Practice Areas
The Law Offices of Meri S. Ponist, P.C., is a U.S. immigration law firm helping people from all over the world with their immigration legal issues. We understand how important your legal matter is. Whether you are seeking a visa or fighting removal proceedings, our firm is dedicated to implementing a solution that meets your goals. See below for a brief description of some of our firm’s main areas of immigration law practice. Whatever your needs, we are here for you. Contact our New York office today to discuss your needs or for immediate assistance.
Family Petitions
Most immigration to the U.S. comes in the form of family-based petitions for fiancé(e) visas or spouse or relative visas. We can help you and your family members petition for fiancé(e)s, spouses, minor children, and even siblings, parents, or adult married children. We can help you determine eligibility and file a strong petition for success. Once here on a nonimmigrant K visa, we can guide you through the process of adjustment of status for lawful permanent residence (Green Card), where you and your family can live and work in the U.S. on a permanent basis.
Deportation Defense
If you find yourself subject to removal proceedings, our firm will represent you in immigration court, including appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals or federal court. We’ll challenge the grounds on which your removal is based and/or seek other relief through options such as asylum, cancellation of removal, waivers and more.
We also represent people arrested at the border and those who are picked up and placed in ICE detention while in the country. We can assist in bond hearing representation so you can be released from detention while your case is pending, enabling you to spend time with your family and work on your defense more effectively.
Asylum
U.S. immigration law offers a haven for refugees and asylum seekers who have experienced or fear persecution in their home country based on their race, religion, nationality, political persuasion, or membership in a particular social group. Providing eligibility for asylum can be difficult, especially for persons who have been persecuted and criminally prosecuted or who possess unpopular political opinions. We can help you determine eligibility, file your application, and shepherd your case through the complex process. Our firm handles both affirmative and defensive asylum applications depending on whether you have already been detained by ICE and are subject to a deportation order.
Same-Sex Marriage Immigration
The United States Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry in any state in the country. For the purposes of immigration law, if you are a citizen of the U.S. or a lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder), you can sponsor your same-sex fiancé(e) or spouse for a K visa to bring them to the country where they can later adjust status for lawful permanent residence or apply for citizenship.
Immigrant Visas
Immigrant visas grant you status as a lawful permanent resident to live and work in the U.S. on a permanent basis, also known as a Green Card. Immigrant visas include family-based visas, employment-based visas, and special immigrant visas for certain groups, such as religious workers. Our immigration law firm excels in the area of family-based petitions, helping to unite families from abroad.
Non-Immigrant Visas
Not all immigration is for the purpose of permanent residence, at least not initially. Our firm helps people obtain visas for temporary stays for various reasons such as education, tourism, business opportunities, athletic competitions, medical treatment, and more. We can help you identify the proper visa for your situation and supplement your visa petition with the documentation and evidence necessary for your application to succeed. If you later wish to stay in the U.S. permanently, we can help you apply for a Green Card and even put you on a pathway toward citizenship if that is your goal.
Guardianship and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status is a unique classification that provides a pathway to lawful permanent residency (Green Card) for youths who were abused, neglected or abandoned by their parents. We assist guardians of minors in obtaining state juvenile court orders and petitioning for SIJ status.
Naturalization & Citizenship
If you meet the eligibility requirements for citizenship through naturalization, our firm can help you understand what is required and guide you through the process. Naturalization is available to immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens as well as lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders) after five years in the country. Many additional requirements must also be met, and your application should clearly document and demonstrate that you have met all the necessary conditions. A naturalized citizen enjoys many benefits and privileges that are unavailable to Green Card holders. We can help ensure that you don’t overlook any requirement or fail to submit a complete and compelling application.
Waivers
Immigration to the U.S. is not easy, and even once you are here, you may find it difficult to adjust your status or wind up subject to deportation. Our firm’s encyclopedic knowledge of U.S. immigration law extends to applying for waivers in appropriate circumstances to aid your case. These can include waivers of inadmissibility if you were deemed inadmissible based on a health issue, public dependency, previous deportation orders, criminal activity, misrepresentation, or even illegal entry. We’ll help you put together a strong case for a waiver of inadmissibility, allowing you to pursue an immigrant visa, adjust your status or obtain certain immigration benefits. We can represent you whether you are currently in the U.S. or abroad.
Other waivers we assist with include provisional waivers so you can stay in the country during consular processing and National Interest Waivers allowing workers in the EB-1 category to self-petition for a visa without a sponsor or permanent job offer.
Immigration Fraud
If you have been charged with immigration fraud such as document fraud, benefit fraud or marriage fraud, or if you have been a victim of immigration fraud by identity thieves and other scam artists posing as immigration consultants or attorneys, we will work to ensure you are fairly treated and not wrongfully denied the services or benefits you are entitled to.
VAWA-Abused Spouse
America’s Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) allows victims of domestic violence to self-petition for lawful permanent residence (Green Card). Too often, women are abused by the very people, such as spouses or parents, who sponsored their initial entry into the United States. Abuse victims may feel they are forced to stay with and rely on their abuser due to a language barrier, the lack of a social network in their new country, or a fear of the police that was instilled in them in their home country. VAWA allows you to apply for a Green Card without the sponsorship of an abuser. They don’t have to know about or be involved in any way. We can help you determine your eligibility under VAWA and provide skilled and compassionate assistance at every step.
Deferred Action
Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) was put into place by President Obama via executive order in 2012. It gave temporary legal status to undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. when they were under 16 years old and met certain other conditions. Since then, Deferred Action has faced legal challenges in the court and Congress, as well as plans to expand it. Persons eligible for Deferred Action must continue to apply for renewal to maintain their ability to reside in the country. While Deferred Action is not a pathway to residency or citizenship, it does provide temporary legal status, allowing beneficiaries to live and work or attend school without fear of detention or removal based solely on immigration status. Consult with us to make sure you are properly taking advantage of this important program.
Temporary Protected Status
Foreign nationals from countries designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) can live and work in the United States and may even receive travel authorization. TPS is designated based on temporary conditions in a country such as ongoing armed conflict or civil war, environmental disaster or epidemic, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. Persons in the country on TPS cannot be detained based on their immigration status and are not subject to removal.
TPS is currently extended to foreign nationals from well over a dozen countries, and this list is growing and changing all the time. Understanding TPS is complex, and for every country on the list, the rules are different regarding eligibility based on factors such as continuous residence and continuous physical presence in the U.S., as well as how long TPS will last. We can help you determine eligibility and guide you through the process of gaining entry. We can also handle any issues you encounter during your stay, including applying for nonimmigrant status, filing for an adjustment of status, or applying for other immigration benefits you may be eligible for.
Criminal Immigration Defense
Criminal cases can severely impact your immigration status, whether you are seeking entry or have already been lawfully admitted into the U.S. The stakes are high and could result in denied entry or removal for you as well as any family members for whom a derivative visa was sought or issued. Section 101(a)(43) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides a long list of aggravated felonies and crimes of moral turpitude that could lead to removal. Conviction for many of these crimes or others could likewise result in denial of admissibility. We’ll help you understand the potential consequences of a conviction or guilty plea and formulate a strategy that provides you with a capable and competent defense.
Contact the Law Offices of Meri S. Ponist, P.C., Today
No matter what your immigration legal needs are, you’ll find answers to your questions, helpful advice, and professional representation at the Law Offices of Meri S. Ponist, P.C. We are here to help you on your immigration journey; let’s take those steps together. Call 212-219-7626 or 212-619-0865 or contact us online to get started today.
