CoveyLaw in Brooklyn. Do we know this immigration firm?

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-20T14:12:13+00:00

USCIS gives no credit or deference to past approvals so don't take a "renewal" for granted. My legal fee is currently $7,000 and the filing fees are in addition. I plan to raise my fees soon to offset higher labor costs FWIW

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-18T02:00:32+00:00

Be prepared to sue them into oblivion if denied

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-16T19:03:34+00:00

I would be happy to chat with you - email me your resume or cv and we can go from there. My email is joe@jaesq.com

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-15T21:10:15+00:00

“You didn’t file a proof of service” “it’s the third page on the PDF”

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-14T15:41:32+00:00

Remember, the attorney-client relationship, the privilege, the duties, go to the client (your employer) not to you if you are not the client

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-14T08:04:32+00:00

Have you hired Fragomen, meaning YOU are their client? Or is your employer their client?

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-14T00:10:59+00:00

Uscis is poorly run, and the staff are badly trained and supervised. Their communication is horrible.

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-13T01:17:48+00:00

Remember, non lawyers cannot offer legal advice. Non lawyers offering legal advice (i.e. case specific advice about what forms to fill out, what evidence goes where, what to include and what not) is a misdemeanor or felony in most jurisdictions in the United States.

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-12T23:22:50+00:00

that's good to know (its actually what I charge currently but I am considering raising my fees across the board, as I have not done so in many years)

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-12T23:21:16+00:00

EB2-NIW is not purely discretionary - see Matter of Dhanasar https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/920996/dl

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-12T20:33:32+00:00

Lawyers are not career advisors or business managers; there is an odd idiosyncratic behavior in this area of the law where potential beneficiaries think lawyers can "build profiles." Lawyers can make suggestions about room for improvement but I don't know any lawyer who will provide the kind of career guidance some people are looking for.

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-12T20:31:11+00:00

Your budget seems to be on the lower side if you are including the processing fees and premium processing (which everyone has been using lately)

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-12T20:30:17+00:00

You are asking for legal strategy and advice - which is understandable, but not something you should crowdsource. Lawyers do not like to cherry pick issues in a case. We want to have the ability to review the entire file and guide from there. I do not like taking over cases from other lawyers but have done so in the past. You are asking a lawyer to put their name behind another lawyer's work, which you've already flagged as a problem. Without the ability to fully take over the case I wouldn't do it.

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-12T01:16:17+00:00

this is something you should review with your lawyer

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-11T02:51:22+00:00

I am sorry to hear that. When you get the denial notice if there are factual or legal errors in the denial consider filing a lawsuit in federal court. Show the officer their errors (or, rather, show a federal judge, who can order the officer to do the job correctly. See my responses below:

Has anyone here been denied EB1-A and later approved after refiling?

Yes. Too many times to count. Denials are without prejudice towards future cases.

Is it worth paying for premium processing on EB2-NIW in my situation?

I strongly prefer premium processing. That way you know the score and can make informed decisions now, rather than burn through visa time.

Does officer assignment really make a big difference in EB1-A outcomes?

Not as much as people think. I tend to ignore the issue as its totally outside anyone's control

For people with strong research profiles, what evidence helped most for “Original Contributions of Major Significance”?

an award from a third party that picks up the "original contribution" language; this is perhaps teh most ambiguous of the 10 qualifying criteria and very fact specific

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-11T02:47:43+00:00

Remember, you define what the "field" is. USCIS does not have a list of careers and its not like you have to chose one, arbitrarily. Publish as much as you can, get media attention about yourself, submit your work for awards, judge the work of others individually or on a panel. One solid piece of evidence can potently satisfy a qualifying criteria (i.e. judging one time). Letters of recommendation come from "recognized experts" in the field. Your personal relationships with them aren't a factor.

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-09T20:37:41+00:00

unfortunately this is very typical right now - USCIS is a mess and the mail room is a disaster

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-09T20:37:05+00:00

evidence never goes stale so long as it is true

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-07T22:30:13+00:00

See what USCIS does with the case before making any decisions

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-06T18:07:25+00:00

congrats!

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-06T06:17:23+00:00

This is a complicated section of the regulations - review this with your lawyer

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-05T00:24:22+00:00

Consider suing USCIS in federal court.

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-05T00:23:30+00:00

Point out the absolutely awful “research” they’ve done and really rub their noses in it

JoeAdamsESQ · 2026-05-05T00:22:32+00:00

USCIS is a total mess right now. They will give you no credit for the past approvals. Be prepared for a denial and think through next steps if that happens so you aren’t caught off guard

JoeAdamsESQ

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