Lawyer Dossier · New York · October 2026
Five immigration firms that take New York green card clients, checked on the office, the bar record and the reviews, not on their ads.
Only one firm here has a New York office; the other four serve New York clients remotely from California. Green cards are federal filings, so that can work, but it changes how you meet, which time zone answers the phone and how you check the lawyer before you pay.
0 of 5
firms here publish a dollar fee for a green card case
365 days
the filing window that lets an H-1B run past six years
$0
what the worker may be charged for PERM attorney and recruitment costs
Attorney Advertising. Sharma Law Associates LLC holds the featured first slot on this page. The order of the other four is not a ranking, and none of them paid to appear. Every fact below was checked against the source named beside it in October 2026.
01
The scorecard: 5 checks, 5 firms
✓ meets the check ◐ partly or self-reported ✗ does not, or not published
Sharma Law Associates LLCWorkers and employers who want one firm across EB-1, NIW, PERM and the final green card
Office in New York
✓Midtown ManhattanBar record checked
◐Not checkedImmigration only
◐Plus trademarksFee terms published
✗Not publishedGoogle rating checked
✓5.0 / 96 Palo Alto ImmigrationNew York clients who want a small practice with a single named attorney
Office in New York
✗Palo Alto, CABar record checked
✓#207509 ActiveFee terms published
✗Not publishedGoogle rating checked
◐5.0 / 1 Wilner & O’Reilly, APLCGreen cards that may also involve court, waivers or federal appeals
Office in New York
✗None (CA, UT, ID, AZ)Bar record checked
✓#186879 ActiveFee terms published
◐Free consult, no amountsGoogle rating checked
✓4.8 / 4 Oasis Law GroupEmployment green cards on a fixed fee with a free first meeting
Office in New York
✗San Francisco, CABar record checked
◐Avvo onlyFee terms published
◐Free consult, fixed feeGoogle rating checked
✓3.5 / 10 Portillo Immigration Law GroupSpanish-speaking families with marriage or humanitarian green card cases
Office in New York
✗Walnut Creek, CABar record checked
✓#252025 ActiveFee terms published
✗Not publishedGoogle rating checked
✓4.8 / 60 02
Before you hire: what the numbers mean for a New York green card
1
0 of 5: firms here publish a dollar fee for a green card case
Oasis Law Group offers free consultations and fixed fees, and Wilner and O’Reilly reviewers describe free first meetings, but no firm prints an amount. Government fees are public: Form I-140 is $715 plus a $600 Asylum Program Fee ($300 for small employers), and Form I-485 is $1,440. PERM itself has no government filing fee.
SOURCE · Firm websites read October 2026; USCIS Form G-1055 fee schedule
2
365 days: the filing window that lets an H-1B run past six years
H-1B status normally ends at six years. A worker can extend in one-year steps beyond that if a PERM application or I-140 was filed at least 365 days earlier, or in three-year steps once an I-140 is approved but the priority date is not current. Late filing can force a departure.
SOURCE · AC21 sections 104(c) and 106(a); 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(D) and (E)
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$0: what the worker may be charged for PERM attorney and recruitment costs
Department of Labor rules bar an employer from passing the costs of preparing and filing the PERM labor certification, including attorney fees and recruitment ads, to the worker. The worker can pay a lawyer for work done only for the worker, such as the I-485.
SOURCE · 20 CFR 656.12(b)
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The 5 law firm dossiers
01
Sharma Law Associates LLC
Workers and employers who want one firm across EB-1, NIW, PERM and the final green card
Why it made the list
Sharma Law Associates is a Midtown immigration firm whose green card attorney in New York page covers every employment-based preference category: EB-1 extraordinary ability, outstanding researchers and multinational managers, EB-2 with PERM or a National Interest Waiver, EB-3, EB-4 and EB-5. It handles both adjustment of status inside the United States and consular processing abroad, along with the H-1B, L-1, TN and O-1 work that often comes first. The firm lists RFE, NOID and NOIR responses as a separate service. Founding attorney Sonal Sharma is named on the site and in client reviews.
Proof file
- Lead attorneySonal Sharma, founding attorney · Firm website; Google reviews
- Bar recordNew York registration not checked this run · Not verified
- Office225 W 34th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10122 · Firm website
- Phone646-360-5955 · Site header and Google
- Green card scopeEB-1, EB-2 with PERM or NIW, EB-3, EB-4, EB-5; adjustment and consular processing · Firm’s green card page
- Timeline stated1 to 3 years for most employment cases, longer for backlogged countries · Firm’s own statement
- Fee termsNot published; consultations booked online · Firm website
- Google rating5.0 from 96 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QIs my case a better fit for EB-1A, an NIW or a PERM filing, and why?
QWhich costs belong to my employer under the PERM rules, and which do I pay?
QHow do you track my priority date against my H-1B six-year limit?
From the reviews we read
+ Quick, careful RFE work+ Patient explanations~ Change-of-status cases
Clients describe fast, careful answers to USCIS notices, including one Request for Evidence response they say cleared in under three days, and patient explanations when timelines were tight. Several reviews come from change-of-status and student cases. We read no negative review in the set, which is worth weighing against a total of 96.
Fit and watch-outThe only firm on this page with a New York office and the broadest employment-based menu here, from EB-1 through PERM to the final green card, with a 5.0 Google rating across 96 reviews. The trade-off: the site publishes no fees and lists several phone numbers, so confirm the right line and get the quote in writing.
02
Palo Alto Immigration
New York clients who want a small practice with a single named attorney
Why it made the list
Palo Alto Immigration is the Palo Alto immigration practice of attorney Josette Keeley Domokos, State Bar of California number 207509, whose license is active. It is based in Palo Alto, California, and would serve a New York client remotely; its website names a suite on Geng Road and a toll-free line. The site says the firm works with individuals, families and businesses on immigration benefits but gives little detail on green card categories or fees, so the first call has to cover both. The State Bar record and the Google listing give a different address, a mailbox on El Camino Real.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyJosette Keeley Domokos · Firm website
- Bar record#207509, Active; no discipline shown on the profile · State Bar of California licensee search
- Office2100 Geng Road, Suite 210, Palo Alto; State Bar and Google list 3790 El Camino Real, Suite 841 · Firm website; State Bar; Google
- Phone650-322-0800; toll-free 855-888-2203 · Firm website
- Fee termsNot published · Firm website
- HoursMon to Fri, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. · Google
- Google rating5.0 from 1 rating · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QWhich green card categories make up most of your work right now?
QHow do you handle meetings and signatures for a client in New York?
QWhat is your fee for my case, and what does it include?
From the reviews we read
The Google profile shows a single five-star rating with no written review, so there is no client feedback to code. That is a gap, not a warning sign: ask for references before you sign.
Fit and watch-outA small practice where you deal with the named attorney directly. The trade-off: no New York office, almost no public review history and little published detail on green card work, so ask for references in your category.
03
Wilner & O’Reilly, APLC
Green cards that may also involve court, waivers or federal appeals
Why it made the list
Wilner and O’Reilly is an immigration-only firm with offices in California, Utah, Idaho and Arizona and none in New York. Founder Richard M. Wilner, State Bar of California number 186879, is certified by the State Bar of California in immigration and nationality law, and the firm says a former INS officer works on its team. Its green card work covers employer and entrepreneur cases, investor visas, extraordinary ability and marriage-based cases, and it also handles cancellation of removal, waivers and federal court appeals. It publishes Spanish and Chinese pages, and reviewers describe free first consultations.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyRichard M. Wilner, founder; admitted in California in 1996 · Firm website; Lawyers.com profile
- Bar record#186879, Active; discipline history not reviewed this run · State Bar of California licensee search
- Office611 Gateway Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080 · Firm website; Google
- Phone650-243-0475 · Firm website; Google
- Fee termsFree first consultation per reviewers; fixed fees for some services, amounts not published · Google reviews; Avvo profile
- LanguagesSpanish and Chinese pages; Mandarin-speaking attorney named in reviews · Firm website; Google reviews
- Google rating4.8 from 4 reviews (South San Francisco) · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QWhich office would handle a New York client, and which attorney?
QIf my green card case runs into a waiver or court issue, who handles it?
QWhich of your fees are fixed, and what would mine be?
From the reviews we read
+ Mandarin-speaking attorney+ Free first consultation~ Four local reviews
The South San Francisco listing has only four reviews. Mandarin-speaking clients credit attorney Michael Wang for making the process easy, and reviewers describe clear, efficient free consultations. Four reviews is too few to read a pattern, so treat the firm’s larger review base at other offices as the better guide.
Fit and watch-outThe broadest bench in the California group, including court and appeal work, with a State Bar-certified founder. The trade-off: no New York office, and the South San Francisco listing has only four Google reviews.
04
Oasis Law Group
Employment green cards on a fixed fee with a free first meeting
Why it made the list
Oasis Law Group is a San Francisco immigration firm founded by attorney Chelsea Manli Wang, with offices in San Francisco and Walnut Creek and none in New York. It handles only immigration, and its green card work includes EB-1 and EB-2 petitions, investor cases and family-based green cards, alongside H-1B, L-1 and O-1 work that often comes first. It offers free consultations and fixed-fee arrangements, reviewers say the attorney attended their interviews, and clients upload documents through an online portal.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyChelsea Manli Wang, founder · Firm website
- Bar recordLicensed in 2005, active, no misconduct listed; State Bar page not opened this run · Avvo profile
- Office100 Pine Street, Suite 1250, San Francisco; second office in Walnut Creek · Firm website; Google
- Phone415-800-2029 (Google shows 415-992-7368) · Firm website; Google
- Fee termsFree consultation; fixed-fee arrangements, amounts not published · Firm website
- HoursMon to Fri, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. · Google
- Google rating3.5 from 10 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QWhat is the fixed fee for my case, and what would change it?
QWho is my day-to-day contact, and how fast should I expect a reply?
QWill the attorney attend my interview in person?
From the reviews we read
+ Precise answers+ Attends interviews~ Slow replies and filings
Reviews split. Several clients say Chelsea Wang gave precise answers other lawyers had not and stood beside them at interviews. More than one reviewer describes unanswered calls and emails or slow filings, which pulls the average to 3.5 from 10 reviews.
Fit and watch-outA good fit for a client who wants a set price for an EB-1 or EB-2 case. The trade-off: the lowest Google average in this group, driven by communication complaints, and no New York office, so agree on response times in writing.
05
Portillo Immigration Law Group
Spanish-speaking families with marriage or humanitarian green card cases
Why it made the list
Portillo Immigration Law Group is a bilingual immigration practice in Walnut Creek, California, led by Erika Portillo, State Bar number 252025, admitted in California in December 2007. It works in English and Spanish and centers on family and humanitarian green cards: marriage cases, K-1 fiance visas, U visas, VAWA petitions, asylum, waivers and deportation defense. Employment-based green cards such as EB-2, EB-3 or PERM do not appear in its practice list, so for a New York worker it is a family-side choice only.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyErika Portillo (State Bar name Erika PortilloMercado) · Firm website; State Bar
- Bar record#252025, Active, admitted December 4, 2007; no discipline shown · State Bar of California licensee search
- Office101 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 112, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 · State Bar; Google
- Phone925-430-7471 · State Bar; Google
- LanguagesEnglish and Spanish · Firm website
- Fee termsNot published · Firm website
- Google rating4.8 from 60 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QCan my case be handled entirely by video from New York?
QWill you personally attend my green card interview?
QWhat is your fee, and is there a payment plan?
From the reviews we read
+ Honest about the odds+ Present at interviews+ Marriage cases approved
Clients describe Erika Portillo as honest about the odds, available for questions and present at their interviews. Several marriage-based green cards are reported approved without trouble. We read no negative review in the set, across 60 reviews.
Fit and watch-outA strong fit for a Spanish-speaking family with a marriage or humanitarian green card. The trade-off: no New York office, and employment-based green cards are outside its listed practice.
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Six things to settle before you hire a green card lawyer
Who the firm represents. On a PERM case the employer is usually the client. Ask in writing whether the lawyer also represents you, and what happens if you change jobs.
Who pays which fees. PERM preparation and recruitment costs belong to the employer by rule. Get the employer’s share and your share listed separately.
Government fees on separate lines. I-140, Asylum Program Fee, I-485 and any premium processing fee should appear apart from the legal fee.
Your six-year date. If you hold H-1B status, agree on the date by which the PERM or I-140 must be filed to keep extensions available.
The bar registration. Look up the handling attorney in the New York State Unified Court System attorney search before signing.
Copies of everything filed. You should receive the full PERM form, the I-140 and every exhibit filed in your name.
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Frequently asked questions
Which of these firms has a New York office?
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Only Sharma Law Associates LLC, on West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The other four serve New York clients remotely from California.
Can a California lawyer handle my New York green card case?
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Yes. Green cards are federal filings, and a lawyer licensed in any U.S. state can represent you before USCIS. A New York criminal or family matter that affects your case needs a New York lawyer.
Can I get an employment-based green card without a job offer?
+
Yes, through EB-1 extraordinary ability or the EB-2 National Interest Waiver. Sharma Law Associates LLC lists both on its green card page and Oasis Law Group also lists them.
Who pays for the PERM labor certification?
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The employer. Department of Labor rules bar passing the PERM preparation, filing and recruitment costs, including attorney fees, to the worker.
Can my H-1B be extended past six years while I wait?
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Yes, if a PERM or I-140 was filed at least 365 days earlier, or in three-year steps once the I-140 is approved and the priority date is not current.
Is the first consultation free?
+
Oasis Law Group offers free consultations, and Wilner and O’Reilly reviewers describe free first meetings. The other firms do not publish consultation fees.
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Method and sources
How we checked these firms+
This is a shortlist of five immigration firms that take New York green card clients, not a ranking. For each one we read its own site for office, practice areas, languages and fee terms, looked up California lead attorneys on the State Bar of California licensee search, and checked each Google Business Profile for address, phone, rating and the review text itself. The New York attorney registry could not be opened this run.
Where a firm states something about itself, we say it is the firm’s own statement. Where two sources disagree, such as an address or a phone number, we show both.
Sources+
- Firm websites: sharmalawassociates.com, paloaltoimmigration.com, wilneroreilly.com, oasislawgroup.com, portillolawyers.com (read October 2026)
- Google Business Profiles for each firm: address, phone, rating, review count and review text (checked October 2026)
- State Bar of California licensee search: records 207509, 186879 and 252025; Avvo profile for Chelsea Manli Wang
- USCIS Form G-1055 fee schedule
- AC21 sections 104(c) and 106(a); 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)
- 20 CFR 656.12(b), PERM cost rules
General information for law firm owners choosing a marketing vendor, not legal advice. Check the current statute text or ask ethics counsel before relying on it.