Immigration Law and Criminal Defense
The existence of a prior criminal conviction can result in the revocation of your immigration status and can ultimately lead to deportation. A pending criminal charge must be handled properly to in order protect your immigration status.
Rogers & Rogers is an immigration law firm with extensive experience in criminal matters as they affect immigration status. We can examine the issues your case presents and discuss the possible effects on your immigration status. Depending on the circumstances of your case, we may be able to take action to deal with a criminal charge in such a way as to protect your visa status.
Call us at 412.434.7500 or 704.372.7222 to arrange for a consultation.
Not All Convictions Are Equal
U.S. immigration law makes distinctions between different types of crimes. A crime of moral turpitude for example may result in your deportation, while a conviction on a similar charge which is not considered to be a crime of moral turpitude may not. This can be true even if the penalties for the two charges are similar. The task then is to analyze the possible effect of particular charges on a person's visa status.
Many criminal defense attorneys do not understand the effect on a client's immigration status of a guilty plea for a criminal charge. At Rogers & Rogers, we are regularly sought out for advice on the immigration implications of criminal charges and we work closely with criminal defense attorneys in these situations. If you are a criminal defense attorney representing a foreign national or if you are an individual currently working with a defense attorney, Rogers & Rogers can help you. We can discuss the issues in your case from an immigration law perspective and inform you if there is a way to proceed that does not affect the immigration status of the accused.
Post-Conviction Relief
If there already is a conviction in the U.S. or an alien criminal record, it may be possible to obtain post-conviction relief that preserves your visa status — for example, getting the conviction vacated or reduced to a lesser charge. Rogers & Rogers can advise you, and if necessary work with your defense lawyer or refer you to qualified counsel.
Our firm also conducts an active deportation defense practice and will work to prevent your removal and preserve your residency status.
For a consultation with Rogers & Rogers, call our Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania office at 412.434.7500, our Charlotte, North Carolina office at 704.372.7222, or send us an e-mail.
