The Immigration Lawyers Podcast | Discussing Visas, Green Cards & Citizenship: Practice & Policy

John Khosravi, Esq.

In Depth Discussions, Interviews and Legal Analysis of Immigration Law and Practice with Professionals in the Field, with Host John Khosravi, Esq. IMPORTANT WARNING: This show is not meant to be legal advice and is informational only. Please contact an attorney in private for more information. This is an Attorney Advertising.

  1. Oct 12

    #498 Decades Inside DHS, DOS & the Visa Bulletin with Nicholas Perry, Esq.

    What really happens on the other side of the immigration system? In Episode 498, John Q. Khosravi, Esq. sits down with Nicholas Perry, Esq., a former government attorney who has worked at nearly every corner of the immigration bureaucracy: INS, ICE, USCIS, DHS Office of the General Counsel, EOIR and the State Department Visa Office. Nick shares what it was like to write the STEM OPT regulations, why the 2017 travel ban rollout was chaos from the inside, how the Dates for Filing chart came to life in the Visa Bulletin, and why TRIG exemptions are one of the most underused tools in immigration law. If you've ever wondered how the policies you deal with every day actually get made, this one is for you.   (1) Learn more about eimmigration: https://get.eimmigration.com/ILT (2) Start your law firm Marketing: ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com/Constellation   TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 01:21 Immigration Lawyers Toolbox Magazine 02:33 The new ILT Chrome extension 04:12 Meet Nicholas Perry, Esq. 05:03 From tour guide to congressional immigration caseworker 06:02 First job at EOIR 06:45 INS attorney in San Francisco and El Paso during 9/11 07:31 ICE and USCIS national security work 07:57 Seven years at DHS Office of the General Counsel 09:07 Writing the STEM OPT regulations 09:33 How a regulation actually gets made 11:03 Public charge, H-2A, H-2B and EB-5 rules 12:33 The new I-864 and skipping notice and comment 13:04 Working in the State Department Visa Office 13:47 The 2017 travel ban from the inside 15:42 Administrative processing and security advisory opinions 17:11 ILT Community and Constellation 18:37 Nebraska Service Center years 19:43 Changing administrations and early retirement 21:12 Launching Perry Immigration Law 22:36 How the Visa Bulletin works behind the scenes 23:55 Creating the Dates for Filing chart 25:58 How policy decisions reach the Visa Bulletin 26:46 TRIG and Iranian cases 27:25 What TRIG covers under INA 212(a)(3)(B) 28:33 TRIG exemptions and why they're underused 30:58 Final thoughts and how to reach Nick Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Music | YouTube Get a free website (first 10 sign-ups) and special pricing on marketing for your firm from Constellation Follow eimmigration by Cerenade: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn Start your Business Immigration Practice! (US LAWYERS ONLY - SCREENING REQUIRED): E-2 Course EB-1A Course Get the Toolbox Magazine!  Join our community (Lawyers Only) Get Started in Immigration Law! The Marriage/Family-Based Green Card course is for you Our Website: ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com Not legal advice. Consult with an Attorney. Attorney Advertisement. #podcaster #Lawyer #ImmigrationLawyer #Interview #Immigration #ImmigrationAttorney #USImmigration #ImmigrationLaw #ImmigrationLawyersToolbox

    #498 Decades Inside DHS, DOS & the Visa Bulletin with Nicholas Perry, Esq.

  2. Oct 7

    #497 Scaling to 65 Employees, Daily TikTok & Federal Court with Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez, Esq.

    In Episode 497 of the Immigration Lawyers Toolbox Podcast, John Q. Khosravi, Esq. sits down with Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez, Esq., a Miami immigration attorney with 23 years of experience who has grown her full service firm from 7 people during Covid to 65 employees today. Saman shares her story, from growing up in East Texas as the daughter of Iranian parents who came to the U.S. on student visas in 1971, to graduating law school at 22, closing her first firm because she wasn't ready yet, and relaunching it in 2009. She explains how she committed to posting a video every day on TikTok for three straight years, why being accessible to clients has been her biggest draw, and how hiring a COO, CFO, IT director and client relations team let her step away from day to day business decisions so she could focus on practicing law. She also talks about her firm's pivot into federal litigation for family based petitions and removal cases going into 2027. (1) Learn more about eimmigration: https://get.eimmigration.com/ILT (2) Start your law firm Marketing: ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com/Constellation Timestamps: 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 01:56 ILT Chrome Extension: N400 & I751 Calculators, PDF Creator 03:42 Growing Up in East Texas with Iranian Immigrant Parents 04:56 Choosing Immigration Law & Law School in Miami 06:54 NSEERS and the Post 9/11 Crackdown 07:41 Opening (and Closing) Her First Firm at 22 09:21 Relaunching Her Firm in 2009 10:17 Full Service: Every Practice Area Except Adoptions 11:34 How She Posts So Consistently on Social Media 14:52 TikTok, Covid & the Butcher Videos 17:06 ILT Community & Constellation 18:42 Posting Every Day for 3 Years Straight 19:54 Growing From 7 to 65 Employees 21:28 Hiring a COO, CFO & Business Team 24:40 Wearing the Lawyer Hat vs. the Business Hat 25:50 Pivoting to Federal Litigation Going Into 2027 27:42 How to Connect with Saman Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Music | YouTube Follow eimmigration by Cerenade: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn Start your Business Immigration Practice! (US LAWYERS ONLY - SCREENING REQUIRED): E-2 Course EB-1A Course Get the Toolbox Magazine!  Join our community (Lawyers Only) Get Started in Immigration Law! The Marriage/Family-Based Green Card course is for you Our Website: ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com Not legal advice. Consult with an Attorney. Attorney Advertisement. #podcaster #Lawyer #ImmigrationLawyer #Interview #Immigration #ImmigrationAttorney #USImmigration #ImmigrationLaw #ImmigrationLawyersToolbox

    #497 Scaling to 65 Employees, Daily TikTok & Federal Court with Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez, Esq.

  3. Oct 4

    #496 AI, the ABS Model & the Future of Immigration Practice with Jeff Joseph, Esq.

    What happens when a law firm has no partners, every lawyer owns shares, and AI prepares the first draft of the petition? In Episode #496 of The Immigration Lawyers Toolbox Podcast, John Q. Khosravi, Esq. talks with Jeff Joseph, Esq., past AILA President and now President of Immigration Strategy at Manifest Law, about how the firm is changing the business of immigration practice. Jeff explains Manifest's two-part structure: a technology company, Manifest OS, and a separate law firm whose attorneys own shares in it. The company raised about $72 million in its Series A at a valuation of over $750 million. He also covers the ABS model, why immigration was the strategic choice, how AI reviews filings and cut human error rates by 15%, the plan to expand into removal defense and family immigration, and what solo and small firms need to do to stay competitive over the next 2 to 3 years.   Timestamps 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 03:05 Welcome Jeff Joseph, Esq. 03:11 From his own firm to BAL to Manifest 03:37 What is Manifest Law? 04:46 Two companies, one mission: Manifest OS and the law firm 05:28 Attorney-led marketing 06:23 How Manifest attorneys earn: salary, origination and production credits 07:11 Two disruptions: AI and the ABS model 07:55 Why Manifest chose immigration 08:41 W-2 vs. 1099: B2C and B2B attorneys 09:31 Inside the technology: an H-1B case walkthrough 11:01 Is USCIS using AI too? 11:12 ILT Community and Constellation 12:58 AI reduced human error by 15% 13:21 Jeff's role: President of Immigration Strategy 13:59 Growth strategy heading into 2027 15:02 Expanding into removal defense and family 15:14 How cancellation of removal compares to an O-1 16:33 EOIR and ICE attorneys are using AI in court 16:50 Will Manifest license its technology? 17:22 The next 2 to 3 years for solo and small firms 18:28 Guardrails, and letting AI take the work lawyers hate 19:32 Stepping away from case work 20:07 Immigration practice keeps reinventing itself 20:51 How to connect with Jeff 21:21 Outro Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Music | YouTube  Get a free website (first 10 sign-ups) and special pricing on marketing for your firm from Constellation Follow eimmigration by Cerenade: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn Start your Business Immigration Practice! (US LAWYERS ONLY - SCREENING REQUIRED): E-2 Course EB-1A Course Get the Toolbox Magazine!  Join our community (Lawyers Only) Get Started in Immigration Law! The Marriage/Family-Based Green Card course is for you Our Website: ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com Not legal advice. Consult with an Attorney. Attorney Advertisement. #podcaster #Lawyer #ImmigrationLawyer #Interview #Immigration #ImmigrationAttorney #USImmigration #ImmigrationLaw #ImmigrationLawyersToolbox

    #496 AI, the ABS Model & the Future of Immigration Practice with Jeff Joseph, Esq.

  4. Sep 30

    #495 AI, Form Changes & Staying Sane in Immigration Practice w/ Ruby Powers, Esq.

    Ruby Powers, Esq. returns to the Immigration Lawyers Toolbox Podcast to talk with John Q. Khosravi, Esq. about running an immigration practice today. They cover why many law firm owners find they are the bottleneck in their own firm, how to build a team culture that actually uses the tech you pay for, and how AI can help lawyers digest long regulations and compare new form versions. They also get into vicarious trauma and resilience, the lasting effects of detention, Federal Tort Claims Act claims, growing processing delays and when mandamus makes sense, USCIS denials without RFEs, and the move toward online filing. Timestamps: 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 03:22 New DOS FOIA request form for community members 04:13 Ruby Powers joins the show 04:40 Inside the Denver law firm retreat 07:04 The big lesson: owners are the bottleneck 08:46 Tech stacks and tools firms aren't fully using 10:23 Small tech wins and building a kaizen culture 12:54 Keeping up with sudden policy changes 13:38 Form changes: I-864, I-485, I-539, I-765 14:19 Using AI to read regulations and compare form versions 16:19 AI and confidentiality concerns 17:04 AILA Fall Conference in Atlanta 18:26 AILA Texas chapter fall conference in Santa Fe 19:41 Wellness talk: saunas, steam rooms, and acupuncture 22:15 ILT community page and Constellation Marketing 23:49 Self care in a high-stress practice 24:46 AI and legal marketing: GEO vs. SEO 25:52 Tracking leads and marketing ROI 26:42 Why law firm owners should be on LinkedIn 28:52 Vicarious trauma and vicarious resilience 31:38 The trauma of detention and reentry 35:25 Federal Tort Claims Act claims 36:26 I-130 delays and mandamus 37:42 Immigration court and pending I-130s 38:55 The real cost of detention: habeas and bond 39:33 Voter registration and voting plans 41:33 Naturalization and adjustment delays 42:01 Myth: mandamus leads to retaliation 44:09 USCIS denials without RFEs 45:02 Moving to online filing 49:01 Outro Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Music | YouTube Get a free website (first 10 sign-ups) and special pricing on marketing for your firm from Constellation Follow eimmigration by Cerenade: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn Start your Business Immigration Practice! (US LAWYERS ONLY - SCREENING REQUIRED): E-2 Course EB-1A Course Get the Toolbox Magazine!  Join our community (Lawyers Only) Get Started in Immigration Law! The Marriage/Family-Based Green Card course is for you Our Website: ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com Not legal advice. Consult with an Attorney. Attorney Advertisement. #podcaster #Lawyer #ImmigrationLawyer #Interview #Immigration #ImmigrationAttorney #USImmigration #ImmigrationLaw #ImmigrationLawyersToolbox

    #495 AI, Form Changes & Staying Sane in Immigration Practice w/ Ruby Powers, Esq.

  5. Sep 17

    #494 NIWs, the 2-Year I-130 Wait and more with Beatriz Ballerini, Esq.

    On this episode of The Immigration Lawyer's Toolbox Podcast, host John Khosravi sits down with Beatriz (Trillos) Ballerini, Esq., a Houston based immigration attorney, AILA Region 4 Director, and immediate past chair of the Texas AILA Chapter, to talk about the 54% NIW denial rate and why she's stopped taking new NIW cases, the growing uncertainty around adjustment of status and I-130 processing times, how she's rebuilt her retainer agreements for this administration, what's ahead for the Texas AILA Chapter including its November 18 to 20 conference in Santa Fe, the political shift underway in Colombia, and her own family's immigration story from Cali, Colombia to holding three passports today. Timestamps: 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 03:58 Welcoming Beatriz to the show 04:20 Growing up in Houston and finding immigration law 04:49 Her earlier career litigating international plane crashes 06:31 Launching her own practice in 2006 08:14 From family cases to 80% business immigration 10:18 Firm size, staffing, and long-tenured team members 12:11 Why NIW cases are so stressful right now 13:04 Adjustment of status and detention risk uncertainty 16:00 Managing client expectations and putting it in writing 16:26 Retainer updates with ethics counsel Craig Dupzyk 18:08 AILA's lawsuits pushing back on policy changes 18:34 Her role as AILA Region 4 Director 19:26 Leading the Texas AILA Chapter 20:12 Texas Chapter conference, November 18 to 20 in Santa Fe 23:05 Coordinating a chapter spread across Texas, Oklahoma & New Mexico 27:44 A growing chapter and mentoring new members 29:20 What's stressing Beatriz: the 54% NIW denial rate 30:00 Worrying about approved EB-1A clients stuck in limbo 31:00 Colombia's political shift under President de la Espriella 32:13 Direct filing I-130s at consulates for exceptional circumstances 34:10 USCIS's overseas offices and the new Ethiopia unit 34:43 Deportations to third countries and the human toll 36:07 Increased ICE activity around Houston 37:14 Holding three passports and dual citizenship through marriage 38:22 Her family's immigration story from Colombia 39:15 Discovering her own immigration history through a FOIA request 40:52 Her father's decision to naturalize after being strip searched 41:13 Comparing notes on growing up in immigrant families 43:08 The unpredictability of 30 day RFE deadlines 44:33 Where to find and follow Beatriz Ballerini 44:50 Closing thoughts Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Music | YouTube Follow eimmigration by Cerenade: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn Start your Business Immigration Practice! (US LAWYERS ONLY - SCREENING REQUIRED): E-2 Course EB-1A Course Get the Toolbox Magazine!  Join our community (Lawyers Only) Get Started in Immigration Law! The Marriage/Family-Based Green Card course is for you Our Website: ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com Not legal advice. Consult with an Attorney. Attorney Advertisement. #podcaster #Lawyer #ImmigrationLawyer #Interview #Immigration #ImmigrationAttorney #USImmigration #ImmigrationLaw #ImmigrationLawyersToolbox

    #494 NIWs, the 2-Year I-130 Wait and more with Beatriz Ballerini, Esq.

  6. Sep 14

    #493 H-1B Uncertainty, PERM Layoffs & the Truth About EB-1A with Judy Wong, Esq.

    In this episode, John sits down with Judy Wong, Esq., a Bay Area business immigration attorney for tech companies, to talk about the EB-1A hype nobody wants to admit is hype, the uncertainty H-1B and L-1 employees are living with right now, and what happens when a reduction in force derails a case that's been years in the making. Judy also shares her path through AILA NorCal leadership and her role helping plan the AILA California Chapters Conference this November in San Francisco. Timestamps: 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 02:46 Welcome Judy Wong, Esq. 02:56 Judy's background: growing up in LA, child of refugees 03:33 Law school in San Francisco and discovering immigration law 04:35 Why she left LA for the Bay Area 05:38 Commuting and remote work since COVID 06:17 Public charge scrutiny and the affidavit of support memo 07:57 H-1B and L-1 uncertainty around adjustment of status vs. consular processing 09:01 ICE picking up people with pending cases at airports 09:24 Judy's practice: corporate tech immigration clients 10:06 Reduction in force and its impact on the PERM process 11:35 Sponsor: ILT community page and Constellation partnership 13:09 Rising RFEs, NOIDs and denial rates 13:39 The EB-1A and EB-2 NIW marketing hype problem 14:23 How Judy got involved with AILA NorCal 16:24 AILA NorCal structure: liaisons, coordinators, advisory council 17:33 CBP's continued engagement with AILA liaisons 18:15 California Chapters Conference planning update 19:07 Conference dates, location and program tracks 19:54 How to connect with Judy Wong 20:49 Outro Constellation Law Firm Marketing Service: https://immigrationlawyerstoolbox.com/constellation Read the latest issue of the Immigration Lawyer's Toolbox Magazine (Issue 12) Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Music | YouTube Follow eimmigration by Cerenade: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn Start your Business Immigration Practice! (US LAWYERS ONLY - SCREENING REQUIRED): E-2 Course EB-1A Course Get the Toolbox Magazine!  Join our community (Lawyers Only) Get Started in Immigration Law! The Marriage/Family-Based Green Card course is for you Our Website: ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com Not legal advice. Consult with an Attorney. Attorney Advertisement. #podcaster #Lawyer #ImmigrationLawyer #Interview #Immigration #ImmigrationAttorney #USImmigration #ImmigrationLaw #ImmigrationLawyersToolbox

    #493 H-1B Uncertainty, PERM Layoffs & the Truth About EB-1A with Judy Wong, Esq.

  7. Sep 6

    #492 Federal Court Update [July/Aug.2026] w/ Kevin A. Gregg, Esq.

    It's the monthly case law roundup fans keep coming back for: John Q. Khosravi, Esq. sits down with Kevin A. Gregg, Esq. to unpack the federal circuit court decisions reshaping immigration practice right now, from a major 4th Circuit win on vacated convictions to a widening circuit split on bond hearings for people who entered without inspection, a big post-Riley v. Bondi ruling on withholding-only proceedings, and the real-world fallout from the government's abrupt shutdown of consular visa processing worldwide. Along the way, John and Kevin get candid about the human toll of the current enforcement climate, the history behind mandatory detention law, and why this may be the most consequential year for immigration case law either of them has covered. Whether you're an immigration attorney, paralegal, or just trying to keep up with what's changing, this is the episode to catch up on. Timestamps: 00:00 Opening 00:33 Intro 03:09 Kevin Gregg joins the show 03:41 How wild 2026 has been for case law (8 decisions in one week) 07:43 Getting into this month's cases 08:10 Honorable mention: 11th Circuit on Matter of Lozada compliance 09:31 Case 1: 4th Circuit takes down Matter of Pickering on vacated convictions 17:29 Case 2: 9th Circuit rules EWI entrants get a bond hearing 22:33 Sponsor: ILT private community 23:36 Back to the show: mandatory detention under INA 236(c) vs. 235 29:54 Case 3: 4th Circuit on withholding-only proceedings after Riley v. Bondi 33:05 Honorable mention: 75-country travel ban pause and the consulate shutdown 33:50 A client caught in the consulate shutdown 36:52 The affidavit of support form change 39:47 Outro Constellation Law Firm Marketing Service: https://immigrationlawyerstoolbox.com/constellation Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Music | YouTube Follow eimmigration by Cerenade: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn Start your Business Immigration Practice! (US LAWYERS ONLY - SCREENING REQUIRED): E-2 Course EB-1A Course Get the Toolbox Magazine!  Join our community (Lawyers Only) Get Started in Immigration Law! The Marriage/Family-Based Green Card course is for you Our Website: ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com Not legal advice. Consult with an Attorney. Attorney Advertisement. #podcaster #Lawyer #ImmigrationLawyer #Interview #Immigration #ImmigrationAttorney #USImmigration #ImmigrationLaw #ImmigrationLawyersToolbox

    #492 Federal Court Update [July/Aug.2026] w/ Kevin A. Gregg, Esq.

  8. Sep 4

    #491 The New I-864 Credit Check Rule & the End of Grace Periods w/ John Q. Khosravi, Esq.

    Immigration attorney John Q. Khosravi, Esq. breaks down a packed week of immigration law changes on episode 491 of The Immigration Lawyer's Toolbox Podcast covering a surprise new I-864 edition that requires sponsors to unlock their credit reports for USCIS, the elimination of the 60-day work visa grace period, a federal contempt ruling against DHS over the removal of asylum-seeking minors, a wrongful deportation of a U.S. citizen, a major DACA advance parole ruling on the 3/10-year bar, DACA renewal delays, a massive marriage fraud bust, faster RFI turnaround times affecting I-751 divorce waiver strategy, and more, plus a practical AI tip for A/B testing your firm's marketing. Timestamps: 00:00 – Opening 00:33 - Intro 02:36 – New Form I-864 Edition: Credit Report Authorization & Filing Deadlines 05:19 – Consular Processing Delays: Why You Must Follow Up With Embassies 06:00 – State Department to Close Smaller Consulates 06:22 – DHS Held in Contempt Over Deporting 107 Asylum-Seeking Minors 06:44 – U.S. Citizen Wrongfully Deported 07:00 – Birthright Citizenship Executive Orders & Birth Tourism Crackdown 07:49 – Courts Block Travel Ban — But State Department Halts Visa Processing Anyway 08:21 – Diversity Visa Lottery Lawsuit & Risk for This Year's Winners 08:51 – Grace Period Eliminated for Terminated Work Visa Holders 09:40 – New Public Charge Bond System at DOS & USCIS 10:15 – DACA Advance Parole & the 3/10-Year Bar Ruling 11:15 – DACA Renewal Delays & "Last In, First Out" Processing 11:40 – Massive Marriage Fraud Bust (1,000+ Couples) 12:33 – BIA's New 10-Day Rule to Secure Counsel 12:54 – Faster I-864 RFIs (33 Days) & I-751 Divorce Waiver Strategy 14:56 – ILT's Private Community for Immigration Lawyers 15:28 – Using AI to A/B Test Newsletter Subject Lines 17:12 – Reflecting on the State of Immigration Law 18:56 – Why Consistent Marketing Matters for Your Firm 21:18 – Closing Thoughts Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Music | YouTube eimmigration Website: get.eimmigration.com Heroes Spotlight nomination page: heroes.eimmigration.com Deadline for nomination: September 25 Follow eimmigration by Cerenade: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn Start your Business Immigration Practice! (US LAWYERS ONLY - SCREENING REQUIRED): E-2 Course EB-1A Course Get the Toolbox Magazine!  Join our community (Lawyers Only) Get Started in Immigration Law! The Marriage/Family-Based Green Card course is for you Our Website: ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com Not legal advice. Consult with an Attorney. Attorney Advertisement. #podcaster #Lawyer #ImmigrationLawyer #Interview #Immigration #ImmigrationAttorney #USImmigration #ImmigrationLaw #ImmigrationLawyersToolbox

    #491 The New I-864 Credit Check Rule & the End of Grace Periods w/ John Q. Khosravi, Esq.
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In Depth Discussions, Interviews and Legal Analysis of Immigration Law and Practice with Professionals in the Field, with Host John Khosravi, Esq. IMPORTANT WARNING: This show is not meant to be legal advice and is informational only. Please contact an attorney in private for more information. This is an Attorney Advertising.

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