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Hawaii Immigration Lawyers

Guiding you through a complex immigration system

The U.S. immigration system triggers anxiety and uncertainty, and even fear and heartbreak. Whether you are facing deportation and potential separation from your loved ones, starting a family through international marriage or adoption, hiring your perfect employment candidate from overseas, or fleeing persecution, we can help you. Ms. Hirota has over 21 years of experience representing foreign nationals across the full spectrum of immigration cases, including:

Employment-based immigration

  • Employment-based green cards
  • Labor certifications
  • Nonimmigrant Investor visas
  • Temporary worker visas
  • National interest waivers
  • J-1 waivers

 Family-based immigration

  • Immediate relatives
  • Family preference categories
  • Fiancé(e) visas
  • Adjustment of status
  • Consular processing
  • Nonimmigrant visas
  • Humanitarian parole
  • Travel documents
  • Green card renewal
  • Representation at USCIS interviews

Removal proceedings

  • Immigration court
  • Advice regarding immigration consequences of criminal convictions
  • Waivers
  • Cancellation of removal
  • Asylum claims
  • Immigration bond
  • Appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals & Ninth Circuit

 Citizenship

  • Automatic derivation of US citizenship through parents
  • Naturalization

Understanding the immigration bureaucracy

The U.S. immigration system is a complex web of intricate laws and vast bureaucratic agencies, each with its own rules, regulations and policies. Our attorneys maneuver comfortably through the red tape to bring you the best possible outcomes when dealing with:

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
  • U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
  • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE)
  • U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
  • U.S. Department of State worldwide consulates and embassies
  • Immigration court (Executive Officer for Immigration Review)
  • Federal court
  • Detention facilities

Applying for a visa

Applying for a visa is more complicated than just sending forms to USCIS. The U.S. government places strict requirements on qualifications and outlines inflexible procedures for filing. Mistakes on your application can lead to crucial delays and possibly a denial of the visa. Each type of visa comes with its own set of essential criteria, which must precisely match your qualifications. Our attorneys discuss your short-term and ultimate immigration goals to set up a long-range plan. We analyze your situation to choose the appropriate pathway and meticulously gather evidence that supports each element of your eligibility. We anticipate complications and troubleshoot before problems occur.

Employment-based immigration

You have been offered your dream job in the U.S. or you’ve found the perfect candidate for the job. Now the real work begins — applying for an employment visa. Choosing the correct visa can, at first, seem to involve a perplexing entanglement of complex rules and regulations. Each type of visa comes with its own set of essential criteria, which must precisely match your qualifications and the job’s requirements. Hirota & Associates walks you through the process, from job offer to labor certification to consular processing or adjustment of status. We can help you obtain temporary or permanent work visas, including:

  • H-1B specialty occupation work visas
  • E1/E2 Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor visas
  • E3 nonimmigrant visas for Australian citizens
  • TN nonimmigrant visas for Canadian and Mexican citizens
  • J-1 waivers for medical doctors
  • L-1 intracompany transferees
  • Employment-based immigrant visas (including PERM)
  • National Interest Waivers

Family-based immigration

Citizens and permanent residents are permitted to petition for their relatives to receive U.S. family visas. How quickly and easily you can obtain a visa for a family member depends upon your status and the relationship you have with the person immigrating to the U.S. The requirements for obtaining a family visa are complex and inflexible. In addition to filing the correct forms, you must provide precise evidence and specific information to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Mistakes can lead to delays or rejections of your application and the subsequent heartache of family separation. You can avoid potential problems by allowing the dedicated attorneys at Hirota & Associates, LLLC to help you through the process.

Removal

The prospect of being deported from the U.S. is devastating. You face permanent separation from loved ones, loss of your home and livelihood, and in some cases exposure to dangerous, life-threatening circumstances. We challenge the government’s case and advocate for your right to remain in the country you consider your real home.

Citizenship

Citizenship bestows many important benefits, including the right to vote, to obtain a U.S. passport, to receive priority in your family-based immigration petitions, to confer citizenship on your children, and to qualify for health and social benefits.

Automatic derivation of US citizenship

Being born in the United States is not the only way to obtain U.S. citizenship automatically.  Under U.S. law, there are several circumstances under which children born outside the United States are nevertheless “citizens of the United States at birth.” Each of these conditions creates an opportunity for a person to establish citizenship, provided the circumstances can be documented precisely. The law has changed over time and generally depends on the law in effect at the time of one’s birth. Our attorneys can assist in gathering the crucial facts to make a compelling case for automatic derivation of U.S. citizenship.

U.S. citizenship through naturalization

A lawfully-admitted permanent U.S. resident can apply for citizenship through the naturalization process starting at age 18, provided other conditions are met. USCIS imposes specific requirements on permanent residents seeking to naturalize. We can assist you in preparing your application and guiding you through the naturalization process, including:

  • Analyzing your case
  • Addressing critical problems
  • Collecting vital evidence
  • Submitting your application
  • Preparing you for the naturalization test
  • Accompanying you to the USCIS interview

 The question of good moral character in naturalization cases

In order to be considered for citizenship, a permanent resident must demonstrate “good moral character.” While this does not require a showing of extraordinary virtue, it is a heavily-weighted factor, and even a minor brush with the law can be a major impediment. We understand how the USCIS interprets “good moral character” and can present your story in the best possible light. With Hirota & Associates supporting your citizenship application, you know you have a reliable legal team behind you.

Constantly-changing immigration laws

Immigration policy is under constant debate and the laws are frequently modified. In addition, the various government agencies that administer immigration regulations regularly update their procedures, forms and guidelines. We stay current on the shifts in immigration law and updated on potential changes in the pipeline. To successfully advise you, we consider not only the laws as they exist but the possibility of beneficial — as well as harmful — reforms. We relentlessly pursue your case and develop unique solutions in complicated situations.

Contact Hawaii immigration lawyers who can help you

Call Maile Hirota and Stella Shimamoto at 808-587-9600 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. Hirota & Associates, LLLC is located in Honolulu and represents clients throughout the State of Hawaii and around the world.

Our Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and early morning, evenings and weekends by appointment only.

 

Call Hirota & Associates, LLLC at 808-587-9600 or contact us online.


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