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Will Fight For You – O1A application

Anu Gupta handled my O1A application although multiple attorneys refused my case due to not having a Ph.D. (a common education level amongst accepted applications) even when my achievements satisfied the category requirements. I was at that time on a J1 research scholar visa as a research assistant (my work title was not helpful for my O application either) and wanted to change my visa before my status expired.

She was very clear about my chances and what I should expect from the get-go. She told me that regardless of my qualifications/merits I should expect a “request-for-evidence” (RFE) from USCIS and she made sure that there was a rough plan ahead of time in handling such a situation. Her statements were generally measured, and she was always careful during conversations to not give false hopes/promises, which I consider to be a highly valuable trait for any attorney.

Sometimes, even with the best-drawn plans, life has a way of throwing its own curveball to complicate everything. In my case, although we planned on submitting my application much earlier than the J1 status expiration in 2020, the COVID pandemic led to numerous delays in the process. However, we did manage to file before the J1 expiry but as she originally expected, an RFE was issued and in the meanwhile, my J1 expired preventing me from continuing work.

The RFE was, from my perspective, a tough ask. USCIS had rejected all my claims and raised questions on every piece of evidence that we had originally submitted.

Anu made sure that we address all of their requests in a comprehensive manner. It should also be mentioned at this point that, that year was an election year (Trump-Biden 2020) and the presidential election was right around the corner. Both my employer and I were happy with the response Anu and her team had prepared and were confident that the application should be approved given its strength and thoroughness in both satisfying the requirements and in addressing the concerns raised by USCIS.

However, USCIS reviewed my application along with an RFE response and rejected my case on the morning after election night through fax at 6:59 AM. I was devastated. What affected me the most was that although my achievements qualified me for an O1A, USCIS refused to recognize it. I had lost all hope and desire of continuing my work and life in the US.

In the first conversation after my rejection with Anu, she spoke to me with passion for how I deserve the O1A and strongly urged me to apply once more. She made sure that didn’t have to leave the country (due to the COVID pandemic returning even with an approved application was very hard).

For me, it was here that Anu Gupta’s greatest quality both as a person and an attorney was highlighted. There are many professional and talented attorneys, which she is, but finding someone who actually cares about their clients and is willing to fight for them with conviction is difficult. Someone willing to fight for you even when going gets tough- even when you lose the strength to continue fighting. In that sense, Anu Gupta is a rare find.

Eventually (approximately a month from the second filing), my second application was approved without difficulty.

The choice of attorney can make or break any case and the choice of Anu Gupta for your immigration needs is one of the easiest recommendations that I can ever make.

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