Reviews

Preparing for Manang's return to Manila, I was very worried there will be a huge issue because of two things. First, her passport expired and we have to apply it from scratch. The issue is her birth certificate info and what's on her old passport doesn't match. She also do not have any form of valid ID. Second, her extended stay caused her to become out of status. I visited filipino stores and got some newspapers to check whose who on the immigration services section. I also used google to do my search. All in all, I shortlisted 5 potential lawyers, and emailed them about my two issues above. I've talked with several Attys that day including Atty Marc. He called me up end of the day and said he can help. In the end, I decided to go with him. It was the way he handled the call (humble, knowledgeable, helpful and calm). Most of the conversation with Atty Marc was thru email (which I prefer) because I can always go back and review them. We also had a couple of calls in between. (Bonus: I've never visited his office and that's a big convenience for me because I hate driving or taking bart!) The main thing I like about Atty Marc is he pushes back if its really not necessary and gave me pointers of what we should do. For example, to get a new passport for Manang, I asked him to accompany her. He politely said its not necessary because it will take hours (even the whole day), and since he charged by the hour, I would just incur a huge bill, when this is something we can easily do ourselves. He gave us valuable pointers (like arrive early so we are the first in line, and explained the role of the embassy, and how we just need to be truthful, as the embassy is forgiving and will understand the situation). He also sent instructions on email on what paperwork we needed before going to the embassy, links to forms, FAQs, etc. And a lot of helpful tips. He was right. The embassy line is horrific. Its is like attending a popular concert, so we were very glad we arrived earlier than normal. We have to go there twice though because the birth certificate we had in our possession is not on a valid paper (my fault), so we had to reorder it again. Both times we were done before noon. Even the guard at the embassy was surprised how fast we were. Imagine if Atty Marc had to go with us both times, that would be costly. And Atty Marc's right, the embassy personnel was VERY understanding, emphatic, and know how to deal with her situation. As soon as we got her passport, we booked Manang's flight. I booked a Monday flight not realizing she needs to be there Sunday night to check in. Sunday night!!! Worst, I have to pay extra to the airline if I need to change the date. Ugh. I emailed Atty Marc and just told him I booked a Monday flight, and when/what time we should meet...silently hoping he won't say anything like "I don't work on weekends". Instead He replied and said "Sounds good. See you Sunday at 930pm". YAY. Who does that? Couple of weeks before the departure, he sent me a link ("Know your rights") to review, which was super helpful. The day itself we met face to face for the first time at the airport. Atty Marc came with his wife. He gave Manang a pocket card of "Know your rights", in case she needs help. It was uneventful, which is what we wanted. Everything went smooth sailing. Even then, Atty Marc was really very focused at Manang, always keeping a watchful eye on her while she was on the immigration line until she went in and is no longer visible. He suggested we gave her a call to be sure, and He even offered to stay longer, but we know she will be OK once we talked to her on the phone. Not only is he a great caring lawyer, he only charged us for his time at the airport. The emails, calls, pointers, advises are all gratis. THANK YOU ATTY MARC for your help, and for not making us broke :-). You really made this a NO STRESS JOURNEY for us. I HIGHLY recommend Atty Marc for your immigration needs, and I will use him again if the opportunity arises.

Marc and his wife are very friendly, professionals and patient. I had problem with my status change and they helped me a lot and they could change the immigration decision. I totally recommend.

The staff at Santamaria Law Firm are courteous and provide a great customer service. Dr. Marc Santamaria has worked with the immigrant community outside office hours to provide "Know Your Rights" legal clinics and then consulted with possible clients to help them achieve their immigration plan. The staff is very professional and they provide real advise that can help them achieve their American Dream. Dr. Marc Santamaria understands the hardships of the immigrant community and know-how to customize their needs to achieve a working plan. Dr. Santamaria is a talented educator that explains the process in a simple and easy to follow method. If you have questions regarding stabilizing your status, Santamaria Law firm would be placed. Call their office and schedule an appointment to start discussing your US immigration plan.

Marc helped us with our fiancé visa and green card application. He was very professional and knowledgeable. Moreover, he was extremely friendly and patient in answering all our questions. We have received our fiancé visa and green card very smoothly. He was there for us the whole process. I would highly recommend his legal service to others.

Marc and his team are very willing to help and answer your questions. They work hard on immigration issues, and are deeply commited to offer the best immigration advisoring. We met on a regular basis, including weekends, and my visa got approved after some months. In addition, Marc is super kind and has a big expertise related to Immigration Laws. Choosing him and his office to work on my visa application was a great choice, and made the process much easier for me. Thank you so much Santamaria Law Firm!

Everone in Santamaria Law Firm was very nice, thoughtful and conscientious. They helped me go through the processes and explained very carefully and patiently to me. Thank you Duong and Marc. Văn phòng Santamaria Law Firm đã rất tận tâm giúp vợ chồng tôi làm tất cả các bước giấy tờ cần thiết. Họ đã rất kiên nhẫn giải thích cặn kẽ cho chúng tôi hiểu mà không nề hà thời gian. Cảm ơn Dương và Marc.

A great service from an experienced and highly knowledgeable team. Thank you Santamaria Law!

This law office is always welcoming and the staff is very friendly. Marc Santamaria and his partners really take the time to hear clients out and work with them to reach their legal goals. I highly recommend this firm.

No words can describe how wonderful of an immigration lawyer attorney Zhang is! We used to use another immigration attorney and he got us in more immigration troubles than ever. I was referred to The Law Office of Zhang by my friend who also had Attorney Zhang as her immigration lawyer and she got her green card in no time. Bottom line, I got my green card approved in no time despite all the complications my previous immigration lawyer caused. Attorney Zhang coached me for the AOS interview and also accompanied me at the interview. I got the green card approval right then and there after the interview! Besides her immigration law practice, Attorney Emma Zhang is also a nice person to talk to. She is super smart, kind, and responsive. Her office staff is professional and friendly. I recommend Attorney Zhang to anyone who needs a really good immigration lawyer to get you the visa or green card, or to get you out of the troubles your previous immigration lawyer got you in...

Marc was instrumental in helping us set up an LLC. He made the process so easy for us by communicating timelines and expectations on a regular basis, and provided a great finished product. I plan to use Santamaria Law Firm in the future for similar work. In particular, Marc's super-pleasant demeanor just makes him a joy to work with, seriously. Very highly recommended.

Best immigration lawyer I have dealt with! Attorney Emma Zhang is our company immigration lawyer and she has got our H-1B petitions approved effortless, including mine. Last year without premium processing, her office submitted my H-1B petition in April and got it approved in May with no RFE! We have immediately moved on with her office to work on my PERM application and EB3 green card, which is another area Attorney Emma Zhang does her wonders. She is super efficient and responsive and her staff are super friendly and professional. I would recommend Attorney Emma Zhang to anyone who needs a good experienced immigration lawyer for your H-1B and PERM EB3 green card!

Attorney Emma Zhang is the best immigration lawyer hands down. I came to her for my E2 Visa application after it got denied once. During our first meeting, Emma quickly spotted the weaknesses in my E2 visa case and reasons for the previous denial. In the following weeks, she directed me how to strengthen the case, what documents to collect, and even how to improve my business plan. After the case was well prepared, she submitted my E2 visa change of status application with premium processing and got it approval in 1 day! Emma is a highly professional and efficient immigration attorney and an intelligent and pleasant person you’d want to be friends with. I will definitely hire her Law Office again when it is time to start my green card case.