Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. represents clients in federal immigration matters: adjustment of status, family-based petitions, naturalization, removal defense, asylum, cancellation of removal, VAWA self-petitions, and consular processing. Immigration is federal practice — counsel admitted to any U.S. bar may appear before USCIS, the immigration courts, and the Board of Immigration Appeals. We serve clients living in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York, with consular-processing support coordinated through our Pereira (Colombia) practice when relevant.
What we will not promise: Immigration outcomes are decided by USCIS, the immigration courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the federal courts on the basis of statutes, regulations, and discretion that no law firm can guarantee. What we offer is careful preparation, candid evaluation of eligibility, and continued representation from filing through final decision.
Immigration matters fall into two broad categories. Affirmative filings build status — the petition or application is the client's first interaction with the agency. Defensive matters arise after the government has commenced removal proceedings or made an adverse decision; the client is responding to the government's case. The two sides require different preparation, different strategy, and different timelines, but often run alongside one another in the same family.
Spouses, parents, children, and siblings of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Includes K-1 fiancé(e) petitions and step- and adoptive-relationship cases.
For applicants in the United States who become eligible for permanent residence — concurrent with or following an approved immigrant petition.
For applicants outside the United States — National Visa Center processing followed by interview at the U.S. consulate or embassy. Coordinated with our Colombia office where relevant.
Eligibility analysis (residency, physical presence, good moral character, English and civics), N-400 preparation, and interview preparation. Past arrests and tax issues evaluated for impact.
For abused spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens or LPRs to self-petition without the abuser's knowledge or cooperation. Confidentiality protections under 8 U.S.C. § 1367.
Provisional unlawful-presence waivers (I-601A), broader inadmissibility waivers (I-601), and waivers in connection with adjustment, consular, and removal matters where eligibility supports them.
Representation in immigration court (EOIR) from master calendar through individual hearing — challenging removability, asserting eligibility for relief, and preserving issues for appeal to the BIA.
Affirmative asylum filings with USCIS and defensive asylum in immigration court. Includes withholding of removal under 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3) and Convention Against Torture protection.
For LPRs (42A) and certain non-LPRs (42B) — requires substantial showing of continuous presence, good moral character, and (for 42B) exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to a qualifying relative.
Custody redeterminations under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.19 for clients in ICE detention. Preparing flight-risk and danger-to-community evidence and advocating for release on bond, parole, or alternatives to detention.
Appeals from immigration-court decisions to the Board of Immigration Appeals on issues preserved during the proceeding below. Brief drafting, designation of the record, and motions to reopen or reconsider.
Petitions for review of final BIA orders to the U.S. Courts of Appeals (2d, 3d, 4th, or D.C. Circuit, depending on where the underlying proceeding occurred). Habeas matters in U.S. District Court where appropriate.
Counsel reviews the client's full immigration history, prior filings, criminal history, prior counsel's work, and family ties. The threshold question — eligibility for what relief, on what record, with what risk — is answered before any filing is made. Where eligibility is unclear or unfavorable, candor is part of the engagement.
Drafting of forms, evidentiary affidavits, and supporting documentation. Collection of civil-status documents, tax records, and corroborating evidence. Form G-28 (Notice of Entry of Appearance) is filed; counsel becomes the agency's point of contact for all subsequent communication on the file.
Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs) are responded to with full record. Biometrics, interviews, and where applicable, in-person hearings before USCIS or in immigration court. Each agency operates under its own timelines, currently subject to significant national variation.
On approval, counsel coordinates next-stage filings (e.g., consular processing after I-130 approval). On denial, the file is evaluated for motion to reopen, motion to reconsider, administrative appeal (BIA), or judicial review (U.S. Court of Appeals). Decisions made in the first thirty days after a denial frequently determine what remedies remain available.
Immigration is one of the areas of law where bad practitioners do the most damage. Some firms promise outcomes they cannot control. Some take cases that should not be filed. Some collect fees and disappear. We approach the practice differently — and the four points below are the difference.
The first conversation is an eligibility analysis. If the law and the record support a filing, we explain what relief is available, what the realistic timeline looks like, and what the agency will be looking for. If the law does not support a filing, we tell you that too — and we do not take the case.
USCIS officers, immigration judges, and consular officers exercise discretion under federal law. No lawyer — and no notario, consultant, or service — can guarantee approval, prevent a denial, or compel an agency to grant relief. Anyone who says otherwise is misrepresenting the practice.
Some filings carry risk that deserves to be evaluated before the application is submitted — including the risk that the underlying record itself attracts adverse attention. Where a filing might create more exposure than benefit, that is the conversation we have before we file. The decision is the client's to make on full information.
Immigration cases run for months or years. Counsel of record stays counsel of record. RFEs, NOIDs, interviews, hearings, and where necessary, appeals — the engagement covers the matter described in the engagement letter through final agency or judicial decision.
Immigration is federal practice, but the immigration courts, USCIS field offices, and U.S. Courts of Appeals where appeals are heard each operate within a defined geographic area. Below is the general map of where clients in each of our five states are typically scheduled — subject to the EOIR's evolving venue and case-routing practice.
| Client State | Immigration Court / EOIR | USCIS Field Office (Common) | U.S. Court of Appeals |
|---|---|---|---|
Virginia VA |
Arlington Immigration Court
Other EOIR locations as case routing dictates |
Washington Field Office
Other field offices depending on residence |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Richmond, VA
|
Maryland MD |
Baltimore Immigration Court
Hyattsville Immigration Court |
Baltimore Field Office |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Richmond, VA
|
D.C. DC |
Arlington Immigration Court
Most D.C.-area cases |
Washington Field Office |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Petitions for review proceed by location of underlying proceeding
|
New Jersey NJ |
Newark Immigration Court
Elizabeth Immigration Court (detained) |
Newark Field Office |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Philadelphia, PA
|
New York NY |
New York City Immigration Courts (Federal Plaza, Varick St.)
Buffalo, Batavia (detained), and others |
NYC Field Office · Buffalo Field Office |
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
New York, NY
|
Immigration is federal practice. An attorney admitted to any U.S. state bar may represent clients before USCIS, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), and the Department of State, subject to compliance with the federal regulations governing representative conduct (8 C.F.R. §§ 1003.101 et seq.). Our firm includes attorneys admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York; that admission, plus federal authorization, is what permits us to represent clients living in any of those five states.
For consular processing involving Colombia, we coordinate with our affiliated Colombia office, where attorneys are licensed under Colombian law to handle the work that must be performed there.
An eligibility analysis. We review your full immigration history (prior filings, prior visas, prior denials), your family relationships, any criminal history, and your current status. We then identify what relief — if any — federal law makes available to you on those facts. Where multiple options exist, we discuss the trade-offs. Where eligibility is uncertain or unfavorable, we say that openly.
The consultation is not the same as the case. If we agree to represent you, the engagement letter will define the scope, the fee, and what counsel commits to do.
Often, yes — but the available options depend entirely on your record, your status, your time in the country, your family, and the basis the government has alleged for removability. Common forms of relief include cancellation of removal (for LPRs and certain non-LPRs), asylum / withholding / CAT protection, voluntary departure, adjustment of status where eligible, and waivers of inadmissibility. Each has its own statutory requirements; not every relief option is available in every case.
If you have a Notice to Appear, an upcoming master calendar hearing, or are in detention, the threshold question is the deadline for filing applications and the calendaring of the next hearing. Engaging counsel before the next scheduled hearing preserves the most options.
Yes. Only licensed attorneys, accredited representatives recognized by the EOIR's Office of Legal Access Programs, and certain reputable nonprofits can lawfully represent you in immigration matters. "Notarios" in the United States are not the same as "notarios" in Latin America — the term has caused enormous harm to immigrant communities. Anyone who is not a licensed attorney or recognized accredited representative is engaged in the unauthorized practice of law if they prepare your applications, give you legal advice, or represent you before USCIS or the immigration court.
If you are uncertain whether someone is authorized, ask for the attorney's bar number and state of admission, or check the EOIR's list of recognized organizations and accredited representatives directly. Filings prepared by non-attorneys often contain errors that create their own immigration problems.
Timelines vary substantially by case type and by the field office or court hearing the matter. Naturalization (N-400), adjustment of status (I-485), family-based petitions (I-130), removal proceedings, asylum, and consular cases each operate on their own clocks, and current processing times are reported and updated by USCIS, EOIR, and the Department of State on their public dashboards. Counsel will give you a realistic timeline at intake based on the field office or court that will hear your case, but neither counsel nor the agency itself controls processing speed.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) creates a separate path for abused spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to self-petition for immigration status without the abuser's knowledge, cooperation, or consent. VAWA self-petitioners include both women and men. The application is filed on Form I-360 with USCIS.
Federal law (8 U.S.C. § 1367) imposes specific confidentiality protections on VAWA self-petitioners, U-visa applicants, and T-visa applicants — including limits on USCIS's disclosure of the existence of the petition. These protections are real but not absolute; counsel reviews their scope at intake. Cases involving abuse or trafficking are handled with appropriate care for the client's safety.
Not always — but it is one of the most consequential variables in any immigration case, and it must be analyzed carefully and honestly before any application is filed. The Immigration and Nationality Act treats different offenses differently: aggravated felonies, crimes involving moral turpitude (CIMTs), controlled-substance offenses, domestic-violence-related convictions, and others each carry distinct immigration consequences under 8 U.S.C. § 1182 (inadmissibility) and § 1227 (deportability).
Sometimes a state-court disposition that looks neutral on its face creates a federal immigration problem; sometimes a conviction that looks serious turns out — under federal categorical analysis — not to trigger removability or inadmissibility. Where the firm is also handling the criminal defense, we coordinate plea analysis with the immigration consequences in mind. Where prior counsel did not, post-conviction relief is sometimes available.
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