Federal Immigration Counsel

• Immediate-relative and preference-category petitions (spouses, children, parents, siblings)
• Adjustment of status inside the United States versus consular processing abroad
• Affidavits of support, public-charge documentation, and interview preparation
• Waivers for unlawful presence, fraud/misrepresentation, and certain criminal grounds (fact-specific)
• Fiancé(e) (K) visas and follow-to-join issues

• Temporary work visas and employer-sponsored pathways (including H, L, O, and related categories where facts fit)
• Permanent residence employment categories and PERM-related counseling when coordinated with employer counsel
• Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), renewals, and gaps that interrupt Florida paychecks
• Change or extension of status problems after layoffs, school changes, or travel

• Asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture claims
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and related work authorization
• U and T visa pathways for certain crime and trafficking victims (eligibility is highly fact-specific)
• Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) issues intersecting Florida dependency or family courts
• Parole, deferred action, and other discretionary humanitarian tools when available under current policy

• Notices to Appear, master and individual immigration-court hearings
• Bond, detention, and conditions of release
• Cancellation of removal, adjustment as relief, and other forms of relief from removal
• Reinstatement of removal, expedited removal exposure, and prior deportation orders
• ICE encounters, detainers, and coordination when Florida criminal or traffic cases create immigration risk

• Naturalization eligibility, civics/English requirements, and interview issues
• Derivative citizenship and proof-of-citizenship problems
• Passports, reentry permits, advance parole, and travel that can put status at risk
• Name changes, records corrections, and FOIA / A-file requests that unlock case strategy

• F-1 / J-1 / M-1 status, SEVIS problems, and reinstatement questions
• B-1/B-2 visitor overstays and unlawful-presence clocks
• Change-of-status refusals and “out of status” counseling before a small problem becomes removal exposure

• I-9 completion, reverification, and internal audits
• ICE Notice of Inspection / worksite enforcement exposure
• E-Verify questions and how hiring practices interact with federal immigration rules
• Counseling managers so Florida operations do not create avoidable immigration and employment liability

Federal immigration petitions, benefits, and removal cases are governed by federal law. Nino Davila, Of Counsel, licensed in Illinois, counsels on those federal immigration matters for clients across the United States. He is not licensed in Florida and does not appear as Florida state-court counsel. Where a matter requires Florida state-court work (for example, certain family or dependency orders that support immigration relief), Florida-licensed counsel at the firm coordinates that piece.

1. Facts and documents first. Immigration outcomes turn on identity documents, entries/exits, prior applications, criminal dispositions, and family relationships.
2. Forum identification. USCIS, consular processing, CBP at the border, ICE enforcement, and EOIR immigration court are different systems with different deadlines.
3. Risk screening. Travel, arrests, prior denials, and misstatements on old forms can control strategy more than the client’s preferred timeline.
4. Filing and interview / hearing preparation. Evidence packages, translations, and testimony preparation matter as much as the form itself.
5. Appeals and motions when needed. Denials, in absentia orders, and incomplete records require prompt, statute-driven responses.

The Penalta Law Firm provides bilingual client service in English and Spanish. Clear communication about status, deadlines, and evidence is part of protecting the client’s options.

Attorney profile: Nino Davila.

This page is educational information about federal immigration concepts. It is not legal advice for any particular case. Immigration law and agency policy change. Outcomes depend on facts, statutes, regulations, and the forum handling your matter.

Call Ava, our Super Intelligence intake assistant and team member, at (386) 847-5335 for brief intake. Ava does not replace the human attorney. Request a paid consultation when needed.