NEW YORK IMMIGRATION LAWYERS
Representation Inspired by You
Empower yourself by teaming up with Urena & Associates, a premier, full-service immigration law firm. With a proven track record of success, our attorneys bring unparalleled knowledge and dedication to your case.
Immigration Attorneys Serving the New York Metro Area
Ureña & Associates is a New York law firm based in Brooklyn that focuses exclusively on immigration and naturalization matters. Our attorneys have represented more than 30,000 people in matters involving:
Whether you’re starting a case, responding to something the government sent you, or trying to understand your options, we can tell you where you stand.
We communicate directly with clients in five languages:
Arabic
Spanish
French
Portuguese
English
Principal Attorney Rafael Urena is a federal litigator who has taken the government to court over stalled and unlawfully delayed cases. Managing Attorney Jana Al-Akhras oversees our firm’s day-to-day operations alongside our associate attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants.
Our Immigration Case Process
Every case begins with close attention to your circumstances, immigration history, and immediate concerns. We follow a defined process while tailoring our work to the facts of your case.
The process includes:
Initial Consultation: We discuss your situation and the immigration case you need to address.
Case Assessment: We review the relevant facts to identify the legal path available to you.
Tailored Strategy: We develop an approach based on your circumstances and the requirements of your case.
Case Resolution: We pursue the immigration matter through the applicable agency, court, or federal litigation process.
Consultations at our Brooklyn office are free. Virtual consultations cost $250, and that fee is applied to retainer fees when you move forward. Call a New York immigration lawyer at (888) 817-8599 or contact us online to get started.
Helping New Yorkers Find Pathways to U.S. Citizenship
Naturalization is the final step in a longer process, and most of the work happens before the application is filed. Before filing, our attorneys review:
Your residency timeline
Your travel history
Your tax filings
Any past contact with law enforcement
This review helps us determine whether you qualify before anything reaches the government. An application filed too early or without accounting for a long absence from the country or a prior arrest can fail. It can also put the status you already hold under review.
Once eligibility is established, we handle the citizenship and naturalization application and prepare you for the interview. We cover the civics and English requirements, as well as the exemptions available to older applicants and those with qualifying medical conditions.
If you aren’t a permanent resident yet, citizenship still belongs in the conversation today. Most clients reach a green card first, whether through a family visa, a marriage petition, or employment-based sponsorship. Others get there after asylum or through a self-petition under VAWA.
Most permanent residents become eligible for citizenship after five years, provided they meet the applicable continuous-residence and physical-presence requirements. However, a lawful permanent resident married to and living with the same U.S. citizen spouse may qualify after three years when the spouse has been a citizen for that same period. Some applicants who obtained status under VAWA also qualify under a three-year provision. What differs most between these routes is how long the green card itself takes to obtain, which is why the path you choose now shapes when you can naturalize later.
VAWA Self-Petitions & Naturalization Eligibility
VAWA allows certain people abused by U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to self-petition for immigrant classification, including:
Spouses
Intended spouses
Former spouses
Children
Parents
The process doesn’t require the abusive family member to file the petition on the applicant’s behalf.
Abused spouses or children of U.S. citizens who qualify under VAWA generally become eligible to apply for naturalization after three years as green card holders when they meet the other requirements. A qualifying applicant doesn’t need to remain married to or living with the abuser to use this three-year naturalization provision.
“I highly recommend them to anyone who needs legal assistance in asylum cases.”
Assem M.
Protecting the Status You Already Hold
Losing status rarely feels like a crisis while it’s happening. A renewal window closes, a course load drops below full-time, or a trip abroad runs longer than planned. Nobody calls to warn you, and the consequences often surface months later when a work permit expires or a border officer asks a question you weren’t prepared for.
We handle the maintenance side of immigration as carefully as the applications. Our guidance includes:
Filing DACA renewals early to reduce the risk of a gap in work authorization
Maintaining F-1 status through full-time enrollment, OPT and CPT authorization, and properly timed changes in a program or employer
Addressing extended travel, green card renewal deadlines, and old criminal matters that may resurface at a port of entry or during a naturalization interview
A short conversation before you travel, change schools, or let a deadline approach is far cheaper than repairing a lapse afterward. Our attorneys stay reachable to existing clients for exactly these questions, because keeping what you have is part of the case, not something separate from it.
When Removal Proceedings Have Already Started
A Notice to Appear changes the nature of an immigration case. You’re no longer applying for something; you’re defending against a case the government has already decided to bring.
How We Defend Removal Cases
Our attorneys represent clients at every stage:
Master calendar and merits hearings in the immigration courts at 26 Federal Plaza and Varick Street
Bond hearings for people held in custody
Appeals and motions to reopen when a decision needs to be challenged rather than accepted
What often decides these cases is a criminal record. Rafael Urena spent the first year of his career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx before moving into immigration law. He knows how a plea agreement is negotiated, what a disposition actually means, and how a charge that seemed minor in criminal court becomes the central issue in immigration court years later. That reading happens at the start of a case with us, not after the government raises it.
Relief Available in Removal Proceedings
Removal proceedings may make specific forms of relief available. Asylum can be raised defensively before an immigration judge, and related protections, including withholding of removal and relief under the Convention Against Torture, may apply when an asylum claim faces obstacles.
For clients who entered as refugees or hold refugee status, the analysis is different again. Cancellation of removal remains available to some long-term residents.
Removal proceedings run on the court’s schedule rather than yours, and the earliest decisions shape everything that follows. Call (888) 817-8599 or contact us online to schedule a free in-person case consultation with an immigration lawyer in New York today.
Our intake process is designed to be simple and accessible. Because our attorneys and staff are multilingual and culturally aware, we ensure every step is communicated clearly, so your story is fully understood and effectively represented.
Step 1
Initial Consultation
Our intake team responds quickly to calls and emails. We offer a free in-person consultation or a $250 virtual consultation, applied to retainer fees if you choose to move forward.
Step 2
Case Assessment
After the initial consultation, we carefully review your situation to find the best legal path for your case and explain your options in clear and simple terms.
Step 3
Legal Strategy
Based on our assessment, we craft a tailored plan to move your case forward. Our attorneys apply proven strategies and legal insight to give your case the strongest path to success.
Step 4
Resolution
With focus and experience, our team works to secure the best possible outcome. Guided by our values, we handle your case with skill, care, and commitment.
Reviews & Testiominals
What Our Clients Say
“The Best”
“He patiently walked us through the entire process, he was always available to answer our questions day or night, and he always presented us with all the options.”
Yasi K.
“High-Quality Advocacy”
“Lawyer Mr. Rafael Urena is very professional, devoted, respectful, carefully attentive, compassionate, strategic thinker, persistently dedicated to case, his admirable expertise is high-quality advocacy.”
M.J. A.
“Highly Recommend”
“I had a great experience working with Attorney Rafael Urena and his paralegal Ahmed Kaid on my fiancée’s K1 (Fiancé) visa.”
Abdul E.
“Definitely Recommend”
“I would like to thank Urena & Associates for their professionalism and exceptional service.”
Salwa H.
“Great Law Firm”
“They went above and beyond to satisfy my needs for my sister's visa.”
Alridee A.
“Honest & Caring”
“Got my wife and kids their green cards in less than 3 months. Very well connected and will get the job done.”
Mohamed A.
“Amazing Experience”
“I highly recommend her and the firm for anyone needing legal assistance.”
Osman
“Professional & Compassionate”
“They provide clear guidance and genuine support throughout the process.”
