Gleckman & Sinder is the Los Angeles area’s premier immigration law firm.
With more than 60 years of combined immigration experience, our firm has a solid understanding of complex federal immigration laws and how to navigate the inherent bureaucracy and paperwork.
Whether clients require assistance with permanent immigration / residency issues, temporary / non-immigrant visas, or defense of deportation / removal, they seek our counsel because they trust us to provide security and stability during a difficult process.
Because we focus exclusively on citizenship and immigration law, clients know our attorneys will not be distracted by other priorities. Immigration law is all we do. Period.
Firm Overview
At Gleckman & Sinder, we firmly believe that our superior representation and service will help more people enjoy the benefits and privileges of living in the United States.We strive every day and with every client to uphold the highest standards of professionalism. We put clients’ priorities first.
The firm helps resolve:
- Permanent immigration / residency issues involving family-based petitions and employment-based petitions, including labor certification and designation as an international business executive.
- Temporary / non-immigrant issues on behalf of professionals, international business executives and investors who own businesses in the United States.
- Deportation / removal actions.
Our success can be measured by the thousands of clients across the country whom we’ve helped to immigrate or whose deportation we’ve prevented. For more than three decades, international business executives, professionals, employers, employees and families have counted on our unparalleled expertise and knowledge to make immigration laws work for them.
Practice Areas
Permanent Immigration / Residency
The law firm of Gleckman & Sinder specializes exclusively in immigration law. We fully understand the Immigration and Nationality Act, which sets forth the process for obtaining a permanent resident card or a green card. We have helped thousands of employers, employees and families across the country resolve residency and citizenship issues.Employment-based petitions
Our firm assists foreign nationals who have an opportunity for permanent employment in the United States and employers who want to sponsor someone for permanent residence. We help determine if the prospective employee is qualified as an EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4 or EB-5 worker. These designations determine the order of preference for obtaining an immigrant visa number. The government limits the number of visas issued each year.We then submit a permanent labor certification (PERM) request to the U.S. Department of Labor and an immigrant visa petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). We will help foreign nationals file for the required immigrant visa number from the U.S. State Department. Our attorneys also can advise regarding working or traveling while an application is pending, and handle claims stemming from violations of work and travel limitations.
Our firm also deftly handles appeals of petition, waiver and green card denials.
EB-1 Priority workers
- Foreign nationals of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics
- Foreign national that are outstanding professors or researchers
- Foreign nationals that are managers and executives subject to
international transfer to the United States
- Foreign nationals of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business
- Foreign nationals that are advanced degree professionals
- Qualified alien physicians who will practice medicine in an
area of the U.S. which is underserved.
- Foreign national professionals with bachelor's degrees (not qualifying for a higher preference category)
- Foreign national skilled workers (minimum two years training and experience)
- Foreign national unskilled workers
- Foreign national religious workers
- Employees and former employees of the U.S. Government abroad
- Foreign national engaged in new commercial venture
Gleckman & Sinder has extensive experience bringing family members to live and work in the United States. Our firm helps with the petitioning process and with any dispute that arises.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents who wish to bring a relative to the United States must submit a petition to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which must approve the petition. The prospective immigrant must then obtain a visa number from the U.S. Department of State. The number of visas available each year is limited by the government, and it could take years to obtain one.
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, including parents, spouses and unmarried children under age 21 do not have to wait for an immigrant visa number. They are provided numbers immediately. Relatives who do not fit into that category must wait for a visa to become available. The government has established the following order of preference:
- First Preference: Unmarried, adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. Adult means 21 years of age or older.
- Second Preference: Spouses of lawful permanent residents, and the unmarried sons and daughters (regardless of age) of lawful permanent residents and their children.
- Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, their spouses and their minor children.
- Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of adult U.S.
citizens, their spouses and their minor children
Temporary / Non-Immigrant Issues
Gleckman & Sinder helps professionals, international business executives and foreign investors obtain temporary visas to permit them to live and work for a time in the United States.Employers must file a petition to hire a foreign national as a temporary worker. A Department of Labor certificate may be required before the petition can be filed. Once the petition is approved, the prospective worker must obtain a visa.
The most common type of work visa is the H-1B, which permits a maximum stay of six years. The number of new H-1B visas issued each year is limited. Applicants must have a four-year college degree or equivalent.
We will help file for appropriate waivers and stay extensions and appeal when documents have been denied.
Foreign investors and owners of U.S. businesses can also petition for a non-immigrant visa. The L-1 visa permits a foreign manager, executive or person with specialized knowledge to work in their company’s U.S. office or affiliate. An L-1 visa permits a stay of five to seven years, depending on the nature of the position.
Foreign investors from countries that have certain trade agreements with the United States can qualify for a non-immigrant E class visa. The visa is issued for two years and is renewable.
The E1 Treaty Trader visa requires that the foreign national trading company must be engaged in substantial trade principally with the United States. The E2 visa is reserved for aliens who have an active and substantial investment in the United States that is not marginal.
Deportation / Removal
Facing deportation can be frustrating and frightening. But a removal action by the government does not have to result in expulsion. Gleckman & Sinder has successfully represented thousands of people before the U.S. Immigration Court and Board of Immigration Appeals. Through affirmative defenses and waivers, we have helped clients remain in the United States.Our significant experience and success also extends to clients facing deportation or other visa consequences resulting from criminal charges. Criminal defendants and their attorneys routinely rely on our counsel to help prevent removal as a result of criminal charges.
