Free immigration tool · Austin

Which U.S. Visa Fits You? A Checker for AustinTwo Questions. Honest Trade-Offs.

Family petitions, marriage visas, H-1B and L-1 work visas, O-1, F-1 and J-1 study, E-2 and EB-5 investment, asylum, TPS, U and T visas, VAWA: the right path depends on your goal and your history. This checker maps your goal to the options that usually fit.

Free tool · Santos Khoury Law

Visa Eligibility Checker

Two quick questions to see which U.S. visa options fit your goal, with the honest trade-offs of each path.

100% confidential. Runs in your browser, nothing is stored or sent.

What is your goal?

Found a path that fits?

Choosing the wrong visa strategy costs time, money, and sometimes eligibility itself. Talk it through with our attorneys before you file; the first move often shapes everything after it.

Schedule a Free Consultation Call (866) 369-0220

Disclaimer: Visa eligibility depends on many factors this tool cannot capture, including immigration history, prior visa denials, unlawful presence, and criminal records. This tool provides general information only and is not legal advice. Using it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Santos Khoury Law.

How it works in Austin

Visa Eligibility Checker: What It Means for a Austin Case

We represent families from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Venezuela, Cuba, India, Nigeria, and the Middle East across Austin and Central Texas, in the languages they speak at home.

Immigration law is federal, so our attorneys represent Austin and Central Texas clients in the San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas immigration courts and at every Texas detention facility, by video and in person. Whatever path fits, the consultation is free and the quote is a flat fee.

Call (866) 369-0220 Free Consultation

Talk to a visa lawyer

Austin immigration facts

The Courts, Facilities, and Offices That Decide Austin Cases

Immigration courts

Austin has no immigration court of its own. Cases from Austin and Central Texas are assigned to the San Antonio Immigration Court, about 80 miles south, or heard by video. Detained cases go to the docket of the facility holding the person.

Houston Immigration Court
606 Lamar St, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77002
Est. wait 3.8 yrs · 14 judges · Pending 52,000
Dallas Immigration Court
1100 Commerce St, Suite 600, Dallas, TX 75242
Est. wait 3.5 yrs · 8 judges · Pending 31,000
San Antonio Immigration Court
800 Dolorosa St, Suite 300, San Antonio, TX 78207
Est. wait 3.3 yrs · 10 judges · Pending 25,000
Harlingen Immigration Court
2009 W Jefferson Ave, Harlingen, TX 78550
Est. wait 2.8 yrs · 6 judges · Pending 15,000
El Paso Immigration Court
700 E San Antonio Ave, Suite 550, El Paso, TX 79901
Est. wait 2.5 yrs · 5 judges · Pending 12,000

Wait times and pending-case figures are estimates; confirm your hearing with your A-number through EOIR.

ICE detention facilities

Texas holds more ICE detainees than any other state. Austin-area arrests usually go first to T. Don Hutto in Taylor or to Pearsall, then anywhere in the state as beds open. Transfers across Texas within the first week are the norm, which is why we locate the person first and file the bond request at the facility that actually holds them.

T. Don Hutto Residential Center, Taylor, TX: 35 miles from Austin, the closest ICE facility to the city
South Texas ICE Processing Center, Pearsall, TX
Montgomery Processing Center, Conroe, TX
Houston Contract Detention Facility, Houston, TX
Bluebonnet Detention Center, Anson, TX
Prairieland Detention Center, Alvarado, TX
IAH Secure Adult Detention Facility, Livingston, TX
Port Isabel Detention Center, Los Fresnos, TX
El Paso Service Processing Center, El Paso, TX
Camp East Montana, El Paso, TX: opened in 2025 at Fort Bliss

Someone detained? Call now

USCIS and asylum offices

Affirmative asylum interviews for Texas residents are generally scheduled through the Houston Asylum Office (Houston, TX).

USCIS field offices serving Texas: Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, El Paso, Harlingen.

How we serve Austin

Languages: English · Español · Português · العربية · Français · Hours: 24/7

Common questions

Visa Eligibility Checker Questions From Austin

How do I know which visa to apply for?

Start from the goal: joining family, marrying a U.S. citizen, working, studying, investing, visiting, or seeking protection. Each goal has one or two standard paths, and your immigration history (overstays, prior denials, unlawful presence, criminal record) decides which of them is realistic.

Can I change from a visitor visa to a work or student visa?

Often yes, through a change of status filed before your current status ends, as long as you did not enter with the intent to change. The details matter, and a wrong move can trigger a fraud finding.

What is the fastest way to get a green card?

For most people, a petition by a U.S. citizen spouse or parent (immediate relative). Employment-based EB-1 and national interest waiver cases can also be fast for strong candidates from most countries.

Does a prior visa denial hurt my chances?

It can, especially a denial for misrepresentation or a finding of unlawful presence. Denials for insufficient ties or documents are often fixable with a stronger application. Bring every prior decision to the consultation.

Where do I apply once I know my visa path in Austin?

Petitions are filed with USCIS by mail or online regardless of where you live in Texas; interviews happen at the field offices in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, El Paso, Harlingen or, for consular cases, at the U.S. consulate in your home country.

Does my immigration history change the answer?

Often. Prior overstays, unlawful presence, a removal order, or a criminal record can close one path and leave another open. Bring every prior document to the consultation.

Have a different question? Call (866) 369-0220

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