IMMIGRATION LAWS (FOCUS: USA)

JA Legal’s immigration law services cover five interconnected functions, including:

• Visa & Immigration Petitions: Filing and managing immigrant and non-immigrant visa petitions, including family-based, employment-based, and diversity visa categories under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
• Rights Protection: Ensuring clients receive due process, equal protection, and constitutional protections under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, alongside statutory rights under 8 U.S.C. § 1229a.
• Legal Consultation: Providing case-specific legal advice on visa strategy, admissibility issues, status adjustment options, deportation defense considerations, and overall immigration case strategy.
• Court & Agency Representation: Representing clients before all relevant adjudicating bodies, including USCIS, Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Post-Order Relief: Advising and representing clients on appeals, motions to reopen, motions to reconsider, and other remedies before the BIA, Circuit Courts, and federal district courts following adverse immigration orders.

What Are the Stages of a U.S. Immigration Case?

A U.S. immigration case is governed primarily by the Immigration and Nationality Act, 1952 (“INA”), read together with the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 8 (“8 CFR”) and the Immigration Court Practice Manual issued by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR”).

The principal stages, in their proper procedural order, are set out below.

What Immigration Law Services Are Offered by JA Legal?

JA Legal advises and represents clients across the full spectrum of immigration law in the United States, with a practice covering family-based immigration, employment visas, deportation defense, asylum, and naturalization under the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”). 

The firm’s immigration attorneys appear before USCIS, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals.

The firm’s immigration law practice is organized into the following five principal service areas:

Detailed Description of Each Immigration Law Service Area

1. Visa Applications and Status Advisory

JA Legal advises clients at the earliest stages of an immigration matter, including upon initiation of a visa petition, receipt of a Request for Evidence (RFE), or change of immigration status. The practice in this area includes:

• Nonimmigrant visa petitions including H-1B, L-1, O-1, F-1, B-1/B-2, and TN categories under INA § 101(a)(15)
• Immigrant visa petitions including EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and EB-5 categories under INA § 203
• Change of nonimmigrant status applications (Form I-539) and extension of stay petitions filed with USCIS
• Responses to Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs) issued by USCIS under 8 C.F.R. § 103.2(b)(8)
• Advisory on visa eligibility, admissibility bars under INA § 212, and waivers of inadmissibility under INA § 212(d)
• Advisory on Visa Bulletin priority dates, National Visa Center (NVC) processing, and consular interview preparation

2. Deportation Defense and Removal Proceedings

JA Legal represents respondents in removal proceedings before Immigration Courts under EOIR jurisdiction across the United States. Representation extends from the initial master calendar hearing through the individual merits hearing, and includes:

• Motions to terminate or administratively close removal proceedings before Immigration Judges under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.29
• Applications for cancellation of removal for lawful permanent residents under INA § 240A(a) and for non-permanent residents under INA § 240A(b)
• Adjustment of status applications as a defense to removal under INA § 245 before the Immigration Court
• Voluntary departure applications under INA § 240B at the conclusion of proceedings
• Cross-examination of DHS Trial Attorney witnesses and submission of country condition evidence
• Defense in cases involving criminal grounds of deportability under INA § 237(a)(2), including aggravated felony, controlled substance, and crime of moral turpitude charges

3. Asylum, Refugee Status, and Humanitarian Relief

JA Legal represents applicants in affirmative and defensive asylum proceedings, as well as related humanitarian immigration benefits. This includes:

• Affirmative asylum applications (Form I-589) filed with USCIS Asylum Offices under INA § 208(a)
• Defensive asylum claims before Immigration Courts as a defense to removal under 8 C.F.R. § 1208
• Withholding of Removal applications under INA § 241(b)(3) based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or particular social group
• Convention Against Torture (CAT) protection claims under 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(c)
• Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) petitions under INA § 101(a)(27)(J) for abused, neglected, or abandoned minors
• U visa petitions (Form I-918) for victims of qualifying crimes under INA § 101(a)(15)(U) and T visa petitions for trafficking victims under INA § 101(a)(15)(T)
• VAWA self-petitions under 34 U.S.C. § 12291 for abused spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents

4. Family-Based Immigration and Adjustment of Status

Where family relationships qualify a beneficiary for immigrant classification, JA Legal files and conducts immigrant petitions on behalf of petitioners and beneficiaries. This area of practice includes:

• I-130 Immigrant Petitions for Alien Relatives for immediate relatives and family preference categories under INA § 203(a)
• Adjustment of Status applications (Form I-485) filed with USCIS under INA § 245, including concurrent filing where Visa Bulletin dates permit
• Consular processing and DS-260 immigrant visa applications through the National Visa Center and U.S. embassies abroad
• Applications for advance parole (Form I-131) and employment authorization (Form I-765) filed concurrently with I-485
• Waivers of inadmissibility including I-601 and I-601A provisional unlawful presence waivers under INA § 212(a)(9)(B)
• Representation of petitioners and beneficiaries at USCIS interviews and responses to post-interview Requests for Evidence

5. Appeals, Motions, and Federal Court Remedies

JA Legal represents clients in post-decision proceedings before the BIA, federal circuit courts, and U.S. District Courts. The scope of this practice includes:

• Immigration appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.3 challenging Immigration Judge decisions on removal, asylum, and adjustment of status
• Motions to Reopen under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.23 based on new evidence or changed country conditions, and Motions to Reconsider based on legal error
• Petitions for Review before the U.S. Courts of Appeals under INA § 242, challenging final orders of removal
• Habeas corpus petitions under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 in U.S. District Court challenging unlawful or prolonged immigration detention
• Mandamus actions under 28 U.S.C. § 1361 in U.S. District Court compelling USCIS to adjudicate unreasonably delayed applications
• Motions to Reopen in absentia removal orders under INA § 240(b)(5)(C) where lack of notice or exceptional circumstances caused non-appearance

What is the Fee Structure for Immigration Law Services at JA Legal?

Professional fees in immigration matters are determined on a case-by-case basis, having regard to the visa category, complexity of the application, the adjudicating authority, anticipated processing duration, and the seniority of counsel engaged.

 Fees in a matter involving removal defense before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), such as deportation proceedings under 8 U.S.C. § 1229a, materially differ from those payable in a routine family-based petition under INA § 201.

An indicative summary of the firm’s fee structure for the year 2026 is set out below. Final fee quotations are confirmed in writing via an engagement letter at the outset of the retainer.

How to Engage JA Legal in a Immigration(USA) Matter

Prospective clients may engage with the firm through either of the two following channels:

• In-person consultation at the firm’s office in Karachi (suitable for clients based in Karachi or those able to travel);
• Online or virtual consultation (suitable for clients based elsewhere in Pakistan or overseas).

Online and Virtual Consultations

JA Legal offers online and virtual consultations of up to thirty (30) minutes for clients who are unable to attend the firm’s Karachi office in person. The first such consultation is offered without charge. Appointments may be scheduled through any of the following:

• The contact form available on the firm’s website
• WhatsApp
• Direct telephone call through the firm’s Google Business Profile.

What is the process to schedule an online JA Legal appointment?

There are 5 simple steps to book your 30-minute online consultation with the JA Legal lawyer team.

• Contact via website, WhatsApp, or directly call from GMB(Google My Business profile)
• Provide a short description of the criminal matter, the type of offense you are facing
• Confirm your appointment date, time, and consultation fee structure with the JA Legal intake team.
• Confirm the availability of the JA Legal lawyer team on the same day as your meeting is scheduled.
• Prepare the relevant documents that convey your case details, including a copy of the FIR, arrest record, and court notices.

Notable Representations in Criminal Matters

Over the years, members of the firm have had the privilege of appearing in a number of criminal matters that have attracted considerable public and judicial attention, several of which have raised questions of constitutional importance or contributed to the development of criminal jurisprudence in Pakistan.

 A selection of those matters is set out below, not by way of self-promotion, but to give some sense of the nature and texture of the work the firm has been called upon to undertake.

Reference Concerning the Late Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

The firm appeared in the Presidential Reference seeking reconsideration of the trial and conviction of the late Prime Minister, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The arguments advanced in the Reference proceeded on the footing that the original trial had not satisfied the standards of a fair trial, and that the conviction could not, in those circumstances, be regarded as having been arrived at in accordance with law. 

Beyond its historical resonance, the Reference raised questions of enduring constitutional significance concerning the right to a fair trial, due process, and the manner in which the judicial record of an earlier era may be revisited.

Mustafa Amir Murder Case

The firm represented the complainant side in the murder trial concerning the death of Mr. Mustafa Amir, a matter that drew sustained national attention. Beyond the facts, the case engaged broader concerns about the responsiveness of the criminal justice system to victims and their families, the integrity of the investigation, and the procedural safeguards that ought to attend a high-profile prosecution.

Shehzad Kaleh Khan Case

 The firm appeared before the Honorable High Court in the Shehzad Kaleh Khan matter, in proceedings that resulted in a judgment of significant precedential value. The case turned on questions which have since been relied upon in subsequent matters of a similar character.

Rao Anwar Murder Trial

 The firm represented the accused in the Rao Anwar matter, a trial that was followed closely both within and beyond the legal community on account of the sensitivities involved. The defense was conducted strictly on procedural and evidentiary lines, and the trial concluded in an acquittal. 

The matter was, in its conduct as much as in its outcome, a reminder that even the most publicly scrutinized prosecution must rise or fall on the strength of the evidence led in court.

Umme Rabab Case

 The firm represented a politically prominent figure in the Umme Rabab murder trial, a matter that attracted nationwide attention and prompted public discourse on questions of justice, the exercise of influence, and the operation of due process in cases involving persons of consequence.

 The conduct of the defense sought to ensure that the matter was tried on its legal merits, free from extraneous considerations.

Nasla Tower Proceedings

The firm represented a senior bureaucrat in proceedings arising out of the Nasla Tower demolition, a matter that engaged not only criminal and regulatory questions but also broader issues of urban planning, accountability of public functionaries, and the limits of executive action. A favorable outcome was secured for the client.