Austin Immigration Attorneys
Sonia AnsariSonia Ansari earned a J.D. with honors from The University of Texas School of Law. She also has a B.A. in History and a B.S. in Public Relations from The University of Texas at Austin. She serves on the Board of Directors of American Gateways (formerly the Political Asylum Project of Austin or PAPA), an Austin-based non-profit that provides free and low-cost legal services to asylum seekers, detainees, and immigrant victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Immigration Project. Ms. Ansari was born in Pakistan and is fluent in Urdu. In 2009, she was selected for inclusion in the Rising Stars list published in Texas Super Lawyers magazine. Prior to founding The Ansari Law Firm, Ms. Ansari was an attorney with Jones Day. In her spare time, she enjoys movies, basketball, and spending time with friends and family. Andrea ChavarriaAndrea Chavarria earned a J.D. with a concentration in administrative law from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She has an M.A. in International Relations and Diplomacy from Schiller International University in London, England. She also has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of North Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Austin Bar Association. Ms. Chavarria was born in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish. Prior to joining The Ansari Law Firm, Ms. Chavarria worked with the Reina, Bates & Kowalski Immigration Law Group. Her personal interests include ballet and jazz dance, writing, and traveling. |
Protect Yourself and Your Family: Get Immigration Help from a Licensed Professional (PDF)
"Notarios," Visa Consultants, and Immigration Consultants Are Not Attorneys (PDF)
Supreme Court Opens a Door, Barely, for Immigrants Fighting Deportation
April 28, 2009 - New American Media - A recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court makes it difficult for asylum-seekers to challenge deportation orders.
Foreign IT Pros Working in U.S. Earning More Than Americans
April 28, 2009 - InformationWeek - While opponents of H-1B and L-1 visas have long argued that the temporary work programs encourage employers to hire cheap foreign labor, a new study says noncitizen IT professionals earn pay that's on average 5% to 9% higher than American workers with similar education levels and IT experience.
End the 'Widow Penalty'
April 27, 2009 - New York Times Editorial - For hundreds of unlucky immigrants, the death of a wife or husband has been quickly followed by an order to leave the country. It’s called the “widow penalty,” a tragic quirk in federal law that unfairly punishes recently married immigrants whose citizen spouses die before their green-card paperwork is processed.
Asylum seekers have better luck with northern or female judges
April 27, 2009 - Chicago Sun-Times - If you're a political refugee afraid to go back to your homeland, pray you get a woman judge or a Northerner.
A male judge sitting in a Southern court is about twice as likely to reject your asylum plea, according to research from two Georgetown University professors.
U.S. lesbian mother given deportation reprieve
April 27, 2009 - Associated Press - A Philippines-born lesbian mother ordered to leave the country next month for overstaying her visa will likely be allowed to stay through next year thanks to intervention from U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Supreme Court to consider whether asylum appealer who overslept should get another hearing
April 27, 2009 - Associated Press - The Supreme Court will decide whether an Albanian immigrant who overslept and missed his asylum hearing can be deported.
Immigrants' Children: A Foot In Two Worlds
April 2009 - NPR - Immigrants bring many things to the U.S., but their lasting contribution to the country has always been their children. NPR's series Immigrants' Children looks at that legacy, telling the stories of those children and examining the issues they face.
Siblings Divided by Immigration Laws
April 27, 2009 - New York Times - As part of a series on immigration, Room for Debate last week convened a discussion on the issue of young illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children with their parents and were raised and educated here.
A Family Divided by 2 Worlds, Legal and Illegal
April 25, 2009 - New York Times - In fact, most immigrants live in families, with a blend of legal statuses, opportunities and dreams. To spend time with this Queens family is to see, up close, how the growing disparities within immigrant homes are pulling their members in opposite directions and complicating efforts to plan a common future.
White House May Alter Haitian Immigrant Policy (link to audio)
April 24, 2009 - Morning Edition - A week after allowing Cuban-Americans more freedom to return to their native country, there are signs the Obama administration may soon change U.S. policy for Haitian immigrants. Immigration activists say they're hopeful the administration will act soon to at least temporarily stop deporting Haitians to their devastated home country.
H-1B demand follows the economy -- down
April 13, 2009 - Computerworld - Demand for H-1B visas usually fluctuates with the economy, and this year is no exception. In fact, the initial number of H-1B applications filed with the federal government was down even more sharply than expected from the number filed a year ago.
Specialty visa quota still unfilled after a week
April 10, 2009 - Boston Globe - Demand has slumped for special visas to bring skilled foreign workers into the United States - another sign of the recession's severe impact on the nation's labor market.