How to get, keep, abandon, or renounce US visas, US permanent residence, and US citizenship

The ways to get and keep legal immigration status in the United States depend on several factors, including the purpose of the visit, length of stay, and relationship with a family member or employer. Of course, your eligibility for a given category also depends upon personal factors, including background (criminal, educational, employment, more) and immigration history.

There are also specific protocols in place to abandon or renounce a US green card or US citizenship and numerous legal, tax, and practical considerations to evaluate before taking action.

We have particular interest in

—> family-based immigration to the US,
—> extraordinary ability visas to the US,
—> maintenance / abandonment of US permanent residence, &
—> renunciation of US citizenship.

Visas to the USA

A visa is a document that gives a person permission to travel across the border into the USA.

US visas fall into one of two categories: non-immigrant (fixed time) and immigrant (long-term).

Non-immigrant visas

These are for people wanting to enter the United States for a short or specific amount of time. Some non-immigrant visas (“NIV”) will come with a single entry to the US and others allow the visa holder to have multiple entries.

An NIV applicant is said to have non-immigrant intent: plans to return to their home country after the visa period.

A few select categories of NIV allow the applicant to change intent or have dual intent to eventually stay in the US permanently.

Examples of non-immigrant visas that we handle include:

  • B1/B2 Visitor Visas (for NZ permanent residents and citizens)

  • K Fiancé(e) Visas

  • O Extraordinary Talent Visas

Immigrant visas

These are for people wanting to emigrate to the USA and stay permanently. In order to apply for an immigrant visa (IV), there must be exceptional circumstances or a family or employment relationship that qualifies under US immigration law.

To simplify, the process involves a sponsoring employer or family member filing a petition on behalf of the person(s) wanting to immigrate to the United States.

We handle immigrant visas based upon family relationships (spouse, parent, son/daughter, stepchild of a US citizen) and the diversity lottery (aka Green Card Lottery).

US Permanent Residence
(US Green Card)

Lawful permanent residence (also known as a “Green Card” or “LPR”) allows a person to legally live and work in the USA for the long term and have access to certain rights and responsibilities.

LPR status can be lost in some circumstances, including after committing certain crimes or spending extensive time outside of the USA.

We represent people seeking a green card through:

  • Family Relationships (spouse, fiancé(e), child, parent, sibling)

  • Diversity/Green Card Lottery

  • Removal of Conditions on Residency


We advise US permanent residents on:

  • Understanding their rights and responsibilities

  • Maintaining LPR Status

  • Abandoning LPR Status

US Citizenship

Citizenship is the only legal US immigration status that comes with a US passport, right to vote, permanent rights to live and work in the USA, and eligibility to hold certain offices. It also comes with significant responsibilities.

A person can acquire US citizenship through birth in the United States, birth abroad to parents who meet certain criteria, or naturalization after being an LPR who meets certain eligibility requirements.

Some people are US citizens without realizing it.

US citizenship can also be renounced through an official process.

We handle:

  • Accidental US Citizenship

  • US Citizenship Renunciation

  • Naturalization

  • Registering US Citizenship of a child born abroad

Waivers of Inadmissibility and Visa Denials

Certain actions - such as criminal convictions, misrepresentation/fraud, and immigration violations like overstaying a visa or working without permission - create a barrier to entering the US as a visitor or being granted a visa or permanent residence. The law allows for some of these to be waived under certain conditions.

In other instances, the consulate has denied a visa where the applicant was qualified but not able to prove it.

We handle:

  • Waivers attached to non-immigrant visas

  • Waivers attached to immigrant visas and permanent residence

  • Overcoming previous consular denials

Services at the US Consulate

US citizens living abroad use their local embassy or consulate to access services for US citizens. Some of these services are straight-forward and others are complicated.

We help US citizens living in New Zealand access consular services including:

  • Renouncing US Citizenship

  • Proving US Citizenship

  • Registering US Citizenship of Children Born Abroad

  • Renewing US Passports

If you have another US immigration need, please get in touch.
If your case is outside our scope, we’d be happy to make a referral.