Immigration Law

Welcome to our first blog post about Immigration Law!  My goal with this post is to provide some of my background in immigration law, and what my reasons were to start focusing in this field.  Really, it’s a simple answer with only one-word …families. But for dramatic effect, I will elaborate.

I got my first taste in immigration law in 2013 when I married my wife.  She is an Ecuadorian national and was here in the United States helping to care for family members.  She was on a tourist visa and, after six months in the country, she applied for an extension to the US Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS).  Her request was ultimately denied but, in the meantime, we had gotten married. In order to keep her in the country, we applied for her Adjustment of Status.  As an attorney, I thought this would be an easy process…I was wrong. I quickly learned that I knew nothing about how to ensure a successful outcome. As the old saying goes, the lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.  So we hired an attorney.

As I went through the process with my wife, I was able to see the step by step breakdown of what to file, why to file certain documents and not others, and what types of evidence was/was not needed.  It all seemed very interesting to me. We filed her application to adjust her status, and her green card was approved. The only problem is that we didn’t include our two boys in the application. Just a minor oversight🙄 .  I decided to do that one on my own (yes, a fool for a client). After several hurdles, we did successfully obtain their green cards as well. But I learned from those hurdles so when I filed my wife’s petition to remove the conditional residency, it went through quickly and without any problems.

Ironically, after handling the green cards for my family, I suddenly began to receive phone calls from other individuals and families asking if I could help them with their applications.  This was surprising to me because I had not advertised anywhere that I practice Immigration Law, and none of these new clients had any connection to my own family. It was just meant to be.  I was happy to help and began reading the lawyer education materials to help these clients have successful outcomes. From that time on, all of my immigration work has come through “word of mouth.”

Fast-forwarding to now, I recently (and finally) wrapped up a very long and very contested divorce matter with a client.  Neither side won in this divorce and the true losers are going to be the children. They will, unfortunately, be recurring witnesses to parents who are constantly at each other’s throats and who will constantly be back in court.  It was during this case that I decided what I really want to do is help families come together, not watch them be constantly torn apart. With that realization, I have begun advertising my Immigration Law practice, focusing on uniting families.

At the Law Office of Stark & Heiner, we offer a wide range of Immigration Law services in Massachusetts and New Hampshire from fiancé and other visa petitions, to Adjustment of Status and Green Card issues, all the way to citizenship through Naturalization.  When clients retain me as their attorney, I am able to understand their concerns and the stress they are experiencing because I was in that exact same position seven years ago, with those same concerns and stress, working through my wife’s and sons’ green cards.  I help walk my clients through the process, help them to see any potential issues with their applications and work with them to get through those issues towards a successful outcome. If you or someone you know is struggling through the Immigration process, contact the Law Office of Stark & Heiner for an Immigration Law consultation.  After all, the only person who truly has rights is the person who knows what those rights are.

Being the husband of an immigrant, as an Attorney I understand your unique position and concerns.  If you are struggling with the process of immigration for yourself or a family member, it is beneficial to have a lawyer by your side to provide you with the necessary information you require, and assist you in obtaining your visa, green card, or naturalized citizenship.  Call our office today for a free immigration law consultation. 978-685-8777