The Woodlands Immigration Lawyer, Merita Rice, is the founder of The Rice Law Firm, PLLC. She is an experienced immigration attorney, who handles green card through marriage, fiance visas, green card for family members of American citizens and Permanent Residents, immigrant visas, citizenship, DACA, and other immigration cases.

 

​Immigration Lawyer holds immigration consultations in The Woodlands, TX, and assists clients from The Woodlands, Conroe, Spring, North Houston, North Harris County, Montgomery County, Texas and United States, and from around the world.

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The Woodlands Immigration Lawyer handles the following immigration cases:

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FAMILY BASED IMMIGRATION – Immigration lawyer assists client to obtain a green card through a family relationship with a U.S. Citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder):

1. Green Card for family members of U.S. Citizens who entered USA lawfully (even when the authorized stay and/or visa has expired):

   1. Green Card through Marriage: ​Marriage Petition with Adjustment of Status for Husband or wife.

   2. Family Petition with Adjustment of Status for child, step-child or adopted child (unmarried and under 21).

   3. Family Petition with Adjustment of Status for parent when the petitioning USC child is at least 21 years old.

2. ​Green Card for family members of U.S. Citizens who are abroad:

   1. Green Card through Marriage: Marriage Petition with Consular Processing for Husband/Wife.

   2. Immigrant Visa (Family Petition with Consular Processing) for child (unmarried and under 21).

   3. Immigrant Visa (Family Petition with Consular Processing) for parent when the petitioning USC child is at least 21 years old.

3. ​Fiancé Visa for Fiancé (and Fiancé’s children) followed by Adjustment of Status upon lawful entry and marriage.

4. Green Card for family members abroad of Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR):

   1. Marriage Visa (Marriage Petition with Consular Processing)

   2. Immigrant Visa (Family Petition with Consular Processing) for unmarried children under 21.

5. Green Card for family members of U.S. Citizens who entered USA without a visa:

   1. Adjustment of Status through Grandfathering (for applicants who had petitions filed before April 30, 2001 for themselves of their parent, and the applicant was listed as a derivative on that petition) and the applicant is now married to U.S. Citizen.

   2. ​Adjustment of Status (green card) for DACA applicant who is married to a U.S. Citizen and enters U.S.A with Advance Parole while DACA is still valid.

6. Consular processing to obtain Immigrant Visas (green card) for cases with approved petitions in the following family-based immigration cases:

   1. Consular Processing (after approved petition and when the priority date is current) of unmarried son or daughter of age 21 or older of US Citizen.

   2. Consular Processing (after approved petition and when the priority date is current) of married son or daughter of any age of US Citizen.

   3. Consular Processing (after approved petition and the priority date is current) of brother or sister of US Citizen (applicable if USC is 21 or older).

   4. Consular Processing (after approved petition and when the priority date is current) of unmarried son or daughter age 21 or older of Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).

7. Removal of conditions from permanent residence ( applicable to 2 year green cards)

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FIANCE VISAS - ​Immigration lawyer can assist U.S. Citizens who have fiances living abroad to have Fiance enter U.S.A with:

1. ​K-1 Fiancé Visa through Fiance Petition and Consular Processing for Fiancé 

2. K-2 Visa for Fiancé’s children who are unmarried and under 21.

3. Adjustment of Status for Fiance (and Fiance's children) upon lawful entry and marriage to U.S. Citizen in the U.S.A.

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CITIZENSHIP - The immigration attorney assists clients to become U.S. Citizens:

1. Citizenship through Naturalization

2. Application to preserve residence for naturalization for applicants who will be outside the US for 1 year or more.

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DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS (DACA) – Go to DACA page of this website to read more.

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OTHER IMMIGRATION CASES - The immigration attorney handles other green card cases such as:

1. Renewal or replacement of permanent resident card (applicable to 10 year green cards).

2. Removal of conditions from 2 year green cards through joint petition or waivers.