Reviews and Ratings

We are beyond grateful to Stella Shimamoto at Hawaii Immigration Law, LLC for helping us secure our 10-year permanent green card—and for guiding us through what was a very complex and emotional process with such care, clarity, and expertise.

— Client 06/16/2025

easy to work with given on a hectic schedule. she's trustworthy, humble and patient. helped us all the way from start to end the case. highly recommended especially to those group of people as English as secondary

— Client 03/20/2025

I found attorney Maile Hirota through a website and I am so glad that I have found her as she help me through my immigration process, and due to her excellent knowledge of immigration law I became a permanent resident of the U.S this month July 2023! During my entire immigration process, attorney Maile and her assistant ma’am Stella who came and assisted me to our interview was highly professional, knowledgeable, very nice and helpful. Me and my husband are extremely grateful to them for all their help. Attorney Maile is truly the Best Immigration lawyer and a wonderful person. I recommend her services to all people who need immigration assistance.

— Client 07/14/2023

We was waiting for my son’s renewal green card new card for 2 years. I did not know how it will solve the problem. But when I ask her help, she solve the problem in 2days. It was amazing. And she can speak Japanese is big plus!! I recommend her to all. Thank you so much for your help.

— Client 05/23/2023

Maile Hirota and Stella Shimamoto did an excellent job preparing our E2 visa application and guiding us through the renewal process. My husband and I were advised that the processing time for visa renewals was a lengthy six months (due to a Covid-related backlog). I needed to travel for an upcoming medical treatment so Maile and Stella advised me to include a letter from my doctor in the hopes that the consulate would expedite our application. It worked and we were able to get the visa processed in three months and without having to go in for an interview! The visas were mailed to us. Throughout the process Maile and Stella were there to guide us and answer our questions, were super helpful and were quick to respond to our emails. We’ve worked with Hirota and Associates for three of our visa applications and will continue to work with them in the future. I’d highly recommend their business to anyone looking for a great immigration attorney.

— Client 08/19/2022

I have hired Hirota and Associates three times over the last 10 years for a successful E2 visa application and two subsequent renewals. I cannot recommend this firm highly enough. The attorneys Maile Hirota and Stella Shimamoto are highly competent experts in immigration law, conscientious and compassionate. Mss. Hirota and Shimamoto are genuinely motivated to help people. In working with them, I have always felt like their first priority was delivering a good outcome for me, not extracting the maximum amount of cash from me. At many points during the stressful and complex bureaucratic process of applying for and renewing my E-2 visa I was extremely grateful to have Hirota and Associates in my corner to provide wise guidance and clear answers to my questions. My most recent renewal was urgent because of a need to travel for medical reasons. Hirota and Associates managed get it done quickly despite the massive backlog at USCIS.

— Client 08/10/2022

Maile got us our green card in about 6 months when we lived in Hawaii 10 years ago, and now got us a renewal in only about a week! She is so knowledgeable and professional, she can help you sail through the process because she gets it right the first time. At the same time, she is so warm and personable, she seems like a part of the family. She sure has made a difference in ours, and we are forever grateful to her. You can definitely trust Maile with your needs…she is amazing!

— Client 04/19/2022

My wife and I hired Maile and her team to facilitate getting an immigration visa for our daughter who is residing in Thailand. Maile provided clear instructions and assistance for every step. She also conducted a online meeting with us and our daughter to help prepare our daughter for her US Embassy interview. Maile gave us confidence that we would get the visa, even though this process occurred during a time when immigration restrictions were tightened by the President and during the onset of COVID 19. Having worked with other immigration attorneys, it became obvious right away that Maile was competent, caring, and committed to helping us get our daughter to Hawaii. I would happily spend the money again to hire Hiroto and Associates.

— Client 01/11/2022

When we got to Hawaii we are unsure how to proceed with immigration for our two adopted boys. Maile and Stella helped us out so much, they literally did everything for us possible. It was a nerve racking time in our life, fast forward two-years and everything is complete and our boys are now US Citizens. For two-years they cared for our family like we were there own family. No question about it, we went to the right people.

— Client 09/20/2021

When we got to Hawaii we are unsure how to proceed with immigration for our two adopted boys. Maile and Stella helped us out so much, they literally did everything for us possible. It was a nerve racking time in our life, fast forward two-years and everything is complete and our boys are now US Citizens. For two-years they cared for our family like we were there own family. No question about it, we went to the right people.

— Client 09/20/2021

With many attempts on my own for several years with numerous federal agencies on my legal status of US Citizenship I finally hit rock bottom and felt there was no hope. After researching for attorneys locally who had a positive rating in Honolulu. It came down to Hirota & Associates, LLC. WHAT A SPOT ON TEAM OF LAWYERS. What lost hope I had was found with their expert knowledge and thoroughness. I can't say in so many words how they have changed my life and family. I learned more about myself and my parents through their research. Thank GOD! If you are ever in doubt do not hesitate to call them. My situation was complex with a happy ending. My Sincerely Thanks to Maile and Stella for ever.

— Client 08/24/2021

Thank you so much Hirota & Associates, LLC, they are so Professional, knowledgable, determined, reliable, responsive, organized and trustworthy. I would recommend Maile & Stella, they helped with us from the beginning until everything was complete.

— Client 08/23/2021

Working with Maile Hirota and her team has been a real pleasure. Maile helped guide us through my wife's initial permanent resident card application/interview and her most recent renewal. I would recommend Maile Hirota because she was able to quickly resolve any problems that occurred through the process and promptly communicated with us through each step, Mahalo Maile.

— Client 07/05/2021

I highly recommend Stella Shimamoto! She has helped my husband in his immigration case tremendously. I was a bit worried that due to the covid-19 regulations we had to do the consultation and build a case all via email, snail mail and by phone. Surprisingly enough, it worked out better than expected. After 6 YEARS of waiting for a response from USCIS we received an "Intent to Deny" letter in July for the sponsor application (I-864) I put in years ago. Of course me and my husband freaked out and scrambled throughout the internet in search for a good lawyer. What drew me to Stella was her empathy towards our situation and she expressed great interest in really helping us through this. She was very surprised about our long wait time for his green card approval and was diligent with her approach and its resolve. With the help from Stella, we received his green card approval last week. Really appreciate Stella and all her hard work!

— Client 11/23/2020

She handled our case with full professional proficiency and conduct.

— Client 09/24/2019

I reached out to Hirota and Associates in December 2015 after receiving a denial for my Green Card application (through marriage). My husband and I had filled out the initial paper work ourselves and had attended the interviews before being denied. I was distraught and terrified when I thought my family would be broken apart but Maile and the team immediately took on my case, working so hard to make sure that would not happen. This team of incredible women didn’t just help me resolve my case; they did it in under a year, for an excellent price and also with care, attention and compassion for myself and my family. Maile is honest, transparent and in constant contact at vital times. Because of Hirota and Associates my family are still together. Mahalo so much for your support Maile and Co.

— Client 12/10/2018

I reached out to Hirota and Associates in December 2015 after receiving a denial for my Green Card application (through marriage). I was distraught and terrified when I thought my family would be broken apart but Maile and the team immediately took on my case, working so hard to make sure that would not happen. This team of incredible women didn’t just help me resolve my case; they did it in under a year, for an excellent price and also with care, attention and compassion! Thank you!

— Client 12/09/2018

Effective, efficient, timely, available, professional, great communicator in listening and speaking. Given my straightforward needs but convoluted situation, Maile was able to sort out the facts from all the distractions, and the work was done on time & on budget, no surprises. She kept me informed along the way, from preliminary instructions to USCIS decision, and is even available to this day for follow-up matters. I would highly recommend Maile.

— Client 07/10/2018

Hirota & Associates are informative, organized and partners every step of the way in the immigration process. We were a bi-national couple who were referred to Hirota & Associates by Immigration Equality, and we were not disappointed. We can't offer a higher recommendation for the legal services and guidance they provided us.

— Client 09/03/2014

Maile was trained by one of the top immigration lawyers in the state of Hawaii. She is an excellent attorney and is a remarkably nice person. She represented a client of mine several years ago and I routinely refer cases to her.

— Peer 07/28/2014

Ms. Hirota is a world class immigration lawyer. Absolutely top notch.

— Peer 07/28/2014

Very bright, personable and dedicated professional

— Peer 07/28/2014

Maile is an outstanding attorney and my first choice as a referral on all immigration matters.

— Peer 07/22/2014

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— Peer 07/21/2014

Maile Hirota is well known nationally among AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association) attorneys as an exceptional attorney & person.

— Peer 07/14/2014

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— Peer 07/14/2014

I am a Canadian citizen with a small business on Maui. I hired Maile Hirota to help me prepare an E-2 visa application. The quality of the service I received was excellent at every stage during the process. To start with Ms. Hirota provided me with a detailed checklist of all the supporting material required for my application. As I worked on collecting the supporting material, Ms. Hirota was very helpful and responded quickly to all my questions.

— Client 08/14/2012

When I realized that the paperwork for my new wife's green card application was way too much for us I called Maile Hirota. Maile was kind, professional, and got the job done. She answered all our questions in a way that we could understand and walked us through all the steps we had to take. I don't know how we could have done it without her. Maile promptly returned emails and telephone calls; which I greatly appreciated. She is DaKine :-) Best immigration lawyer you could ever find.

— Client 02/23/2012

We tried another lawyer first and were unhappy with them. After research (and our own experience),we found Maile to be the best. She was very knowledgable and completely familiar with the entire process. Her staff was very friendly. She made us feel comfortable and not so nervous during the process by responding quickly and thoroughly to all our inquiries (both in and out of the office). She also has a good network of colleagues to refer to for issues that are outside her area of expertise

— Client 12/02/2011

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— Client 09/16/2011

Maile explains things very clearly and concisely. She had higher responsibility of her work and very organized. Her work was very speedy.

— Client 09/08/2011

Maile was very professional but personal at the same time...I felt very comfortable and confident in her ability. She was very honest, sometimes to a fault but it brought the reality of the situation to our attention. I believe without Maile we would not have gotten to where we are right now...She is truly amazing. Her staff are very professional but also have a 'feel at home' ability that made myself and my husband very comfortable. Cannot recommend her enough!

— Client 06/13/2011

I am absolutely happy with the results, Maile Hirota is the most trusted, professional and responsible lawyer I have ever known. My case was happily finished in less than 4 months. She is very smart and more than the 90% of the immigration officers know her. I highly recommend her and her company.

— Client 01/28/2011

Maile always does a perfect job for me. she prepare so well; she has never made any mistake. she is excellent.

— Client 12/28/2010

She is friendly, knowledgeable, and very responsible. I actually used her service 3 times already. I would recommend her to anyone!

— Client 11/08/2010

Maile took all the uncertainly out of the immigration process for my wife and I. We felt at ease through the entire experience. In something as important as this, I felt fortunate to have worked with someone as competent as Maile. I would recommend her in a heartbeat.

— Client 11/02/2010

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— Peer 03/31/2010

Very knowledgeable in immigration law, excellent attorney.

— Peer 03/23/2010

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— Peer 03/23/2010

She was always there to answer our questions, everything was done in timely manner.

— Client 03/18/2010

They were very helpful and reliable.

— Client 03/12/2010

I have been working with Maile since 2011 when she handled by H1B transfer from my old firm to my current firm. Following that she helped with applying for a new PERM and worked with me through multiple H1B renewals (including H4 for my wife) and through the I-485 AOS. I have been extremely impressed by her diligence, attention to detail, responsiveness and overall just being a calming influence. I would be remiss if I don't thank Stella Shimamato for everything she's done as well.

— Client 06/25/2021

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— Peer 07/21/2014

She is one of the best immigration lawyers in Hawaii.

— Peer 07/21/2014

I was very nervous to meet an attorney, but Ms. Hirota made me feel comfortable.
She was very professional but also easy to talk to. I'm glad I chose her for legal advice. I would recommend her to anyone needing an immigration attorney.

— Client 10/13/2010

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— Peer 03/23/2010

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— Peer 04/05/2010

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— Peer 08/08/2014