TN Visa Consular Processing and Scrutiny in 2026
How the Department of State Handles TN Visas—and Why Applicants May Face More Scrutiny in 2026 A TN visa can...
Trusted Immigration and Criminal Defense Across Texas and Beyond.
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New Annual Asylum Fee: What Pending Asylum Applicants Should Know in 2026
New Annual Asylum Fee: What Pending Asylum Applicants Should Know in 2026 Zavala Texas Law Pending asylum applicants should be...
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for a Marriage-Based Green Card
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for a Marriage-Based Green Card Obtaining a green card through marriage is a...
Zavala Texas Law Announces Service Expansion to Meet Evolving Legal Demands
Zavala Texas Law, a Texas-based legal firm led by Charles Zavala, has announced an expansion of its services to better...
DHS Extends Automatic Work Permit Renewals for Immigrants: Key Details
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a significant policy change that will impact many immigrants seeking to...
How to Prove Your Work is in the National Interest for an EB2 NIW Application
Tips and Strategies for Demonstrating that Your Work Benefits the National Interest of the United States Introduction The EB2 National...
The Role of Advanced Degrees and Exceptional Ability in EB2 NIW Applications
An Exploration of the Importance of Advanced Degrees and Demonstrating Exceptional Ability in the EB2 NIW Process Introduction The EB2...
Top Professions and Fields Eligible for the EB2 National Interest Waiver
An Overview of the Types of Professions and Fields That Typically Qualify for the EB2 NIW Introduction The EB2 National...
President Biden’s Family Unification Plan: Keeping Families Together
Introduction to the Family Unification Plan President Biden has announced a new family unification plan aimed at keeping U.S. citizens...
Experienced Montgomery County Criminal Defense Attorney
10 years of Criminal Defense Experience in Montgomery, County Texas Welcome to Zavala Texas Law, your trusted source for a...
USCIS Fee Increases: Understanding the Reasons and Who’s Affected
Why Has USCIS Increased Fees? Financial Sustainability of USCIS Firstly, it’s important to recognize that USCIS is largely funded through...
Discover Your Path to a Green Card with Our Free Eligibility Quiz Unlock Your American Dream: Zavala Texas Law’s Free Green Card Eligibility Quiz
Introducing the Free Green Card Eligibility Quiz Understanding whether you’re eligible for a green card through family can be a...
The TN Visa: Fantastic Option for a Work Permit for Mexicans and Canadians
The TN Visa : A Gateway to Professional Opportunities in the U.S. The TN Visa serves as a critical pathway...
Work Permit through Marriage to US Citizen
How to Obtain a Work Permit in the USA through Marriage to a U.S. Citizen Obtaining a work permit through...
Path to a Green Card through Marriage to a U.S. Citizen
Navigating the Path to a Green Card through Marriage to a U.S. Citizen Navigating the journey towards obtaining a U.S....
FAQs about Obtaining Green Card through Marriage
Tips for a Successful Green Card Application To increase your chances of a successful green card application, consider the following...
How Long Does It Take To Approve US I-765 Work Permit?
It takes anywhere between 150 to 200 days to get a US I-765 work permit. Earlier the I-765 processing time...
How Long Should an Immigrant Wait To Get US Citizenship After Applying?
The waiting time to get US citizenship after applying is around 12 to 24 months. However, this is the average...
Green Card Interview: Must-Know Immigration Interview Questions
Adequate awareness, support, and preparation are key to beat the anxiety and apprehensions associated with immigration interview questions. The US...
Immigration Reform 2021 | Zavala Texas Law
By: Dennis Aguiar The inauguration of Joe Biden introduces a new era of American immigration policies. A complete and effective...
Green Card Process | Zavala Texas Law
Green Card Process Becoming a United States Citizen begins with first acquiring Legal Permanent Status aka Green Card status. To...
Voluntary Departure Explained
What is Voluntary Departure with the Immigration Court? When a person aka respondent is in removal proceedings, it is the...
US Citizenship Test
One of the last steps in the process of becoming a United States citizen is passing your US citizenship test....
Renewing your Green Card
A service that Zavala Texas law offers a lot of the Houston-based immigrants is renewing their legal permanent residence AKA...
Married to a US Citizen
What happens if I am married to a US Citizen? A question I receive often as an immigration lawyer from...
Why you should have a small business lawyer
I decided to expand my practice to help Houston small businesses approximately two years into my career. The biggest reason...
Should I form an LLC?
Should I form an LLC? This article should be taken in a friendly tone yet my advice should be considered....
Deferred Adjudication in Texas: 5 Things To Know
Deferred Adjudication in Texas: 5 Things To Know Many people have misconceptions about deferred adjudication probation in Texas. The most...
Can a spouse drop domestic violence charges?
It is a familiar scene for a partner to seek help from the police in the heat of an argument,...
What is an Immigration Arrest and ICE Hold?
Immigration has been in the news a lot recently with ICE deportations. What a lot of the population doesn’t understand...
What is “chain migration”?
A common topic or word that comes up in the news when discussing immigration is “chain migration”. However, a lot...
Obtaining a work permit or an Employment Authorization Document
One of the biggest questions I get asked by clients from other countries is how can they obtain a work...
What’s the difference between misdemeanor and felony in Texas?
In Texas, the criminal justice system divides crimes you can commit into two categories misdemeanors and felonies. Each of them...
How long does it take to apply for citizenship?
The last step of the immigration process is US citizenship. Legal Permanent Residents aka Green Card holders are allowed to...
Traveling Outside US and Re-Entry: Consequences to your Immigration Status
If you have an application for permanent residency pending, you need to be cautious when traveling outside the country. I...
7 Important Things To Know About I-94 Form
The I-94 form is a non-immigrant document but plays an important role in determining your immigration status. As an immigration...
What Will Happen to My Green Card If N-400 Is Denied?
It was Wednesday afternoon and I am at court when I got a call from Eduardo. A 40-year-old immigrant, he...
Marriage-Based Green Card Interview: 7 Things You Must Know
Are you worried over how to handle your marriage-based green card interview? As an immigration lawyer in Houston, I can...
What Happens When Police Have A Warrant in Your Name?
Imagine you are going to celebrate your marriage next week. You are with your fiancée on a shopping spree. You...
Probation vs Deferred Adjudication: 5 Key Differences
As a criminal lawyer, I often find clients eager to know more about how probation works in Texas. It is...
Notice to Appear – Houston Immigration Court
What is a “Notice to Appear” in Immigration Court? Immigration court proceeding is the name given to the process when...
USCIS Travel Document (I-131)
The importance and understanding of a USCIS Travel Document (Form I-131) What is a Travel Document? (I-131) Depending on what...
Criminal Convictions and Green Cards aka Legal Permanent Residents
Even if you have a green card aka Legal Permanent Residence, the US government can still deny you the residence...
Importance of Contracts for a Small Business Owner
In any ordinary course of business, contracts are what keeps the business together. A contract is formal agreement between parties...
Advantages and disadvantages of forming an LLC, limited liability company, in Texas
Advantages and Disadvantages of an LLC Whenever someone’s decides to form a business, one of the very critical decisions will...
Factors to consider before applying with Immigration
Applying for a Green Card or Visa If you’re trying to obtain a non-immigrant Visa or legal permanent resident status...
USCIS: I-797C Explained
What is an I-797C Receipt? Anytime you file applications with USCIS they will send you what’s called an I-797C receipt....
Travel Considerations for Immigrants
If you are here on an immigrant visa or green card, there are a few things you should consider before...
Adjustment of Status or Consular Processing? Whats a boy to do?
Obtaining Legal Permanent Residence for your Spouse aka Green Card Everyone knows that being married to a United Citizen can...
Crime Involving Moral Turpitude
What the heck is a Crime Involving Moral Turpitude (CIMT)? If you practice Immigration law you probably run into the...
Difference between THC and CBD in Marijuana
“Wax, Oil and Buds… Oh my!” Difference between THC and CBD in Marijuana It is no surprise that marijuana laws...
What happens during a criminal case?
Criminal Case Process Ever wondered what happens in a criminal case after someone gets arrested? We decided to explain to...
What is 12.44a and 12.44b?
12.44a vs 12.44b The Texas Criminal Penal Code is full of statutes and procedures to navigate the criminal justice system....
Termination of DACA
DACA Memo – September 4, 2017 Earlier this month, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, terminated an executive...
ICE Hold under the Trump Administration
I recently wrote explaining how an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Hold affects undocumented people who are in criminal proceedings....
Outcomes of a Criminal Case
A criminal case begins with a person being arrested and a charge filed against them by the State. Where your...
Legal considerations when opening a bar or restaurant
To start and run a successful restaurant you must understand many different legal considerations which make operating a restaurant in...
Sanctuary Cities: End Times?
Sanctuary Cities On May 7, 2017, the governor of Texas Greg Abbott, signed a new document that would go into...
Immigration Hold
The Criminal Justice System and Immigration Courts are two entirely different judicial proceedings, though they ultimately can be tied in...
Immigration Law: Aggravated Felony
An “aggravated felony” conviction can be a lifetime bar to almost all forms of immigration relief. Under United States immigration...
Criminal Bars to DACA
Donald Trump has promised important changes to immigration policy within his first 100 days in office, and the last few...
Avoiding a Traffic Ticket: LASIK
Over the 4th of July weekend, I took a trip to scenic Brenham, Texas to enjoy a relaxing weekend in...
Deferred Adjudication and Immigration Consequences
Sharing an office with a veteran Immigration attorney definitely gives me exposure to people who are facing immigration troubles because...