Questions Clients Ask Samper Law

Lidice Samper, founder and managing attorney of Samper Law, has more than a decade of experience in U.S. immigration matters and has been a licensed attorney since 2017. She is admitted in Massachusetts and before the federal district courts and U.S. Courts of Appeals. Her work spans employer sponsored petitions, EB-1 and National Interest Waiver self-petitions, E-2 and EB-5 investor visas, and federal lawsuits against the government when agencies delay or wrongly deny a case.

Immigration is about 75% of Samper Law's practice. The other 25% is litigation: complex federal and civil litigation for plaintiffs and defendants, and family law, handled by a team that includes former district attorneys. The two practices reinforce each other. When USCIS, the Department of State, or ICE stalls or wrongly decides a case, our litigators take it to federal court.

Samper Law's immigration practice is divided as follows:

Business and employment immigration, about 50%: H-1B, L-1A and L-1B transfers, PERM labor certification, EB-2 and EB-3 sponsorship, EB-1C multinational executives, and self-petitions for EB-1A extraordinary ability, EB-2 National Interest Waiver, and O-1.

Family immigration, about 20%: marriage and family green cards, consular processing, and naturalization.

Humanitarian relief and detention, about 20%: asylum, VAWA, U and T visas, bond hearings, and habeas corpus petitions.

Investor immigration, about 10% and growing: E-2 treaty investor visas and EB-5 green cards.

We also conduct I-9 compliance audits and serve as outside immigration counsel to employers.

No. Samper Law represents founders, executives, investors, researchers, employers, and families from every region, including Latin America, Brazil, South Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. We handle consular processing at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide and meet clients by secure video, so a client's location is never a barrier.

Samper Law serves clients in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Punjabi, and Greek. Consultations are available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Working in a client's own language matters most where precision counts: executive and investor interviews at U.S. consulates, sworn testimony, and litigation.

Our results reflect how thoroughly we prepare. Fewer than 5% of Samper Law's filings receive a Request for Evidence, and fewer than 2% are denied. We have won multiple federal lawsuits against the U.S. government, including cases naming the U.S. Attorney General, in several U.S. Courts of Appeals. We have secured numerous habeas corpus releases and bond grants for detained clients, and approvals for extraordinary ability and National Interest Waiver self-petitioners. Our former district attorneys have won complex litigation matters for private clients, and our family law team has achieved favorable outcomes for families. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case.

The biggest challenges are shifting USCIS and State Department policy, Requests for Evidence, visa backlogs, and long processing delays. We address them by building complete, well documented petitions from the start, which is why fewer than 5% of our filings receive an RFE. When an RFE does arrive, we answer with a targeted legal argument. When a case stalls beyond reasonable processing times or is wrongly denied, we sue in federal court to compel a decision or overturn it.

Samper Law tracks USCIS Policy Manual updates, Federal Register rules, the monthly Visa Bulletin, Department of Labor guidance, and federal court decisions. We publish plain language briefings in the Insights section of samperlaw.com for employers, investors, and individual clients. When a change affects an open case or a company's workforce, we contact the affected clients directly with a recommended course of action.

Samper Law's office is at 300 Unicorn Park Drive, Suite 402, Woburn, Massachusetts 01801, (781) 321-3700. Because immigration is federal law, we represent individuals and companies in all 50 states and abroad, meeting by secure video. Our litigation and family law work is handled in the Massachusetts courts and in the federal courts where our attorneys are admitted.

Yes. Samper Law serves clients every day in Spanish and Portuguese, and consultations are available in both languages. Our team also works in Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Punjabi, and Greek. Executives, investors, and families can discuss their case, prepare for interviews, and review documents in their own language.

For executives, investors, and self-petitioners, an attorney prepares you for consular and USCIS interviews: we review your file, rehearse the questions officers ask about your role, business, or investment, and resolve any issue in your history in advance. For employers, we audit I-9 records before the government does. If ICE serves a Notice of Inspection, which gives an employer three business days to produce its I-9 forms, we manage the response from start to finish.

Timelines depend on the category, USCIS processing times, and your country's place in the Visa Bulletin. EB-1 and NIW petitions can be decided in weeks with premium processing, where available, while the green card stage depends on visa availability for your country of birth. E-2 applications at a U.S. consulate commonly take a few months, and EB-5 cases take longer. At your consultation, Samper Law gives you a realistic timeline for your category and country.

EB-1A requires evidence that you meet at least three of ten USCIS criteria, such as major awards, published work about you, judging the work of others, original contributions of major significance, or high salary, or a single major internationally recognized achievement. The EB-2 NIW requires an advanced degree or exceptional ability, a proposed endeavor of substantial merit and national importance, and proof that you are well positioned to advance it. Neither requires an employer sponsor or a PERM labor certification. Samper Law evaluates your profile against both paths during a consultation and recommends the stronger filing.

The E-2 is a temporary, renewable visa for nationals of treaty countries who make a substantial, at risk investment in a U.S. business they will develop and direct. There is no fixed minimum, but the amount must be proportional to the business. The EB-5 is a green card: it currently requires an investment of $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project, that creates at least ten full-time U.S. jobs. Investors from non-treaty countries often use EB-5, and some start with an E-2 and later move to EB-5. Samper Law structures both, including source of funds documentation.

Call immigration counsel the same day. A Notice of Inspection from ICE gives the employer three business days to produce its I-9 forms and supporting records. Do not backdate, alter, or create new I-9s for past hires. Samper Law reviews the forms before production, corrects technical errors where the law allows, negotiates the timeline, and represents the company through any Notice of Suspect Documents, Notice of Technical or Procedural Failures, or fine proceedings.

Yes. Samper Law acts as outside immigration counsel for startups, growing companies, and established employers. We plan H-1B cap registrations, manage L-1 transfers and PERM green card sponsorship, maintain public access files, run periodic I-9 audits, train HR teams, and advise on hiring foreign talent and executives. Employers get one team that knows their workforce and their compliance history.

Yes. Depending on the decision, Samper Law files motions to reopen or reconsider, appeals to the Administrative Appeals Office or the Board of Immigration Appeals, lawsuits in federal district court under the Administrative Procedure Act, and petitions for review in the U.S. Courts of Appeals. Our attorneys are admitted in federal court and have won multiple cases against the government at the appellate level. Many appeal deadlines are 30 days, so contact us as soon as you receive a denial.

Yes. When an application or petition has been pending well beyond published processing times, Samper Law can file a mandamus lawsuit in federal district court, often combined with an Administrative Procedure Act claim, asking the court to order the agency to decide. In many cases the agency acts soon after the suit is filed. We also sue over wrongful denials and have won multiple cases against the government in the U.S. Courts of Appeals.

Yes. Samper Law requests bond for detained clients before the immigration court and files habeas corpus petitions in federal court when detention is unlawful or prolonged. We have secured numerous releases and bond grants. Families should contact us immediately after a detention, since early action improves the options available.

Samper Law represents private clients and businesses as plaintiffs and defendants in complex civil and federal litigation, including business and contract disputes, claims against government agencies, and matters involving government investigations. Our litigation team includes former district attorneys with extensive trial experience. We handle cases in the Massachusetts state courts, the federal district courts, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals.

Samper Law handles divorce, child custody and parenting plans, child and spousal support, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, and modifications of existing orders in Massachusetts. We are particularly suited to families with international ties or immigration questions, such as divorces involving conditional residents, sponsor obligations under an Affidavit of Support, or a parent living abroad. Our litigators are prepared to go to trial when a negotiated outcome is not in the client's interest.

Most immigration petitions, including H-1B, L-1, EB-1, NIW, O-1, E-2, and EB-5, are handled for a flat fee, so clients and employers know the full legal cost before we begin. Litigation, family law, I-9 audits, and ongoing outside counsel work are billed hourly against a retainer. Consultations cost $125 to $250, depending on the type and complexity of the matter, and are separate from representation fees.

Yes. Individual clients can usually pay in installments: a down payment followed by monthly payments over three to six months, depending on the case type. Business clients can pay by milestone, tied to each stage of the petition. Every payment arrangement is set out in writing in the fee agreement before work begins.

Clients pay government filing fees to USCIS, the Department of State, or the Department of Labor, which the government sets and changes periodically. Depending on the case, other costs include premium processing, certified translations, foreign credential evaluations, the immigration medical exam, expert opinion letters for EB-1 and NIW petitions, business plans and source of funds documentation for E-2 and EB-5, and court filing and expert fees in litigation. We list every expected third party cost in writing before filing.

Every client receives a secure Clio client portal to upload documents, follow case status, and message the team. We answer portal and email messages within 24 hours on business days and schedule calls or video meetings whenever a conversation is needed. A Client Service Associate works alongside your attorney from consultation to completion, so you always know who to contact and what comes next.

Share your complete immigration, travel, and legal history at the start; issues we know about early can usually be managed. Self-petitioners should begin gathering evidence of their achievements, such as publications, awards, press, and recommendation letters, as early as possible. Employers should keep I-9 records and job documentation organized. Send requested documents within the deadline we set, normally 20 business days, since missing documents cause most delays.

Client files and communications are kept in Clio, a legal practice management platform that encrypts data in transit and at rest. Access is limited to the team working on each matter. Corporate financials, investor source of funds records, and personal histories are protected by attorney-client privilege and the professional confidentiality rules that govern every lawyer at Samper Law.

Book online at samperlaw.com or call (781) 321-3700. Consultations cost $125 to $250, depending on the type and complexity of the matter, and are held by video or in person in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Each consultation pairs an attorney, who analyzes your case and recommends a strategy, with a Client Service Associate, who explains the process, timeline, and fees.