion for his clients and his genuine desire to help. His personable demeanor put my family at ease, and we knew we were in good hands right from the start. Chuck promptly answered all of our questions and successfully led us step-by-step through the lengthy immigration maze. His impeccable integrity, competency, and responsiveness is unsurpassed. We feel very fortunate that he represented our family’s permanent residency case and helped us reach a successful outcome. We have enthusiastically recommended Chuck to many friends and colleagues, and will continue to do so without any hesitation. We also encourage anyone else seeking honest, effective representation and a truly rewarding, lasting attorney-client relationship to select Chuck as their attorney. They will not be disappointed!”
Lejla Z.

“I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Chuck on three separate applications. They were not straightforward, but Chuck never wavered. He saw each case through to the end with the utmost patience, diligence and exemplary professionalism. His passion for immigration and understanding of immigration law is staggering.

Chuck has a very special way of interacting with his clients, as by the end one feels more like a close friend.

I offer my highest recommendation to anyone in need of assistance in immigration law.

Look no further, Chuck is the Man!”

Karl R.