Key points
- A first consultation is a review of your situation: your background, your timeline and anything filed before, so that possible options and next steps can be outlined.
- Bring every notice you have received from USCIS, the immigration court or a consulate, and copies of everything filed before; the paperwork usually answers questions memory cannot.
- Under New York's ethics rules, a lawyer may not use or reveal what a prospective client said in a consultation, even if you never hire that lawyer, except as the rules allow.[1]
- Attorney Kamran Joya is licensed in New York, where the State's registration data lists him as currently registered; in California, Joya Law Firm practices federal immigration law only.[2]
- Nobody can promise a result in a consultation. USCIS warns about people who claim to be immigration experts or to have special connections to the government.[3]
A first consultation with Joya Law Firm is a meeting to review your situation, identify possible options and outline next steps. The firm's own FAQ describes it this way and says you will typically be asked about your background, your timeline and any prior filings. The more of your paperwork you bring, the more specific the conversation can be, so the most useful thing you can do beforehand is gather your documents.
How to book
You can book through the contact page, where the form asks for your name, email address and phone number, with an optional message. You can also call: 415-302-9437 for California or 646-533-4303 for New York. The firm has offices in Walnut Creek and Brentwood, California, and in New York, New York.
When you book, ask three practical questions: how the meeting will take place (in person, by phone or by video), how long it is expected to last, and whether any fee applies to your kind of matter. If you have a hearing date or a response due date, say so in your message.
Who you will be talking to
Attorney Kamran Joya is the firm's founding attorney. He is licensed in New York, and the State's attorney registration data lists his registration, number 6169411, as currently registered.[2] In California, the firm practices federal immigration law only. Paralegals Danielle Comerford and Fernanda Fonseca are part of the firm's team. You can read more about them on the About page, and how to check an immigration lawyer shows how to look up any lawyer's registration yourself.
Is the consultation confidential?
New York's Rules of Professional Conduct call a person who consults a lawyer about possibly hiring them a prospective client. Even if you never hire that lawyer, the lawyer may not use or reveal what you said, except as the rules on former clients allow.[1] A lawyer admitted in New York is subject to New York's disciplinary authority wherever the lawyer's conduct occurs.[4] That protection is one reason to be complete and honest in a consultation: advice based on half the facts can be wrong.
What to bring
Bring copies rather than originals unless you are asked for an original. If you have them, bring:
- Identity and travel documents: passports (current and expired), visas, your I-94 arrival record, and any green card, work permit or travel document.
- Every government notice: USCIS receipt notices, interview notices, requests for evidence, approvals and denials; any Notice to Appear or hearing notice from the immigration court; and any letter from a U.S. consulate.
- Anything filed before: copies of past applications and petitions, including ones a relative, an employer or a preparer filed for you.
- Family documents: birth, marriage and divorce certificates, and, for a family case, proof of your relative's citizenship or permanent residence.
- Records of any arrest or court case, even if the charge was dismissed, sealed or happened in another country.
- A short timeline you write yourself: each entry to and departure from the United States, with dates, and each status you have held.
If you are in immigration court, the most important document is the latest hearing notice. What a Notice to Appear means explains what it contains.
What a consultation can and cannot do
A consultation can tell you which options appear to fit your facts, what the main risks are, what documents are missing and what the next steps would be. It cannot guarantee an outcome, and nobody can. USCIS warns that some people and businesses pretend to be immigration experts or say they have special connections to the government.[3] Treat any promise of a result, or a request to sign a form you have not read, as a warning sign.
A consultation also does not, by itself, make the firm your representative. If you decide to hire a lawyer, the lawyer files a notice of appearance, Form G-28, with your USCIS application, petition or appeal.[3] After you hire a lawyer explains what that changes.
Questions worth asking before you leave
- Which option fits my situation best, and what would make it fail?
- Is there a date I am up against, and what happens if I miss it?
- What would the work cost, what does that cover, and which government fees are separate? (What an immigration lawyer costs lists what a clear quote includes.)
- Who would work on my case, and how would I get updates?
- Is this something I could reasonably file myself? (Do I need an immigration lawyer? covers when that is realistic.)
Common questions
Is there a fee for the first consultation, and how long does it take?
Ask when you book. Whether a fee applies to your kind of matter, how long the meeting is expected to last, and whether it takes place in person, by phone or by video are all things to confirm with the firm before the meeting, so there are no surprises on the day.
Will what I say stay private if I do not hire the firm?
New York's Rules of Professional Conduct treat a person who consults a lawyer about possibly hiring them as a prospective client. Even if no client-lawyer relationship follows, the lawyer may not use or reveal what the prospective client said, except as the rules on former clients allow.[1] Attorney Kamran Joya is admitted in New York and is subject to those rules.[4]
What if I do not have all my documents?
Bring what you have and make a list of what is missing, with approximate dates. A consultation is still useful without a complete file, but the answers will be more general. If the meeting turns up a gap, such as a missing decision or an old arrest record, ask what the next step to obtain it would be.
I have a hearing or a response date coming up. Should I say so when I book?
Yes, put the date in the message on the booking form or say it on the phone. A hearing on a Notice to Appear, a due date on a Request for Evidence, or the time limit for applying for asylum can all limit what can still be done, so the date matters more than any other detail.
Sources
- N.Y. Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.18(a)-(b) (22 NYCRR Part 1200) — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- New York State Unified Court System, NYS Attorney Registrations (data.ny.gov dataset eqw2-r5nb), registration 6169411 — State of New York
- USCIS, Legal Services — uscis.gov
- N.Y. Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 8.5(a) (22 NYCRR Part 1200) — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School