Carl Shusterman

Carl Shusterman is one of the top immigration lawyers in the United States, representing corporate and individual clients across the country and around the world.

He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the National Law Journal and dozens of other national and international media outlets. His website, https://www.shusterman.com, is a virtual encyclopedia of U.S. Immigration Laws and Procedures.

Immigration Attorney Carl Shusterman has over 40 years of experience practicing immigration law. He served as a Trial Attorney for U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) from 1976 until 1982 when he entered the private practice of law. He is one of the very limited number of attorneys who have been designated as Certified Specialists in Immigration and Naturalization Law by the California State Bar. For more than 10 years, he has been voted as one of the Best Lawyers in America and as a Super Lawyer by his colleagues in the bar.

Carl was featured in the February 2018 issue of Super Lawyers Magazine.

Carl has been named as one of the top 15 corporate immigration attorneys in the U.S. by Human Resource Executive magazine. His hard work and dedication to immigration law have earned him the highest rating (“AV”) in legal ability and ethics from the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory. He has also served as a member of the Immigration and Nationality Law Advisory Commission for the State Bar. Carl is also listed in The International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers and the Chamber’s USA Guide for Leading Business Lawyers.

Carl has testified as an expert witness before the Senate Immigration Subcommittee in Washington, D.C.

University of California - Los Angeles

J.D. (1973) | Law

1970 - 1973

Honors: Selected for Law Review

Activities: Law Clerk for Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights under Law; Legal Assistant to Law Professor Gary Schwartz

Of Counsel

JR Immigration Law

2020 - Current

Mr. Shusterman is a Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law, State Bar of California. He has earned the highest rating ("AV") in legal ability and ethics from the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory. Mr Shusterman has served as a member of the Immigration and Nationality Law Advisory Commission for the State Bar. Year after year, he has been voted as a Super Lawyer by his colleagues in the bar. He is listed in the Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition. For more than 10 years, Mr. Shusterman has been voted as one of the Best Lawyers in America . He is listed in The International Who's Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers .

Managing Attorney

Law Office of Carl Shusterman

1989 - 2020

INS Attorney

U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service

1976 - 1982

Represented the U.S. government in Federal Court. Conducted naturalization and derivative citizenship hearings as well as marraige and adjustment of status interviews. Also, represented the goverment in deportation and exclusion hearings before Immigration Judges.

Immigration Lawyer

Law Office of Carl Shusterman

August 5, 2022

Visa Bulletin

Law Office of Carl Shusterman

August 4, 2022

US Immigration Videos

Carl Shusterman

August 1, 2022

How to Get US Citizenship through Parents & Grandparents

Carl Shusterman

July 4, 2022

Naturalization - How to Become a US Citizen

Carl Shusterman

June 4, 2022

Child Status Protection Act, AILA National Conference, San Francisco

June 21, 2018

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Certified Specialist in Immigration Law

State Bar of California

SuperLawyer (2004 - Present)

Law and Politics

2004

In selecting attorneys for Super Lawyers, Law & Politics employs a rigorous, multiphase process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with third party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. Since Super Lawyers is intended to be used as an aid in the selection of a lawyer, we limit the list to attorneys who can be hired and retained by the public, i.e., lawyers in private practice and Legal Aid attorneys. The Super Lawyers selection process involves three basic steps: creation of the candidate pool; evaluation of candidates by the research department; and peer evaluation by practice area.

AV Rating (2000-Present)

Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory

2000

General Ethical Standards Rating The General Ethical Standards rating denotes adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities. Those lawyers who meet the "Very High" criteria of General Ethical Standards can proceed to the next step in the ratings process. Legal Ability Ratings For lawyers rated with the changed methodology, Legal Ability ratings will now indicate professional ability within a specific area of practice. Legal Ability ratings are based on performance in five key areas, rated on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest). These areas are: Legal Knowledge - Lawyer's familiarity with the laws governing his/her specific area of practice(s) Analytical Capabilities - Lawyer's creativity in analyzing legal issues and applying technical knowledge Judgment - Lawyer's demonstration of the salient factors that drive the outcome of a given case or issue. Communication Ability - Lawyer's capability to communicate persuasively and credibly Legal Experience - Lawyer's degree of experience in his/her specific area of practice(s)

Best Lawyers in America (2000-Present)

Best Lawyers in America

2000

For a quarter of a century, Best Lawyers has been regarded – by both the profession and the public – as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. Because selection to Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive and rigorous peer-review survey (comprising more than 2.8 million confidential evaluations by your fellow top attorneys) and because no fee or purchase is required to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is rightly considered a singular honor. Our annual, advertisement-free publication has been described by The American Lawyer as “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

Certified Specialist in Immigration Law (1988 - Present)

State Bar of California

1988

A Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law must have: (1) Passed an written examination in immigration and nationality law; (2) Demonstrated a high level of expertise in immigration and nationality law; (3) Fulfilled ongoing educational requirements; and (4) Been favorably evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with his work.

American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

Member, National Board of Governors

1988 - 1997

Activities: Served as the Chairman of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Southern California Chapter (1988) Was elected to serve on the National Board of Governors (1988-97) Have spoken at AILA national, state and local conferences for more than 20 years. Have contributed numerous articles to AILA publications.

American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

Member of National Board of Governors

1988 - 1997

Activities: Served as the Chairman of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Southern California Chapter (1988) Was elected to serve on the National Board of Governors (1988-97) Have spoken at AILA national, state and local conferences for more than 20 years. Have contributed numerous articles to AILA publications.

California

Since 1973

6th Circuit

Since 2004

7th Circuit

Since 2000

9th Circuit

Since 1982

U.S. Supreme Court

Since 1982

• Credit Cards Accepted

Immigration Law

Asylum, Citizenship, Deportation Defense, Family Visas, Green Cards, Immigration Appeals, Investment Visas, Marriage & Fiancé(e) Visas, Student Visas, Visitor Visas, Work Visas

Q. What happens to my 129-F application if my fiancé and I decide to register our marriage in their country instead?

August 3, 2022

A: Once you get married, you fiance visa petition will be a thing of the past. You will need to sponsor your spouse for a green card. A green card through marriage to a US citizen is the most common way to become a permanent resident. The spouse of a US citizen is an “immediate relative”. This means that there is no limit on the number of people who can obtain green cards through marriage to US citizens. The US citizen starts the process by submitting a form I-130 visa petition on behalf of his/her spouse. If the spouse entered the US lawfully, he/she can file for Adjustment of Status (Form I-485) at the same time and get a green card without having to leave the US. If your spouse is outside the US: The process begins when the US citizen spouse submits a visa petition to the USCIS. The same items which are listed above should be attached to the I-130 form plus government filing fees. Once the I-130 is approved, the foreign-born spouse will receive a packet from the US National Visa Center (NVC). The packet will list various documents which must be submitted to the NVC (e.g., passport, police clearances, results of medical examinations, etc.). The packet also includes certain forms which must be completed. A check for filing fees is required. Usually, the foreign-born spouse is interviewed and granted an immigrant visa within a few months of your submission of the required documents to the NVC.

Q. Will a person with H1-B visa (cap-subject; approved I-140) need to ever go through lottery while changing employers?

August 3, 2022

A: The issue is whether you previously were selected in the H-1B lottery. If so, you do not need to go through the H-1B lottery again. However, if you did not go through the H-1B lottery because your previous H-1B employers was cap-exempt, you will have to go through the lottery if you wish to work for an employer who is subject to the H-1B cap Please see https://www.shusterman.com/h1b-visa-professional-model/ and https://www.shusterman.com/h-1b-visa-cap-exempt/

Q. Can holders of L1A/L2 travel abroad without penalty while I-485 is being processed?

August 3, 2022

A: An L-1 visaholder can travel abroad while their AOS application is pending. Please see https://www.shusterman.com/l1-visa-executives-managers/