The Immigration Lawyers Podcast | Discussing Visas, Green Cards & Citizenship: Practice & Policy

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Latest Episodes:

#494 NIWs, the 2-Year I-130 Wait and more with Beatriz Ballerini, Esq. Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of The Immigration Lawyer's Toolbox Podcast, host John Khosravi sits down with Beatriz (Trillos) Ballerini, Esq., a Houston based immigration attorney, AILA Region 4 Director, and immediate past chair of the Texas AILA Chapter, to talk about the 54% NIW denial rate and why she's stopped taking new NIW cases, the growing uncertainty around adjustment of status and I-130 processing times, how she's rebuilt her retainer agreements for this administration, what's ahead for the Texas AILA Chapter including its November 18 to 20 conference in Santa Fe, the political shift underway in Colombia, and her own family's immigration story from Cali, Colombia to holding three passports today. Timestamps: 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 03:58 Welcoming Beatriz to the show 04:20 Growing up in Houston and finding immigration law 04:49 Her earlier career litigating international plane crashes 06:31 Launching her own practice in 2006 08:14 From family cases to 80% business immigration 10:18 Firm size, staffing, and long-tenured team members 12:11 Why NIW cases are so stressful right now 13:04 Adjustment of status and detention risk uncertainty 16:00 Managing client expectations and putting it in writing 16:26 Retainer updates with ethics counsel Craig Dupzyk 18:08 AILA's lawsuits pushing back on policy changes 18:34 Her role as AILA Region 4 Director 19:26 Leading the Texas AILA Chapter 20:12 Texas Chapter conference, November 18 to 20 in Santa Fe 23:05 Coordinating a chapter spread across Texas, Oklahoma & New Mexico 27:44 A growing chapter and mentoring new members 29:20 What's stressing Beatriz: the 54% NIW denial rate 30:00 Worrying about approved EB-1A clients stuck in limbo 31:00 Colombia's political shift under President de la Espriella 32:13 Direct filing I-130s at consulates for exceptional circumstances 34:10 USCIS's overseas offices and the new Ethiopia unit 34:43 Deportations to third countries and the human toll 36:07 Increased ICE activity around Houston 37:14 Holding three passports and dual citizenship through marriage 38:22 Her family's immigration story from Colombia 39:15 Discovering her own immigration history through a FOIA request 40:52 Her father's decision to naturalize after being strip searched 41:13 Comparing notes on growing up in immigrant families 43:08 The unpredictability of 30 day RFE deadlines 44:33 Where to find and follow Beatriz Ballerini 44:50 Closing thoughts

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#493 H-1B Uncertainty, PERM Layoffs & the Truth About EB-1A with Judy Wong, Esq. Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, John sits down with Judy Wong, Esq., a Bay Area business immigration attorney for tech companies, to talk about the EB-1A hype nobody wants to admit is hype, the uncertainty H-1B and L-1 employees are living with right now, and what happens when a reduction in force derails a case that's been years in the making. Judy also shares her path through AILA NorCal leadership and her role helping plan the AILA California Chapters Conference this November in San Francisco. Read the latest issue of the Immigration Lawyer's Toolbox Magazine (Issue 12)

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#492 Federal Court Update [July/Aug.2026] w/ Kevin A. Gregg, Esq. Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

It's the monthly case law roundup fans keep coming back for: John Q. Khosravi, Esq. sits down with Kevin A. Gregg, Esq. to unpack the federal circuit court decisions reshaping immigration practice right now, from a major 4th Circuit win on vacated convictions to a widening circuit split on bond hearings for people who entered without inspection, a big post-Riley v. Bondi ruling on withholding-only proceedings, and the real-world fallout from the government's abrupt shutdown of consular visa processing worldwide. Along the way, John and Kevin get candid about the human toll of the current enforcement climate, the history behind mandatory detention law, and why this may be the most consequential year for immigration case law either of them has covered. Whether you're an immigration attorney, paralegal, or just trying to keep up with what's changing, this is the episode to catch up on. Timestamps: 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 03:09 Kevin Gregg joins the show 03:41 How wild 2026 has been for case law (8 decisions in one week) 07:43 Getting into this month's cases 08:10 Honorable mention: 11th Circuit on Matter of Lozada compliance 09:31 Case 1: 4th Circuit takes down Matter of Pickering on vacated convictions 17:29 Case 2: 9th Circuit rules EWI entrants get a bond hearing 2 2:33 Sponsor: ILT private community 23:36 Back to the show: mandatory detention under INA 236(c) vs. 235 29:54 Case 3: 4th Circuit on withholding-only proceedings after Riley v. Bondi 33:05 Honorable mention: 75-country travel ban pause and the consulate shutdown 33:50 A client caught in the consulate shutdown 36:52 The affidavit of support form change 39:47 Outro

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#491 The New I-864 Credit Check Rule & the End of Grace Periods w/ John Q. Khosravi, Esq. Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

Immigration attorney John Q. Khosravi, Esq. breaks down a packed week of immigration law changes on episode 491 of The Immigration Lawyer's Toolbox Podcast covering a surprise new I-864 edition that requires sponsors to unlock their credit reports for USCIS, the elimination of the 60-day work visa grace period, a federal contempt ruling against DHS over the removal of asylum-seeking minors, a wrongful deportation of a U.S. citizen, a major DACA advance parole ruling on the 3/10-year bar, DACA renewal delays, a massive marriage fraud bust, faster RFI turnaround times affecting I-751 divorce waiver strategy, and more, plus a practical AI tip for A/B testing your firm's marketing. Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Music | YouTube Timestamps: 00:00 – Opening 00:33 - Intro 02:36 – New Form I-864 Edition: Credit Report Authorization & Filing Deadlines 05:19 – Consular Processing Delays: Why You Must Follow Up With Embassies 06:00 – State Department to Close Smaller Consulates 06:22 – DHS Held in Contempt Over Deporting 107 Asylum-Seeking Minors 06:44 – U.S. Citizen Wrongfully Deported 07:00 – Birthright Citizenship Executive Orders & Birth Tourism Crackdown 07:49 – Courts Block Travel Ban — But State Dept Halts Visa Processing Anyway 08:21 – Diversity Visa Lottery Lawsuit & Risk for This Year's Winners 08:51 – Grace Period Eliminated for Terminated Work Visa Holders 09:40 – New Public Charge Bond System at DOS & USCIS 10:15 – DACA Advance Parole & the 3/10-Year Bar Ruling 11:15 – DACA Renewal Delays & "Last In, First Out" Processing 11:40 – Massive Marriage Fraud Bust (1,000+ Couples) 12:33 – BIA's New 10-Day Rule to Secure Counsel 12:54 – Faster I-864 RFIs (33 Days) & I-751 Divorce Waiver Strategy 14:56 – ILT's Private Community for Immigration Lawyers 15:28 – Using AI to A/B Test Newsletter Subject Lines 17:12 – Reflecting on the State of Immigration Law 18:56 – Why Consistent Marketing Matters for Your Firm 21:18 – Closing Thoughts eimmigration Website: get.eimmigration.com Heroes Spotlight nomination page: heroes.eimmigration.com Deadline for nomination: September 25

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#490 Should You Sell Your Immigration Practice? Inside Law Firm M&A with Roman Zelichenko, J.D. Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of The Immigration Lawyer's Toolbox® Podcast, host John Khosravi sits down with returning guest Roman Zelichenko, J.D. to unpack what's really happening in the growing wave of immigration law firm M&A: how firms are actually valued, why some attorneys inflate their revenue numbers with filing fees, the difference between a true acquisition and a "merger" that's really more of a hire, why clean books can make or break a deal, and what private equity's track record in dentistry, HVAC, and plumbing suggests about where legal consolidation is headed. Whether you're thinking about selling, buying, merging, or just want to run your firm like it's sellable, this episode is full of practical insight on the business side of immigration law. Sponsor: Get a free website (first 10 sign-ups) and special pricing on marketing for your firm from Constellation at http://immigrationlawyerstoolbox.com/Constellation. Timestamps: 00:00 – Opening 00:33 – Intro 04:24 – How hard is it for practitioners to value and sell their firm? 04:53 – B2B/corporate vs. B2C firms: why recurring revenue is valued higher 05:30 – The filing-fees-in-revenue trick that inflates valuations 06:36 – What sellers actually want: fair price vs. emotional attachment 07:54 – How clean (or messy) books affect due diligence 09:43 – Bookkeepers, GMI Rocket, and staying on top of your numbers 11:29 – Mergers vs. acquisitions: when a "merger" is really a hire 13:12 – Larger firm mergers and fade-out deal structures 13:52 – New fee memos, attorney burnout, and the push toward litigation 16:13 – Consolidation, specialists, and the rise of AI-native law firms 19:00 – Lessons from private equity roll-ups in dentistry, HVAC, and plumbing 20:17 – Community page & Constellation SEO/marketing sponsor break 21:20 – Back to the show: will the free market self-correct? 21:33 – Envoy Global: an example of PE-backed immigration firms done right 24:19 – Scaling without sacrificing service quality 26:15 – The M&A trend among solo and small firm owners who want out 29:01 – Creative deal structures, equity, and the "Built to Sell" mindset 33:13 – Why QuickBooks and clean numbers drive better marketing and growth decisions 36:26 – Outro

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#489 30 Years of Referrals: Building a Law Firm with Jeff Goldman, Esq. Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the Immigration Lawyer's Toolbox Podcast, host John Khosravi sits down with Jeff Goldman, Esq., founder of Goldman & Partners Immigration and co-founder of Build Talent Labs, for a candid look at how a "serendipitous" career turn into immigration law became a 30+ year, 32-person firm built almost entirely on referrals from the client who talked him into immigration law after a real estate closing, to the EB-1A case for an MIT researcher that opened the door to a decade of extraordinary-ability petitions, to how he set (and steadily raised) his fees at Testa, Hurwitz & Israel and beyond. Jeff also breaks down his current work at Build Talent Labs, the cap-exempt H-1B, J-1, and O-1 agent sponsorship model he co-founded with his daughter Danielle, his eight years as immigration advisor to the Governor of Massachusetts, and what it's really like working with CBP at Logan Airport, including a firsthand story of getting a client released after 48 hours in secondary inspection. Connect with Jeff Goldman, Esq.: 🔗 Goldman & Partners Immigration 🔗 Build Talent Labs 🔗 LinkedIn: Jeff Goldman Sponsor: Get a free website (first 10 sign-ups) and special pricing on marketing for your firm from Constellation at http://immigrationlawyerstoolbox.com/Constellation. Timestamps 00:00 – Opening 00:33 – Intro 03:42 – Welcome, Jeff Goldman 03:45 – Jeff's background: growing up near Boston 04:06 – Deciding to go to law school (the LSAT "dare") 05:20 – The client who talked Jeff into immigration law 06:04 – Jeff's first immigration CLE course (1993, right before IRIRA) 07:02 – The neighbor who became his first referral source 08:22 – Filing his first H-1B petitions 09:04 – Hanging a shingle as a solo immigration attorney 09:53 – The Russian EB-1A client who changed everything 11:39 – Landing MIT and Chinese postdoc EB-1A clients 12:47 – Building a 32-person immigration firm 13:17 – Office hours at Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan 13:47 – How do you price a case like an EB-1A? 14:06 – Joining Testa, Hurwitz & Israel's immigration group 15:51 – The urgent phone call that led to a job offer 16:20 – When the firm imploded (and Jeff kept the $2.5M immigration book) 17:29 – Setting fees at a big law firm 18:38 – Going solo again — and raising his fees 19:15 – Toolbox community: our private Circle page 20:08 – Sponsor: Constellation (legal marketing & web design) 21:42 – Back to the interview 22:11 – Why clients pay for reliability, not just price 22:40 – Career advice: build referral relationships with corporate lawyers 24:02 – Lesson from the Global BIO Conference 25:26 – A day in Jeff's life today 25:56 – Build Talent Labs: the cap-exempt H-1B model, explained 27:30 – Eight years as immigration advisor to the Governor of Massachusetts 27:52 – Jeff's relationship with CBP at Logan Airport 30:35 – When a client was detained 48 hours — and what Jeff did next 31:59 – Proactively coordinating with CBP before a client travels 33:11 – How to reach Jeff Goldman 33:30 – AILA mentorship and LinkedIn presence 35:42 – Build Talent Labs: J-1 programs and O-1 agent sponsorship 36:30 – The O-1 agent documentation risk lawyers overlook 36:52 – Closing & outro

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#488 Business Immigration & the $100K H-1B Fee with Jioselin Juarez Contreras, Esq. Aug 09, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, host John Q. Khosravi, Esq. sits down with business immigration attorney Jioselin Juarez Contreras, Esq. to talk about her path from a first-generation Mexican American law student to a high-volume H-1B practice — including her brief detour into nonprofit removal work before returning to the same business immigration firm, how her firm (which also handles corporate litigation and taxation, with a CPA-licensed managing partner) keeps every department aligned on fast-moving immigration changes, and the real-world impact of the new $100,000 H-1B fee on employers and change-of-status filings during this year's cap season. They also preview the upcoming AILA California Chapters Conference (November 5–7 in San Francisco), which Jioselin is helping plan, and close with a look at annual firm planning and the importance of actually taking breaks during immigration law's busiest seasons. Timestamps: 00:00 – Opening 00:33 – Intro 03:16 – Welcome Jioselin Juarez Contreras, Esq. 03:26 – Growing up in Southern California & getting into immigration law 04:45 – How she built business immigration experience early on 05:04 – The detour into nonprofit removal work — and coming back 07:36 – Practicing immigration inside a multi-department firm (corporate, litigation, CPA/tax) 09:41 – The $100K H-1B fee: real impact on clients and filings during cap season 11:36 – AILA California Chapters Conference preview (San Francisco, Nov 5–7) 15:01 – Firm planning: annual goals and the next six months 17:08 – Balancing cap season crunch with actual vacation time 20:58 – How to connect with Jioselin 21:13 – Outro Get a free website (first 10 sign-ups) and special pricing on marketing for your firm from Constellation at http://immigrationlawyerstoolbox.com/Constellation

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#487 Judges Deny Marriage Green Cards & WebEx May Leave Court with John Q. Khosravi, Esq. Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

This month on the Immigration Lawyers Toolbox Podcast, host John Q. Khosravi, Esq. skips the interview format for a rapid-fire rundown of the news, memos, and courtroom curveballs immigration attorneys need on their radar right now from USCIS quietly closing affirmative asylum cases without an interview and a judge denying a marriage-based green card under a new discretion memo, to the $100,000 H-1B fee proposal resurfacing for F-1 students, a biometrics-rescheduling trick that can save your client weeks, and a fresh court order pausing parts of USCIS's TPS and asylum-fee enforcement. It's the practice-management update that keeps you ahead of USCIS before your clients call you first. Timestamps: 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 02:57 my.USCIS.gov website glitch (false approvals/denials) 04:10 OPT denials tied to arrests & good moral character 05:24 FT report: 80% of US embassies lack an ambassador 06:07 Join the free private attorney community (Circle) 07:14 SB-1 returning resident visa risks 08:46 USCIS closing affirmative asylum cases without interview 10:49 Ciudad Juárez getting strict on affidavit of support 13:27 Sponsor: Constellation (websites/marketing for law firms) 15:07 TPS-to-marriage adjustment withdrawal trap 16:34 Immigration judge denies adjustment citing discretion memo 17:07 WebEx possibly leaving immigration court 17:39 $100K H-1B fee may extend to F-1 students 18:01 Biometrics rescheduling trick (switch ASC location) 19:14 DC court pushes back on 75-country travel pause (EB-5 case) 19:52 New civil penalties for contempt in immigration court 20:11 Court stays USCIS TPS EAD & asylum fee policies (Venez v. USCIS) 22:37 NVC shuffling Iranian cases between Embassies. 23:20 Lawsuit blocks travel ban on Afghan I-730 cases 23:50 Wrap-up & how to join the community/courses 24:11 Outro

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#486 The Houston ICE Shooting Case & EOIR's Attorney Contempt Rule with Ruby Powers, Esq. Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Ruby Powers, Esq. joins John to break down the detained witness case she just took over following a fatal ICE shooting in Houston, including her habeas, U visa, and parole strategy, plus a wave of changes hitting immigration law right now: EOIR's proposed rule to fine attorneys for "contempt" while exempting government attorneys, reports that Webex hearings may be phased out, asylum cases being referred without an interview, OPT/F-1 clients getting NOIDs over minor arrests, work permits now taking 5 to 6 months instead of one, rising bond amounts, and the upcoming affidavit of support changes, along with law practice management lessons from Ruby's recent AILA conference booth experience. Timestamps: 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 02:05 Catching up with Ruby Powers 02:36 Taking over the Houston ICE shooting case 03:22 U visa certification, habeas, and parole strategy 03:31 The ICWC v. Nome decision on detained VAWA/U applicants 05:30 Sealing habeas filings for client privacy 06:18 EOIR proposes eliminating Webex hearings 06:39 EOIR's new contempt and sanctions rule for attorneys 07:43 Flying for court and a last minute hearing cancellation 09:56 Trains vs. planes and managing travel burnout 12:18 Reading the proposed contempt rule 14:31 Judges threatening attorneys with contempt 15:07 Asylum cases now referred without an interview 16:04 OPT/F-1 clients getting NOIDs over minor arrests 17:02 A 9 year asylum case finally approved 17:52 Turning hard times into a stronger practice 19:32 Conference recap: ABA Tech Show, Neostella, AILA 21:57 Ruby's AILA exhibit booth experience 26:34 Consultation energy and being an introvert on air 28:53 Why they moved to hour long consultations 32:53 Explaining fast moving rule changes to clients 33:14 Can non-attorneys help with consultations? 34:11 The document collection grind 35:57 New I-589 edition and the affidavit of support rush 38:06 Adjustment interview delays 40:34 Work permit delays and advance parole advice 44:35 ICE detaining people at airports 45:30 Rising immigration bond amounts 46:30 A positive note: sleep, pillows, and surfing 47:23 Where to find Ruby Powers and Power Strategy Group Connect with Ruby Powers: Website LinkedIn: Ruby L. Powers Podcast: Power Up Your Practice Book: Power Up Your Practice (available on Amazon) Get a free website (first 10 sign-ups) and special pricing on marketing for your firm from Constellation at ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com/Constellation

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#485 The $100K H-1B Fee & F-1 Duration of Status Rule with Anne Rowley, Esq. Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

What happens when the F-1 "duration of status" rule disappears overnight — and how many employers are actually paying the new $100,000 H-1B fee?

On this episode, host John Q. Khosravi talks with Anne Rowley, Esq. of Grossman Young & Hammond about her path into business immigration law, the newly finalized F-1 duration of status rule, the real-world impact of the $100,000 H-1B fee, and a behind-the-scenes look at planning the AILA California Chapters Conference (San Francisco, first week of November).

Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:33 Intro 01:24 Sponsor: E-Immigration Hero Spotlight 02:17 ILT mentorship & courses 02:57 Disclaimer 03:04 Anne Rowley's Path Into Immigration Law – Wisconsin to LA to San Diego 05:10 Grossman Young & Hammond's national presence 05:48 Current immigration "insanity" & hot topics 06:09 F-1 duration of status rule explained 06:43 Advising students before the rule change 07:14 F-1/OPT/CPT nuances & DSO challenges 08:15 Community & sponsor reminders 09:37 More on the new F-1 rule (English limits, PhD students) 10:30 Firm growth – DC, Miami, San Diego expansion 11:07 Keeping corporate H-1B clients informed 11:54 The $100K H-1B fee: client experiences 12:58 AILA California Chapters Conference preview 14:11 Getting involved with AILA committees 15:40 Firm operations, KPIs & forecasting 16:55 Closing thoughts & CCC reminder 17:14 Outro

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