Esther Olivares | Spokane Immigration Lawyer

Our law firm represented a client who had been in the United States for over 25 years on a E2 immigrant visa. He was stuck renewing his visa every two years with no end in sight. He and his family had built a life in the U.S.. The client ran his business, owned a house, car, and paid taxes without ever receiving a tax return or becoming eligible for permanent residency. He carried the stress of not knowing if the U.S. government would eventually stop renewing his visa at anytime. After a few years of being in the U.S., the client had been sponsored by a U.S. citizen sister, who passed away after she filed an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative that had been approved, but before the visa bulletin board became current so that he could apply to adjust his status. Generally, when a petitioner dies the petition dies with them, leaving the beneficiary without any avenues to pursue. In addition, for this specific category, it takes more than 20 years for a visa to become available. However, due to a change in law in 2009-2010 by the Obama Administration, petitions that had died with the petitioners were brought back to life. After our client had given up all hope to ever become a permanent resident of the U.S., attorney Esther Olivares, worked with the client and prepared his case for adjustment of status through the special process called relief for reinstatement. Also, we were able to add his wife\'s case as a derivative beneficiary so that she too could become a permanent resident. In early 2021, USCIS approved his case and soon thereafter sent them their green cards. Today, he and his wife are no longer bound by the restrictive boundaries of an E2 visa and after many long years of owning a restaurant, they have closed their business and have officially retired.

I believe that building a successful practice takes many years and cannot be done overnight like anything else. However, I believe that my passion for helping families who are dealing with immigration issues drives my work and my creativity to finding solutions to their problems.

There are three big bullet points I suggest keeping in mind when looking for legal representation: (1)Explaining thoroughly the process for which you are seeking help; (2) communicates clearly what his role is and provides written notice of it; (3) is upfront about the fees and provides you with a written copy.

Local knowledge helps in the sense that it gives you a better understanding of who your audience is. What i mean by that is in immigration cases, it helps to know the officers at the local USCIS office who interview your clients. Every person is different: we carry out tasks differently, we approach a situation differently, and we handle problems differently, so knowing what to expect from USCIS officers is an advantage to helping prepare your client for their interview.

At this time, I am not doing free consultations. However, if you schedule a consultation and you decide to move forward with your case, the consultation fee is credited to the total amount of the case.

Generally, I like to see any documents issued by USCIS such as a visa, green card, I-94, or any correspondence received from the government. If there are criminal issues involved, I like to get copies of the person\'s entire criminal record especially the charging document and the final disposition of the case. I do require certified copies when accepting a case.

I believe that my passion, energy, and vision for dealing with an old immigration system in a more modern and creative way gives me an edge over other attorneys in my community. For example, the majority of my job entails proving facts through documentation. In today\'s world there are myriad of options for obtaining records- thanks to technology. Many attorneys in immigration are accustom to using old resources-medical providers, academic records, government agency records, etc. The younger generation is using social media, email receipts, apps. Another example is legal research. The seasoned attorney will rely on LexisNexis, WestLaw, law books. The younger generation knows that a good start to legal search begins with Google followed up by free resources provided by non-profits such as ilrc.org, catholiccharities.com,etc. By using alternative legal resources, younger generations are able to cut overhead costs and make legal services more accessible to the immigrant population.

The most rewarding aspect of my job is seeing the happiness and the relief my clients feel when they obtain their immigration benefits.

I like exploring my community with my family- from parks, hiking trails, lakes, to locally own restaurants, farmer markets, coffee shops.

Prior to COVID-19 I worked closely with other attorneys providing free legal clinics offered by World Relief Spokane and Gonzaga University School of Law. I also volunteer at my local church as a guest service personnel by providing coffee to our guest.

• Member | South Carolina State Bar Association

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