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Excellence in U.S. immigration law.

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Chodorow Law Offices helps businesses, families, and others worldwide with U.S. visas, permanent residence, and citizenship.

We invite you to schedule a consultation in person, by video conference, or by phone.

Gary Chodorow, Managing Attorney

Gary has helped clients with U.S. visas, permanent residence, and citizenship for more than 30 years. Gary also has been a founding member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Asia-Pacific chapter, co-chair of the American Chamber of Commerce-China’s visa committee, and an adjunct professor at Chicago-Kent School of Law. Read more.

What We Do

Family Immigration
  • Spouses of U.S. citizens
  • K-1 fiancé(e)s
  • Parents, children, and other relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent residents
  • Form I-864, Affidavit of Support
  • Form I-751, Petition to Remove the Conditions of Residence
  • Complex issues for children’s immigration related to artificial reproductive technology, surrogacy, and IR2 visas for adopted children not covered by the Hague Adoption Convention
Naturalization and Citizenship
  • Naturalization
  • Expeditious naturalization for spouses of U.S. citizens employed abroad for certain U.S. companies or organizations
  • Acquisition of citizenship by birth abroad to a U.S. citizen parent
  • Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate under Section 322 of the Immigration and Nationality Act
  • Form N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes
  • Advice for children with dual U.S. and Chinese nationality
Temporary Visas
  • L-1 intracompany transferees
  • O-1 extraordinary ability
  • E-2 treaty investors
  • H-1B professionals
  • H-3 trainees
  • F-1 students
  • J-1 exchange visitors
  • B1/B2 visitors for business, pleasure, or medical treatment
  • Etc.
Waivers / Overcoming Visa Denials
  • Overcoming visa denials
  • 212(d)(3) nonimmigrant visa waivers
  • 214(i) waivers for fraud or misrepresentation
  • Inadmissibility and waivers for Communist Party members
  • I-212 permission to reapply after removal
  • Waivers of the 3- and 10-year unlawful presence bars
  • 212(h) waivers of crime-related grounds of inadmissibility
  • Overcoming visa sanctions and security-related administrative processing for Chinese nationals
Protecting Permanent Resident Status
During Stays Abroad
  • Form I-131, Application for Travel Document (Reentry Permit)
  • Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation)
  • Form N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes
  • Form DS-117, Application to Determine Returning Resident Status (SB-1 returning resident visa)
  • Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status
Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Requests
  • Request copies of your alien file (A-file) from USCIS
  • Request your entry-exit records from U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  • Request prior visa applications and consular officer decisions from the State Department
Employment-Based Immigration
  • Multinational managers and executives
  • EB-1 extraordinary ability
  • Outstanding professors and researchers
China Police Certificates
  • Applications for China police certificates for foreigners, Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan residents, and former citizens from Mainland China, to be used for purposes such as immigration and employment background checks, including proving to foreign immigration agencies that police certificates are unobtainable, as applicable

Recent Blog Posts

Read the LawAndBorder Blog. You’ll be in good company.
With over 700 articles, we have been quoted in:

China Police Certificates

Our law firm routinely assists clients in obtaining China police certificates for purposes such as immigration (to the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries) or employment background checks. Our clients include foreign nationals, including former Chinese citizens, and residents of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Background Information A police certificate is a…

How to Prove a China Birth Certificate Is Unobtainable for U.S. Immigration Purposes

If you were born in Mainland China and are applying for a U.S. green card, you will need to submit a China notarial birth certificate (NBC). That’s true regardless of whether you are filing a Form I-485 (Application to Adjust Status) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or are applying for an immigrant visa at…

How to Apply for a China Notarial Birth Certificate

If you were born in Mainland China, you may need a notarial birth certificate (NBC) for purposes of applying for immigration or citizenship in another country, such as the United States, Canada, Italy, etc.

Updated USCIS Processing Times for I-130s and I-129Fs

Summary This article focuses on processing times for Forms I-130 (Petitions for Alien Relatives) on behalf of immediate relatives (i.e., spouses, parents, and children under age 21) and Forms I-129F (Petitions for Alien Fiancé(e)s) who will apply for their visas at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad. Table 1 below, based on our firm’s monthly check…

Guide to Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence

A spouse who immigrates based on marriage to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident will be granted conditional resident (CR) status if, at the time of admission as an immigrant, the marriage is less than two years old.

Visa Denied? Consider Requesting an Advisory Opinion from LegalNet

If your visa is denied, you may be confused and frustrated. And consular officers may be unwilling or unable to properly explain the grounds for refusal and your options for overcoming the refusal. There is no right to appeal a visa refusal. 9 FAM 103.4-1. Still, there may be several ways to challenge a visa…

Client Reviews

One of the most professional, dedicated, successful, detail-oriented law firms I have dealt with.

Stephanie Lippert

Gary and Linda did a great job and were always there to support us. They made sure all our paperwork was filed correctly and gave us many great tips. They greatly reduced our stress level. Any time we had a question or concern we could message Linda on WeChat and she would get back to us quickly. They helped my husband arrange all his documents perfectly which was very helpful during the interview. He was able to get his visa with no problems.

Megan

Very professional service with attentive and reassuring support throughout. The knowledgeable and consistent communication throughout the process was excellent to have. The fact that multiple members of the team felt invested in the case was also exactly what I needed.

Andrew B.

Gary Chodorow and Tang Yumei were very helpful in our K-1 (fiancée) visa application and subsequent marriage green card application. They showed extensive experience and knowledge of the immigration laws relevant to our cases. Their case schedule and meetings were clear, and they always kept us updated on the progress of the case. They made the complex application process simple and easy to understand, and our expectations always matched the results. Thank you.

Jacob & Jingzhu

[Gary’s] knowledge, expertise and professionalism were evident from the day we first met him…. He helped my wife overcome a US visa renewal crisis during a trip overseas. He represented her at the US embassy by calling the consular officer at what were ungodly hours in the US, and managed to succeed in presenting an oral and written argument that got her back. Having Gary on our side was the best thing that could have happened to us….

Source: LinkedIn

Dheeraj Raina, MD

Hafid_N-600_Natz

Gary Chodorow was the attorney for my J-1 waiver, H-1B, outstanding professor green card, and naturalization. Recently, he helped apply for certificates of citizenship (Form N-600K) for my children living in Paris. We couldn’t have achieved this without his expertise and guidance. We’re deeply grateful for the wonderful job he did. The above photo of the kids’ naturalization ceremony hangs in our living room.

Hafid

I have known Gary for many years. He has an in-depth understanding of the U.S. Consulates in China. Every time I have difficult issues with one of these consulates, Gary is the first person that I go to for assistance, and he has been extremely helpful. I highly recommend Gary to anyone who would like to negotiate the U.S. visa process in China.

Source: Avvo

Jared Leung, Immigration Attorney

Attorney Gary Chodorow represented me in applying for a visa at the U.S. Consulate in Shenyang. When the Consulate returned my passport, it was accompanied by a note thanking Gary for the “thorough and well-prepared” visa application. I’ve never heard of a consular officer sending out a thank-you note!

Wendy

I would like to personally thank you for this great source of information…. I wish I would have known three years ago what I’ve learned from reading your “Law and Border Blog.” It would have helped me make better decisions and avoid a lot of pain and travails….

Darren

Many thanks for all your help throughout the [U.S. family-sponsored immigration] process. You were very friendly, supportive and professional. You made a difficult task manageable. I am very happy to have completed the process within six months.

Catherine Platt

Gary Chodorow and his team provided support far beyond our expectations resulting in a K-1 visa for my Chinese fiancé. He and his team are experienced with the issues faced by international LGBT couples. Chodorow Law Offices is effective in working across language and cultural boundaries. I recommend them highly.

Source: Avvo

Kenneth

I found Chodorow Law Offices at a time when my US visa application was stuck in administrative processing as I was unable to provide a Chinese police clearance covering my period of residence in China more than 10 years ago. Gary and Linda managed not only to solve my problem quickly but also to restore something I was starting to lose: hope. Their work helped me reunite with my wife in the US. I’ve read somewhere that a lawyer can change people’s lives. Chodorow Law Offices did that for me.

Antonin

Thank you for your professional and timely management of my application for a China police clearance.

Ludivine Grippay

Gary Chodorow and Pete Zhang were a great help to me in getting an immigrant visa at the U.S. Embassy in London. The Embassy initially denied my application because the public security bureau in China refused to issue me a police clearance on the grounds that I lacked sufficient evidence of my residence there long ago. Then I hired Chodorow Law Offices. With attention to detail and expertise, Gary and Pete prepared evidence that persuaded the Embassy to waive the China police clearance requirement and approve my visa application. Thank you!

Marie Thomas

We worked with Chodorow Law Offices on my CR-1 immigrant visa application. The services provided by Gary Chodorow, Linda Tang, and Natalie Xin were very professional. They made a clear plan for my case and worked efficiently, preparing and checking each document very carefully. The staff is patient and friendly. Thank you for your hard work to help me get to the U.S. Here’s a photo at the airport in Boston after I entered with the CR-1 visa!

LIU Wenjing

Client Portal

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The ABC’s of U.S. Immigration Law

Are you looking to become more literate in the basics of U.S. immigration law and its jargon? Read here for the fundamentals of:

  • Who is a U.S. citizen?
  • What types of nonimmigrant visas are there?
  • How can one become an immigrant through employment or family?
  • How do employers verify that a new hire is eligible for employment in the U.S.?
  • Etc.