NYC Immigration Lawyer
Choosing a NYC immigration lawyer may be one of the most important decisions you make for your future in this country. At Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco, our New York City immigration attorneys help individuals, families, and employers across all five boroughs with green cards, work visas, citizenship, and defense against deportation. For more than six decades, our firm has guided New Yorkers through the immigration system from our office at 250 Broadway in Lower Manhattan.
Wherever you are in the process, whether you are filing a first petition or fighting to stay, one focused conversation can turn a stack of forms into a clear plan.
Call our New York immigration attorneys at +1 (212) 233-8100 to schedule a consultation.
Do you need an immigration lawyer in New York City?
You are not legally required to hire a lawyer for an immigration case, but the stakes and the paperwork make experienced help worth it for most people. A single missed deadline, a wrong form, or an unexplained gap in your history can delay a case by months or lead to a denial.
An immigration lawyer in NYC does more than fill out applications. We spot problems before they reach the government, prepare you for interviews, respond to requests for evidence, and speak for you if your case reaches a courtroom. If your situation is straightforward, we will tell you. If it is complicated, you will be glad someone caught the issue early.
What immigration matters do our NYC attorneys handle?
Our New York immigration lawyers handle the full range of immigration cases, from family green cards to work visas to removal defense. That means you can start in one place instead of guessing which type of attorney you need.
Use the guide below to find the path that fits your situation.
| Your situation | The immigration path | Where to learn more |
|---|---|---|
| A citizen or green card holder wants to sponsor a spouse, parent, or child | Family petition and green card | family-based green cards |
| A New York employer wants to hire you or keep you on staff | employment and work visas (O-1, H-1B, L-1, TN, E-1/E-2, J-1) | employment green cards and PERM |
| You have held a green card for years and want to become a citizen | Naturalization and citizenship | N-400 and the citizenship test |
| You received a notice to appear in court, or ICE contacted you | deportation and removal defense | immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza |
| You are afraid to return to your home country | Asylum, withholding, or protection under the Convention Against Torture | humanitarian relief |
| You survived abuse or a serious crime, or you arrived as a child | VAWA, U-visa, DACA, or SIJS | protections for vulnerable applicants |
A few of those terms are worth spelling out. USCIS is U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that decides most applications. VAWA is the Violence Against Women Act, which lets some abuse survivors petition on their own. DACA is Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, for people brought here as children. SIJS is Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, for certain young people who cannot safely reunite with a parent.
Not sure which category is yours? Call +1 (212) 233-8100 and we will point you in the right direction.
How does the immigration process work in New York?
Most immigration cases follow one of two roads: you either apply from inside the United States, or you apply through a U.S. consulate abroad. Which road you take depends on how you entered, your current status, and the benefit you are seeking.
People already in the country often use adjustment of status, the process of applying for a green card without leaving. People outside the country, or those who are not eligible to adjust, usually go through consular processing at an embassy. New York applicants are served by the USCIS New York Field Office, and wait times here tend to run longer than the national average because of the sheer volume of cases. You can check current form timelines directly on the government’s site at USCIS.gov.
Family-based waiting periods also depend on the monthly Visa Bulletin from the U.S. Department of State, which controls when certain applicants can move forward. We track those dates so you do not have to.
Visas, green cards, and citizenship: how the pieces fit
These three words describe three different levels of status, and knowing the difference helps you set the right goal. A visa is usually temporary permission to enter or stay for a specific reason, such as work or study. A green card grants lawful permanent residence, which lets you live and work here indefinitely. Citizenship, earned through naturalization, is the final step and comes with the right to vote and a U.S. passport.
Many clients move through all three over time, starting with a visa, adjusting to a green card, and later applying to naturalize. Others jump straight to a green card through a family member or employer. Part of our job is to map the shortest, safest route for your situation so you are not paying for steps you do not need.
What happens if your case goes to immigration court?
If the government starts removal proceedings against you, your case moves out of the application system and into immigration court, which is a separate process with a judge. In New York City, most hearings take place before the immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan.
Court is not the end of the road. Many people in proceedings still win the right to stay through defenses like cancellation of removal, asylum, or adjustment of status. Because the rules and deadlines are strict, this is the moment to have a lawyer who appears in that courthouse regularly. The federal Executive Office for Immigration Review, or EOIR, runs the immigration courts and posts court information at their website. If you are already in proceedings, read more about how we handle deportation and removal defense.
Facing a court date? Do not wait. Call +1 (212) 233-8100 today.
Why New Yorkers choose Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco
Clients come to us because we treat immigration as a long-term relationship, not a one-time transaction. Much of our work arrives through referrals from families we have already helped, and many of those families have trusted us across generations.
Our immigration practice reaches back more than six decades in Lower Manhattan, led by attorneys including managing partner Conrad E. Pollack and partner Nelson A. Madrid. We keep our caseload deliberate so that the person you hire is the person who knows your file. We are also a premium firm, not a volume shop, which is why we offer paid consultations: you get a thorough, honest assessment of your case rather than a rushed sales pitch.
That focus shows up in the details. We reference the specific USCIS office reviewing your file, the judge’s expectations if you are in court, and the documentation each visa category actually requires, because accuracy is what moves a case forward.
Our attorneys speak your language
You can work with our attorneys in the language you know best. We speak Spanish, Chinese, Bulgarian, Russian, Hindi, Punjabi, and more, and every one of our attorneys is bilingual in English and Spanish.
For many New York families, that means no interpreter standing between you and your lawyer, and no important detail lost in translation. It also means we understand the concerns that come up again and again in immigrant communities across Brooklyn, Queens, and the rest of the city.
What should you bring to your first consultation?
Bring anything that tells the story of your immigration history, even if you are not sure it matters. The more we can see at the first meeting, the more precise our advice can be.
Useful items include your passport and any prior visas, any notices or letters you have received from USCIS or the immigration court, copies of past applications, and records of your entries and exits from the United States. If your case involves family, bring marriage, birth, or divorce certificates. If it involves work, bring job offers, pay records, or degrees.
If there is any criminal history, bring the court records, because we would rather know early than be surprised later. Do not worry if you are missing something, since we will help you track down what you need.
Serving all five boroughs, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley
Wherever you live in the New York area, you can reach us from our office at 250 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, steps from the federal buildings where many immigration matters are decided. We serve clients throughout the region, not just in the neighborhoods near our door.
That includes Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, along with Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam. Many of the families we represent live in Brooklyn and Queens and commute into the city, and we schedule around real working lives. Because so much of New York immigration work runs through the same federal offices and courts, hiring a firm that already knows those hallways can save you time you cannot get back.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lawyer to apply for a green card in New York?
No law requires it, but a lawyer improves your odds and protects you from costly mistakes. Green card cases involve strict eligibility rules, detailed forms, and interviews where one wrong answer can raise doubts. We prepare the full application, gather the right evidence, and get you ready for the interview so nothing catches you off guard.
How much does a NYC immigration lawyer cost?
Fees depend on the type of case, its complexity, and the work involved, so there is no single price for every client. We discuss fees openly during your consultation, and we charge for that first meeting on purpose. A focused, paid session gives you real answers and a real plan instead of a rushed sales pitch, so you leave knowing your options, your timeline, and your likely costs.
How long will my immigration case take?
Timelines vary widely by case type and by the government’s current workload, and New York’s field office often runs slower than the national average. Family cases can take months to years depending on the category and country. We give you a realistic estimate for your specific situation and keep your case moving whenever the process allows.
Can I apply for citizenship if I have a criminal record?
Sometimes, but it depends on the offense and when it happened, so this is worth reviewing carefully before you file. Some records affect good moral character or can even trigger removal, which makes filing without advice risky. We review your history first, tell you honestly where you stand, and build the strongest case the facts allow.
Talk to a New York immigration lawyer today
Immigration cases reward preparation and punish delay. The sooner we understand your situation, the more options you tend to have, whether you are starting an application or protecting a life you have already built here.
Our office at 250 Broadway in Lower Manhattan serves clients across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam. Reach our NYC immigration attorneys to get started.
Call +1 (212) 233-8100 to schedule a consultation and get a clear plan for your case.