Facing removal proceedings, or ready to secure your status? Attorney Leo Korotkikh represents immigrants and their families nationwide — immigration law is federal, so we can take your case from any state. Flat fees quoted up front for most matters, in English, Spanish, and Russian.
Free · No obligation · Available 24/7 · English · Español · Русский
How we help
From emergency removal defense to the day you take the citizenship oath — one attorney, one strategy, start to finish.
Full defense in immigration court: responding to the Notice to Appear, bond hearings to get you or your family member released from detention, cancellation of removal, adjustment in proceedings, and appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). We appear before immigration courts nationwide.
Affirmative applications with USCIS and defensive asylum in removal proceedings, plus withholding of removal and CAT protection. We build the declaration, country-conditions evidence, and corroboration that these cases live or die on — and prepare you thoroughly for the interview or hearing.
Family-based petitions, marriage green cards, adjustment of status inside the U.S., consular processing abroad, and the waivers that solve inadmissibility problems before they become denials. We tell you honestly which path is faster and safer for your facts.
N-400 applications, eligibility review — including the careful screening that matters if you have any criminal history — interview and civics test preparation, and citizenship through parents. Naturalizing is the last immigration form you'll ever file; we make sure it's done right.
Confidential VAWA self-petitions for abused spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens and residents — plus U visas for crime victims and other humanitarian relief. Learn about VAWA self-petitions →
That's the consultation. We review your history, flag the risks, and map every form of relief available to you — before you file anything. Start with a free case review →
Why timing matters
Asylum generally must be filed within one year of arrival. A missed immigration court hearing can produce a removal order in your absence. BIA appeals have a strict 30-day window. And every year of continuous presence, every entry, and every conviction changes which relief you can get.
The best time to see an immigration lawyer is before you file anything or miss anything. The second-best time is now.
What to expect
Immigration cases are marathons with sprint-deadlines inside them. Here's how we run yours.
Your history, entries, family, and any court or criminal record — reviewed honestly, with every option and risk on the table. Flat fee quoted before you commit.
Forms, declarations, country evidence, waivers — prepared thoroughly, because thin filings create denials and delays.
We prepare you personally for the USCIS interview or court hearing — and we're beside you when it happens.
Approval, next steps, and if a judge rules against you — appeals to the BIA and federal court where the case warrants it.
Why Viking Law Firm
Attorney Leo Korotkikh handles immigration cases personally — not a case mill, not a notario. Meet Attorney Leo Korotkikh →
Asylum, bond hearings, green cards, citizenship, and most motions are flat-fee — you know the full cost before you decide. Appeals are hourly, explained in advance.
Consultations and case work in English, Spanish, and Russian — your declaration says what you actually mean.
Appearances before immigration courts across the country, the BIA, USCIS — and federal court when a case calls for it.
Immigration cases are family cases. We plan filings so one person's case helps — never hurts — another's.
Recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers.
Frequently asked
General information only — not legal advice for your specific case. Contact us for a free, confidential consultation.
Ask us your own question →Don't panic, and don't ignore it. An NTA means the government has started removal proceedings — but it's the beginning of a court process, not a deportation order. Note the hearing date (or check it if the notice says "to be determined"), never miss a hearing, and get a lawyer before your first appearance so relief options can be preserved from day one.
It depends on where the case stands. Before a final order: apply for relief — asylum, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, or waivers. After an order: appeal to the BIA within 30 days, or in some cases file a motion to reopen or reconsider. If you were ordered removed for missing a hearing you never knew about, that too may be reopenable. The facts decide the path — bring us every document.
A defense that can end removal proceedings with a green card. For non-permanent residents it generally requires 10 years of continuous presence, good moral character, and exceptional hardship to a U.S. citizen or resident spouse, parent, or child. Long-term green card holders have a separate version with 7-year/5-year rules. Eligibility is technical — a consultation settles it quickly.
You may qualify if you fear persecution in your home country because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. The general rule is filing within one year of your last arrival, with limited exceptions for changed or extraordinary circumstances. Asylum can be filed affirmatively with USCIS or defensively in court — and a strong declaration with corroborating evidence is what wins these cases.
A U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse files the I-130 petition; if you're in the U.S. and eligible, you file adjustment of status (I-485) — often with work authorization while it's pending. If you're abroad or ineligible to adjust, the case goes through consular processing. Expect a genuine-marriage evidence package and an interview. Marriages under two years old at approval get conditional status, removed later with the I-751.
Adjustment of status happens inside the U.S. — you stay here while the green card is processed. Consular processing happens at a U.S. consulate in your home country. Which one you can (and should) use depends on how you entered, your status history, and whether leaving would trigger a re-entry bar that needs a waiver first. This choice is where mistakes get expensive — get advice before filing.
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, minor children, parents) have no visa queue — the process runs as fast as USCIS processing, typically around a year or more. Other categories (siblings, adult children, spouses of residents) wait in preference-category lines that can run several years to decades depending on category and country. We map your realistic timeline at the consultation.
Not without advance permission. Leaving while adjustment of status is pending — without an approved advance parole document — is generally treated as abandoning the application, and for some applicants departure triggers re-entry bars. Always get travel cleared by your lawyer before booking anything.
Sometimes — but never blindly. Naturalization requires good moral character, and some offenses are temporary obstacles while others are permanent bars or, worse, can expose you to removal when USCIS reviews your history. The record review must come before the N-400 is filed. We screen your full history first and tell you honestly whether — and when — to apply.
Generally: five years as a permanent resident (three if married to and living with a U.S. citizen), physical presence and continuous residence, good moral character, passing the English and civics tests, and taking the oath. Most cases run from filing to oath in well under a year. We prepare you for the interview so there are no surprises.
At Viking Law Firm, most matters — asylum, bond hearings, green cards, citizenship, motions — are flat fees quoted at your consultation, so you know the total before committing. Appeals are hourly, explained in advance. The consultation itself is free, and payment plans are discussed case by case.
Use your receipt number at the USCIS online case status tool, or create a USCIS account for detailed updates. For our clients, we track every receipt and deadline ourselves — and follow up on cases that sit outside normal processing times, including with service requests and, where justified, mandamus in federal court.
Free consultation
Free and confidential. Whether it's a hearing date, a green card, asylum, or citizenship — we'll review your case and give you a straight answer, in English, Spanish, or Russian.