The EB-5 program offers green cards to foreign investors who place the required capital at risk in a qualifying enterprise. This guide for West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County focuses on EB-5, then covers temporary visas, adjustment of status, citizenship, asylum, voluntary departure and removal defense, and criminal cases that affect status. We do not have an office in Palm Beach County; we serve the area from Orlando by phone, video and in-person meetings in Orlando. Program rules change.
- EB-5 involves placing required capital at risk in a qualifying enterprise.
- We have no Palm Beach County office; we serve the area from Orlando.
- The guide also covers asylum and deportation defense.
- A criminal case can affect immigration status, as the guide explains.
Introduction
Palm Beach County residents bring a wide range of immigration matters to a lawyer: investors exploring EB-5, professionals on temporary visas, families adjusting status, long-time residents applying for citizenship and people facing removal. Vasquez Law Firm serves West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Jupiter and the Glades communities from our Orlando office, by phone, by secure video and in person in Orlando. To ask about your case, call 1-844-YO-PELEO or contact us.
We do not have an office in Palm Beach County. This page explains the main matters we see from the area, with a focus on EB-5 investment, and how each generally works so that you know what to ask a lawyer.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Investment amounts, program rules and forms change, so check current requirements with USCIS and the other agencies, and speak with a lawyer about your own facts.
Immigration Help for Palm Beach County Residents: EB-5 Investment
The EB-5 program offers green cards to foreign investors who place the required capital at risk in a new U.S. commercial enterprise that creates at least ten full-time jobs for qualifying workers. The required amount is set by law and is lower for targeted employment areas and certain infrastructure projects. Investors can invest directly in their own business or through a project affiliated with a USCIS-designated regional center.
A West Palm Beach EB-5 visa lawyer focuses on the parts of the case that most often cause trouble: documenting the lawful source of the funds and tracing their path into the enterprise, reviewing the business plan and job-creation evidence, and planning for the later petition to remove conditions. Because an EB-5 investment is at risk, investors should also get independent financial advice. Ask any project sponsor for its offering documents and have them reviewed, and remember that a lawyer for the immigration side does not replace a securities, tax or financial adviser. Our investment immigration page covers the process step by step.
In outline, an EB-5 matter usually moves through these steps:
- Confirm eligibility and decide between a direct investment and a regional center project.
- Check the investment amount, the job-creation plan and whether the area is a targeted employment area.
- Document the lawful source of funds and the path they took into the enterprise.
- File the immigrant investor petition with USCIS, with the business plan and supporting evidence.
- After approval, move toward a green card through adjustment of status in the U.S. or consular processing abroad.
- Later, file to remove conditions by proving that the investment was sustained and the job-creation requirements were met.
Temporary Visas for Workers, Students and Visitors
Palm Beach County's hospitality, health care, finance and agriculture sectors employ many people on temporary visas. A nonimmigrant visa lawyer usually deals with categories such as H-1B specialty occupation workers, L-1 intracompany transferees, E-2 treaty investors, O-1 workers with extraordinary ability, H-2A and H-2B seasonal workers, F-1 students, and B-1 and B-2 visitors who need an extension or change of status.
The common thread is maintaining status: filing extensions before the authorized stay ends, not working outside what the visa permits, and planning ahead if the goal is a green card. A short gap in status can close off options later, so it is worth reviewing your I-94 record and visa terms with a lawyer before a deadline approaches. Employers who sponsor workers should keep their own calendar of expiration dates, since a missed renewal can interrupt a person's ability to work. For more, see our work visa page.
Adjustment of Status and Citizenship
Adjustment of status lets an eligible person in the United States become a permanent resident without leaving. A lawyer reviews how the applicant entered, whether they maintained status and whether any arrests or prior immigration problems require a waiver. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who were inspected and admitted are treated differently from most other applicants, and that distinction often decides whether the case can stay in the United States. Because some applicants must leave the country to complete the process, and leaving can trigger bars for people with certain past violations, this question should be answered before any travel plans are made.
Many permanent residents in Palm Beach County have been here long enough to apply for citizenship. A lawyer will review continuous residence, physical presence, travel history, tax compliance and any criminal record, because an N-400 application can reopen questions about how the green card was obtained. Some applicants qualify for exemptions from the English requirement or accommodations for the test based on age, time as a resident or disability.
Asylum and Humanitarian Asylum
Asylum protects people who have been persecuted, or fear persecution, because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most applicants must file within one year of arrival unless an exception applies.
Humanitarian asylum is a narrower and less familiar form of relief. When an applicant proves past persecution but the government shows that conditions have changed and the fear of future persecution is no longer well-founded, a judge or officer may still grant asylum because the past persecution was especially severe, or because the person faces a reasonable possibility of other serious harm if returned. A practical goal is to find a lawyer who can document the severity of what happened through detailed declarations, medical or psychological evaluations and corroborating evidence. Applicants whose claims fall outside asylum, or who are barred from it, may still look at withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture, which have different standards and no one-year filing deadline in the same way. Our asylum page explains related protections.
Deportation Defense and Voluntary Departure
Removal cases for Palm Beach County residents are heard by the immigration court listed on the Notice to Appear, or on a detained docket if the person is in custody. A deportation defense lawyer reviews the charges, the client's history and every form of relief, which may include cancellation of removal, adjustment of status before the judge, asylum, waivers or a bond hearing.
When no relief is available, voluntary departure can still matter. It lets a person leave at their own expense within a period set by the judge, without a removal order on their record, which can make a future lawful return easier. It has strict conditions, and failing to leave on time carries penalties. A lawyer should explain those conditions, and whether stronger relief exists, before anyone accepts it. The lawyer should also confirm the client's address is updated with the court so no hearing is missed.
Document Checklist for Palm Beach County Cases
- Passport, visas, I-94 record and every immigration notice you have received.
- Court documents for any arrest, including dispositions, and any Notice to Appear.
- Proof of family relationships, such as marriage and birth certificates.
- For EB-5: documents showing the source of funds, bank records and business or project documents.
- For work visas: job offer, résumé, diplomas and employer records.
- For citizenship: green card, travel history, tax returns and any prior applications.
- For asylum: identity documents, a timeline of events and any evidence of harm or threats.
Bring what you have to the first meeting and write down what is missing. In investment cases, start tracing the source of funds early, because bank and transfer records can take time to obtain.
Timeline and Processing Expectations
Timing varies widely by matter. EB-5 cases depend on USCIS workloads, the category and, for the later green card stage, visa availability, while removal cases move at the pace of the immigration court calendar and asylum cases depend on whether they are before an asylum office or a judge. USCIS, the courts and the State Department publish current information, and we do not quote numbers here because they change.
In every type of case, early preparation shortens delays. Tell your lawyer about any deadline, such as the end of an authorized stay, a hearing date or a business or closing date tied to an investment, at the first meeting.
| Stage | What happens | Who acts |
|---|
| Consultation | Options, risks and documents are reviewed | Client and lawyer |
| Preparation | Evidence, declarations and financial records are assembled | Client and lawyer |
| Filing | Petition, application or court filing is submitted | Client, with lawyer |
| Review, interview or hearing | USCIS, consulate or immigration court reviews the case | Agency or court |
| Decision and follow-up | Approval, denial or relief; later steps such as removing conditions are planned | Agency or court, then client and lawyer |
When a Criminal Case Affects Immigration Status
Some people look for a lawyer who understands both criminal and immigration issues because they have an open criminal case and are not U.S. citizens. Our firm practices immigration law only. We do not defend criminal charges, but we advise on how a plea, sentence or conviction may affect status, and we work alongside the client's criminal defense attorney. In Florida, even a withhold of adjudication can count as a conviction for immigration purposes in some circumstances, so this review should happen before a plea. Ask the defense lawyer to speak with us early, since sentencing terms, charge wording and the date of an offense can all change the immigration analysis, and some convictions affect eligibility for relief or citizenship years later.
How We Work With Palm Beach County Clients
Bring your passport, visas and I-94, any immigration filings and notices, court documents for any arrest, and proof of family relationships. When choosing a lawyer, ask who will handle your case, how you will communicate and what risks they see; be cautious with anyone who promises a result.
Our only office is at 1111 E Amelia Street in Orlando. Clients across Palm Beach County work with us by phone and secure video and meet with us in person in Orlando. Consultations are available in English and Spanish, and documents can be shared securely so that you do not need to travel for routine steps.
Cost Factors and Fee Breakdown
The table lists the main cost categories in these matters. No amounts are shown because fees and investment requirements change.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|
| EB-5 investment amount | Varies by case | Set by law and depends on the area and project; this is capital at risk, not a fee |
| USCIS petition and application fees (such as Forms I-526E, I-485, N-400) | Check USCIS for the current fee | Differ by form |
| Immigration court filing fees | Check the court or agency for current fees | Apply to certain applications filed in court |
| Source-of-funds records, translations and financial review | Varies by case | Depend on the number of accounts and countries involved |
| Attorney fees | Varies by case | Depend on the type of matter and the written scope of work |
Government filing fees change, and they differ by form and sometimes by the applicant's circumstances. Always check the agency's current fee schedule before you send any payment, because a filing submitted with the wrong fee can be rejected and the delay can matter. In EB-5 cases, the investment itself, administrative fees charged by projects and legal costs are separate items, so ask each party to list its charges in writing.
Attorney fees are separate from government fees and depend on how complex the matter is. Ask for the scope of work in a written agreement, including whether responses to requests for evidence, interview preparation and later filings are included. Be cautious about any lawyer who guarantees an outcome, because the agency or consulate makes the final decision.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating an investment as a sure route to a green card; the investment is at risk.
- Failing to document the lawful source of funds and their path into the business.
- Letting temporary status lapse before filing an extension.
- Accepting voluntary departure without checking whether stronger relief exists.
- Pleading in a criminal case without learning the immigration consequences.
- Forgetting to update your address with the immigration court and missing a hearing.
- Using a notario or consultant who is not a lawyer.
When to Call a Lawyer
Call a lawyer before you invest for immigration purposes, before you file any application with a history of arrests or overstays, before a criminal plea if you are not a citizen, and as soon as you receive a Notice to Appear or a hearing notice. Call also if your status is about to expire or if you are considering voluntary departure. Early advice often opens options that are no longer available later, and a short consultation can show whether the matter needs a full filing or simply a plan for the months ahead.
About Vasquez Law Firm
Vasquez Law Firm practices immigration law only. Our only office is at 1111 E Amelia Street in Orlando, and we serve clients across Florida by phone and secure video, with in-person meetings in Orlando. William J. Vásquez is the founding attorney, and consultations are available in English and Spanish. We have no office in Palm Beach County, and clients there are served by phone and video with the option to meet in Orlando. To talk about your case, call 1-844-YO-PELEO or contact us.
Sources and References
Related services: investment immigration services, immigration lawyers in Florida
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This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different; speak with an immigration lawyer about your situation.
