Immigration Lawyer in Greensboro, NC
Family petitions, employment visas, removal defense and humanitarian cases, handled from our office on South Greene Street. Immigration court for this area sits in Charlotte, and we appear there.
Tell us your situation
If there is a hearing date, a notice from USCIS or someone in detention, say so first.
Sending this form does not make us your lawyer yet.
If someone is detained, or there is a hearing date, call first and read anything else later. Those cases move on a court calendar, not on your schedule.
If you have a notice from USCIS, have it in front of you when you call. The form number in the corner, the receipt number and the date on it decide almost everything about what comes next.
If you are starting a petition, the first question is which relationship or which job the case rests on, because that is what sets the waiting time. Find your situation below.
What we help with
Family petitions and green cards
Most cases here start with a relationship. Which one decides the waiting time.
family-based immigration · family petitions · marriage-based green cards · green card for a spouse abroad · bringing a spouse to North Carolina · adjustment of status
Fiancé and child visas
For a partner or stepchild who is still outside the United States.
K-1 fiancé visas · K-2 visas for children
Asylum and humanitarian cases
Protection cases turn on deadlines and on evidence that takes time to gather. Start them early.
affirmative asylum · defensive asylum · U visas · T visas · VAWA self-petitions · humanitarian cases
Removal and deportation
A Notice to Appear is the start of a court case. There are defenses, and several of them have their own filing deadlines.
defenses to removal · adjustment of status as a defense
If you are in removal proceedings
Removal cases are heard by an immigration judge in the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which is part of the Department of Justice rather than USCIS. The court covering this part of North Carolina sits in Charlotte. A case starts with a Notice to Appear, and the first hearing is usually a master calendar hearing, which is short and procedural. The individual hearing, where the case is actually argued, comes later.
Three things are worth knowing at the start:
- Missing a hearing is the worst outcome available. An immigration judge can order removal in your absence, and reopening that order is harder than attending would have been.
- Relief has to be applied for. Adjustment of status, cancellation of removal, asylum, withholding and protection under the Convention Against Torture are applications, not defaults. Nobody raises them for you.
- Asylum has a one-year filing deadline. Under 8 C.F.R. § 208.4(a)(2), an asylum application must generally be filed within one year of the applicant’s last arrival in the United States. There are two exceptions, changed circumstances under § 208.4(a)(4) and extraordinary circumstances under § 208.4(a)(5), and both have to be shown rather than assumed.
Criminal charges and immigration
This is the part most people find out about too late. A plea that looks like a good deal in state court can be the thing that ends a green card case or triggers removal. The immigration consequence often does not match how serious the charge felt: some misdemeanors carry heavy immigration consequences, and the exact subsection you plead to can decide it.
The firm handles both sides of that, which is the practical reason to raise it early. If you are not a citizen and you are charged with anything, say so to your criminal lawyer before any plea is discussed, not after. Our criminal defense page covers the charge side.
Not sure which of these is your situation?
Read us what the notice says, or tell us what happened. One call is usually enough to tell you which process you are actually in.
Call (336) 379-0539Free consultation, answered 24/7Your attorney
Sean Jeffcoat
Family Petitions · Employment Visas · Removal Defense · Humanitarian Relief
Sean handles the firm’s immigration work: family-based petitions, employment visas, removal defense and humanitarian relief including asylum and waivers. He earned his Juris Doctor at Elon University School of Law in 2021.
- Family-based petitions and adjustment of status
- Employment-based visas
- Removal and deportation defense
- Humanitarian relief, asylum and waivers
Chad D. GarrettFounder
Jason AycothPartner
Sean OlsonPartner
Brandon GoldsboroughCriminal Defense
Stephanie GoldsboroughCriminal Defense
Rebecca ElliottCriminal Defense
Patrick BidwellCriminal Defense
Samantha HeplerCriminal DefenseWhat clients say
4.9 out of 5 from 587 Google reviews. A few recent ones:
Where we practice
Our office is two minutes from the Guilford County Courthouse.
Guilford County: Greensboro · High Point · Jamestown · Gibsonville · Summerfield · Oak Ridge · Pleasant Garden · Stokesdale · Whitsett · McLeansville · Sedalia
Also serving: Randolph, Forsyth, Alamance, Rockingham and Davidson Counties
Questions people ask
Do you handle cases for people who are detained?
Yes. Detained cases run on a faster calendar than non-detained ones, so they are the cases where calling the same day matters most. Have the person's full name, date of birth and, if you have it, the A-number ready.
Where is immigration court for Greensboro?
The immigration court covering this part of North Carolina sits in Charlotte. It is part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which is a Department of Justice agency, not USCIS. Your hearing notice states the court, the date and whether the hearing is in person or by video.
How long does a green card take?
It depends on the category, and that is not a dodge. An immediate relative of a US citizen is not subject to a numerical limit, while most other family categories are, and those wait according to the monthly Visa Bulletin published by the Department of State. Processing times for individual forms are published by USCIS and change, so we give you the current figure for your category rather than a number from a page that may be two years old.
Is there a deadline to apply for asylum?
Generally yes. An asylum application must be filed within one year of your last arrival in the United States, under 8 C.F.R. § 208.4(a)(2). Two exceptions exist, changed circumstances and extraordinary circumstances, and each has to be proved. If you are past a year, that does not necessarily end it, but it does change what has to be shown.
Can a criminal charge affect my immigration case?
Yes, and often more than people expect. The immigration consequence of a plea does not track how serious the charge seems, and the specific subsection pleaded to can decide the outcome. If you are not a citizen, tell your criminal lawyer before any plea is discussed.
What should I bring to the first meeting?
Every notice, letter or envelope you have received, your passport and any prior immigration documents, and anything with a receipt number on it. If there is a hearing notice, that one matters most.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes, the firm handles consultations in Spanish. If you are more comfortable in another language, say so when you call and we will arrange an interpreter rather than letting a family member translate a legal conversation.
What does an immigration lawyer cost?
We quote a flat fee for the stage of the case, and you get the number on the first call. Government filing fees are separate from the attorney fee, are set by USCIS and change, so we tell you the current ones for your forms rather than quoting a figure here.
Can you help if a previous lawyer or a notario made a mistake?
Often, yes. Bring everything that was filed on your behalf, including copies of forms you did not keep. A filing that was wrong or was never actually submitted is a specific problem with specific remedies, and it is worth knowing which one you have.
Talk to an immigration lawyer in Greensboro
Free consultation. If there is a hearing date or someone is detained, say so first.
Garrett, Walker, Aycoth & Olson, Attorneys at Law
317 South Greene St, Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 379-0539 · answered live, 24 hours
Free consultation · Se habla español
This page explains North Carolina law in general terms as of October 2026. It is not legal advice about your case, and penalties and statutes change. Figures come from 8 C.F.R. Part 208. Processing times and filing fees are published by USCIS and change, so none are quoted here.