Fort Lauderdale Immigration Lawyer

Fort Lauderdale Immigration Lawyer

Since 2017, Pollak Immigration has provided immigration solutions to individuals, families, and businesses in Florida and around the world. Our law firm’s office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, handles all types of immigration matters, including visas, Green Card applications, and immigration compliance.

U.S. immigration laws are complex. Even more troubling for immigrants, their families, and their employers is the rapid shift in regulations and enforcement priorities as the country’s policies change. These changes very rarely favor applicants for visa holders and applicants.

The firm’s Fort Lauderdale immigration lawyer and legal support professionals guide clients through this maze. We know that immigration cases deeply affect the individuals, families, and businesses we represent. You have a lot at stake in your immigration case, such as your family relationships, education, and career. We will work diligently to provide personalized legal advice and attention to your case.

Contact us to schedule a consultation to learn how our law firm can assist you, your family member, or your business with your immigration matters.

Experienced Immigration Guidance

The founder of Pollak Immigration has over 27 years of legal experience. Our firm has obtained visas for hundreds of clients since the firm’s founding in 2017. We have also advised businesses in their immigration compliance programs.

Our clients include the following:

• Individuals seeking visas to enter the United States
• Family members helping relatives with visa and immigration issues
• Fortune 1000 companies and small businesses seeking worker visas
• International investors and traders doing business in the United States

The firm’s managing attorney and staff handle the following types of immigration matters:

• Business and investment visas
• Employment and education visas
• Family visas
• Applications for citizenship or naturalization
• Compliance with ICE and DOL regulations

We develop a tailored legal strategy based on our clients’ needs, locations, and reasons for entering the United States. You can rely on Pollak Immigration to work diligently on your immigration issues to seek the best outcome possible.

Our Ft. Lauderdale Immigration Lawyer

Karen-Lee Pollak is the founder and managing attorney of Pollak Immigration. Ms. Pollak obtained her law degree in South Africa and was admitted to practice law in California in 1996 and Texas in 2000. Her experience with immigration issues includes her own immigrant story. Before starting her firm in 2017, she rose to chair the immigration practice in the Dallas office of one of the world’s largest law firms.

Ms. Pollak has earned some of the legal profession’s most valuable recognitions and awards, including the following:

• Chambers and Partners Global Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers (USA) 2016–2019
• D Magazine Best Lawyers in Texas 2014–2023, a Wick Allison Publication
• Texas Super Lawyer 2018–2023, a Thomson Reuters publication and rating service

Ms. Pollak represents businesses, investors, families, and individuals to obtain immigrant and non-immigrant U.S. visas. She also conducts compliance audits and formulates immigration-related corporate policies for businesses ranging from small companies to Fortune 1000 corporations. Legal organizations routinely ask Ms. Pollak to present or write on immigration issues.

Immigration Services

The firm’s immigration services include visa applications, immigration and labor compliance, and immigration litigation. Each of these areas requires a thorough understanding of immigration law and procedures.

Our compliance work happens in two ways. Compliance audits occur when a company wants to know if it has complied with immigration and labor laws. Compliance plans proactively implement operating procedures to reduce the risk of violating immigration and labor laws.

Immigration litigation typically involves an alleged immigration violation. When an individual or corporation faces accusations of immigration violations, we fight for a fair resolution of the situation in immigration court.

Visas allow countries to regulate who crosses their borders legally. The requirements and restrictions of each U.S. visa type vary widely. An applicant can receive a denial when they file the wrong petition or fail to support it with the required documentation. We counsel applicants to ensure their applications are filed correctly based on the information provided to us.

The United States divides visas into two categories. People with the intent to stay permanently in the United States file immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visas are for those who plan to return home after their reason for visiting the country ends. The United States also has a few dual-intent visas. In these situations, the applicant has the intent to return home but is still allowed to apply for permanent U.S. residence.

We have successfully obtained the following types of visas for clients: 

Employment-Based Visas and Green Cards

Employers and workers use employment-based visas for work-related U.S. entry. The United States has both immigrant and non-immigrant work-based visas. Job-related immigrant visas include the following:

Some applicants for EB1 and EB2 visas can file self-petitions, while others must be sponsored by an employer. Contact us to review the requirements of the employment-based immigrant visa you may qualify for.

The United States also issues non-immigrant employment visas, including the following types:

Almost any profession or job can fit into one of these categories. If your job or career path brings you to the United States, we can help you understand the qualifications and documentation requirements for entry into the country.

Family Visas and Green Cards

The United States has a complex family immigration system. However, once you successfully obtain a visa or Green Card for a relative, your family can reunite in the United States. Whether your overseas relative wishes to enter the country or they are already here on a valid visa, we can help you find a pathway to bringing or keeping them here.

Specifically, we have experience handling family immigration issues such as:

U.S. laws divide family-based visa petitions into two types. The petition you file will depend on your immigration status and relationship to the visa applicant.

The first type of family-based visa is unlimited. These visas are granted to U.S. citizens for the following relatives:

• Spouses
• Parents
• Unmarried children under 21, including adopted and step-children

U.S. citizens can also petition for fiances to enter the United States for their weddings. Once issued, this visa gives the citizen and visa holder 90 days after entry to get married. Once the couple is married, the U.S. citizen can file a Green Card petition for their spouse.

The second type of family-based visas are issued in limited numbers. These family preference visas are granted to the petitioner’s relatives who fit into specific family types.

U.S. citizens can file a petition to request a visa or Green Card for relatives in the following categories:

• Children over 21
• Married children of any age
• Spouses and children of eligible children
• Children of a spouse
• Siblings

A U.S. permanent resident or Green Card holder has more limited options. They can only petition for the issuance of visas to the following relatives:

• A spouse
• Unmarried children of any age

More importantly, since these visas are issued in limited numbers and according to a predetermined priority, these visas are usually not immediately granted. Instead, Green Card holders may experience a significant wait to obtain these visas.

Whether the petitioner is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, if the relative seeking the visa or Green Card is already in the United States, they do not need to leave the country to seek the change in status. Instead, they can apply for an adjustment of status and remain in the country until the petition is decided.

Family reunification is one of our firm’s motivating factors. Our attorneys understand the petition process and will guide you in preparing and documenting the petition. After issuance, we will help you understand any restrictions and deadlines that apply to the visa.

Investor Visas

International investors and traders can seek immigrant and non-immigrant visas from the U.S. government. We have experience obtaining the following types of investor visas:

International traders and investors need U.S. visas for a variety of reasons. You may need to identify potential business and market opportunities. You may also need to enter the United States to ensure your investment is performing.

E1 and E2 visas are non-immigrant visas that require visa holders to leave the United States after their reason for entering is complete. EB5 visas are immigrant visas. While in the United States on an EB5 visa, you can seek permanent residence.

What Sets Us Apart?

The U.S. government receives tens of millions of visa applications annually. We have decades of experience dealing with the two agencies responsible for processing these applications, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and the National Visa Center (NVC). More importantly, we know how to make sure these agencies give your petition full and fair consideration rather than rejecting it as they do with millions of others.

In many cases, filing a petition requires months or even years of preparation and planning. We want to ensure your hard work and preparation do not go to waste. We will help you assemble the documents you need to support your petition so you get the best possible chance of receiving it.

We also provide a deep and nuanced understanding of immigration law. Our managing attorney and legal staff only handle immigration matters. We focus on keeping up with developments in the law so we can best serve our clients, whether we are providing visa services, compliance audits and plans, or immigration court litigation services.

Our firm has over 140 five-star reviews on Google and a 10.0 Superb rating on Avvo. Our managing attorney has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters since 2018. We strive to build relationships with our clients by providing high-quality legal representation to obtain positive outcomes.

Pollak Immigration stands apart from other immigration law firms in the following areas:

Visa Applications

When you hire Pollak Immigration to handle a visa application for you, your family member, or your employee, you get the benefit of our experience and knowledge. More importantly, we provide trustworthy and ethical advice and counsel throughout your representation.

We provide the following benefits to every visa client we represent:

• Immigration law experience gained by representing clients for over 27 years
• Knowledge of laws, rules, and procedures, including recent developments
• Thousands of prior cases to draw on for creative solutions to hard problems
• Passion for assisting people and businesses to use the immigration system

When you hire us, we listen to your goals. We understand the value of your time and resources and diligently work to get an efficient and timely response from USCIS or NVC. More importantly, we can provide post-issuance support. We will explain the restrictions on your activities under your visa type. We will also discuss any renewals or extensions you may be able to obtain.

Compliance

Businesses face a difficult legal landscape when handling immigration matters. On the one hand, a company can face severe consequences for violating U.S. immigration laws and hiring undocumented workers or people with visas that contain work restrictions. At the same time, businesses cannot discriminate against immigrants when hiring or firing employees.

We help companies navigate these obstacles. We conduct compliance audits to help them identify potential problem areas. We also craft compliance plans that provide specific procedures to proactively avoid immigration violations in your hiring and firing processes.

Our experienced Fort Lauderdale immigration attorney has assisted businesses ranging from small, closely-held businesses to Fortune 1000 companies dealing with immigration issues. We can help you manage your risk of enforcement action from Immigrations & Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

Immigration Court

The United States uses immigration court to determine whether someone has committed an immigration violation. An adverse finding can result in serious sanctions, including deportation and ineligibility for future entry.

Contact us if you or a family member received a notice to appear at an immigration hearing. We will listen to your story, craft a legal strategy, and attend your hearing to advocate for your rights.

Consultation and Contact

As you search for a Ft. Lauderdale immigration lawyer, remember what you have at stake in your case. You need an attorney with experience, knowledge, and skill to preserve your family, job, or business and help you build your life in the United States.

We are passionate about helping you with your case. When you hire Pollak Immigration for your visa or immigration application, our firm will provide the following assistance:

• Listen to your story, concerns, and goals
• Explain and analyze your options so you can make an informed decision
• Develop a personalized legal strategy to reach your goals
• Advise you of the documents you need to support your petition
• Draft your petition accurately and completely
• Consult you about your petition and incorporate any revisions you have
• File the petition
• Communicate with USCIS or NVC to get a timely and efficient response
• Discuss your responses to any questions from USCIS or NVC
• Address any issues raised about your petition
• Explain your visa restrictions after the issuance
• Analyze the next steps you can take if the petition is denied

Our managing attorney has assisted thousands of clients over her 27 years of practice. We can schedule consultation to discuss your case and how we can help you.

Initial Consultations

The consultation allows you to ask questions about your case and our firm. Our managing attorney has represented clients facing many different circumstances. We have guided clients through complex and confusing situations to obtain positive outcomes.

We take our duty of confidentiality very seriously. This duty prohibits us from using or disclosing anything you tell us during your legal representation, including your initial consultation.

We encourage you to fully and honestly discuss your situation during the initial consultation. In particular, we need to discuss anything that might adversely affect your petition. We must have all the facts to analyze your case thoroughly. Importantly, we can get out in front of any adverse information that may come out if we know about it.

Pollak Immigration will handle your case with professionalism and compassion. We know that most applicants have issues that may adversely affect their petitions. We will analyze your case objectively and advise you of any risks you face.

Troubles With Your Immigration Status?

The immigration system includes enforcement actions. Businesses and individuals occasionally face enforcement actions that can result in severe sanctions. Pollak Immigration has extensive experience litigating these disputes against the U.S. government.

A common ground for a notice to appear is a violation of visa restrictions. Certain visa holders are restricted from working. If the government believes you have worked in breach of your visa restrictions, you may lose your visa and face deportation.

Similarly, enforcement actions are often based on violations of immigration laws, such as hiring workers without the required documentation. These violations can result in raids and hearings against your company.

Occasionally, these actions result from government mistakes, such as mistaken identity or incorrect information. However, you should always respond to the government’s allegations to avoid potentially damaging penalties.

Why Choose Our Fort Lauderdale Immigration Lawyers?

Pollak Immigration was founded in 2017 by Karen-Lee Pollak, an experienced immigration attorney. Ms. Pollak founded the firm on the following principles:

• Providing superb client service
• Acting with professionalism
• Building long-term client relationships
• Advocating passionately for clients

Ms. Pollak immigrated to the United States. She knows the investment in time, money, and effort required to build the American dream. Our firm listens to your goals and lays out a path to reach them.

Get Started Today

The cost of making a mistake in your immigration filing is high. You may place your safety, family, or business at risk if you cannot secure a visa or avoid an enforcement action. 

A Fort Lauderdale immigration lawyer can guide you through the complex immigration system to help you secure a visa, Green Card, or U.S. citizenship. An experienced attorney can also help you prevail in hearings and enforcement actions.

Pollak Immigration assists clients facing the complex immigration system. We provide deep knowledge of the immigration system based on decades of experience helping individuals, families, and businesses build their American dreams. Contact us to schedule a legal consultation to discuss your situation and how we can assist you.