Q & A MARJAN KASRA — BY STAFF
“ IT ' S IMPORTANT TO HELP IMMIGRANTS ACHIEVE WHAT THEY NEED IN THIS COUNTRY ”
How did you get started in the immigration legal services ? What inspired you to become an immigration lawyer ? I ' m an immigrant myself , so that ' s how my journey started . I remember my mom at the embassy talking to the Consulate about getting U . S . visas . That was my first exposure as a child , just watching my mom do her magic . When I became an attorney , I didn ' t start out as an immigration lawyer , but as a real estate attorney . That ' s how I grew my firm [ Lawmaks ], founded in 2005 . When the housing market broke in 2008 , I naturally transitioned to immigration because it is very near and dear to my heart . After that , I became very interested in business immigration . Now , I specialize in EB-5 , L1 , and E2 investment categories ; they are my main passion .
What more can you share about your personal immigration journey ? I ' m from Iran . After the Revolution [ 1979 ], things were very difficult in my country . My parents were very well educated . My mother , especially as a woman , just could not accept being told that she had to cover her hair and conform to arbitrary , man-made rules with the government . And I didn ' t understand it at the time , to be honest . I was 13 years old . I just remember being so upset to be away from my friends , taken away from my environment . It was not easy for a 13-year-old girl to go through , but now I ' m grateful . She made a very big sacrifice . She ' s a medical doctor and has a very lucrative practice in Iran . We had our own hospital in Iran ; my dad was a surgeon , and my mom was a gynecologist , and they had such a good life there . But my mom just didn ' t want her three girls to grow up in that environment . So , we came here . Our journey was not easy because of government restrictions . My mom was able to get out first , then my father . I was the last in the family to leave . They just wouldn ' t allow people to come out together . It was a difficult journey . After I came here , I had to learn the language . It was a challenge , but it did provide me with a diverse understanding of the world . Then I went to start college with a double major . I was a Biology and Psychology major undergrad , and then I got my twoyear Postgraduate Program at Columbia University in microbiology . I thought about attending Medical school because that ' s what my parents had done .
How did you go from Biology to Real Estate law ? I just didn ' t see myself in that role . I found that when I was going through school that I was more passionate about writing , and I loved my English classes . It ’ s when I decided on Law school , and I absolutely loved it from day one . I especially fell in love with Criminal Law class . I think I became involved with Real Estate because one of my friends was practicing Real Estate , and I was seriously considering opening my own law firm . It was very lucrative at the time because the Real Estate market was booming , and it was the right business decision .
How did you transition from Real Estate to Immigration law ? When the market went down in 2008 , it pushed me to look at other things that may be more sustainable business . People called me to ask about immigration , and I started doing some cases . It was something I cared about . It ' s important to help immigrants achieve what they need in this country , especially with the system being so broken . It ' s also critical for an attorney to care about what ' s happening and look out for the clients .
“ MY JOB ALL DAY IS TO EDUCATE MY CLIENTS ABOUT THE EB-5 LAWS ”
Why did you specialize in EB-5 , L1 and E-2 visa programs ? In 2010 , I started talking to some EB-5 developers and regional centers . And I found the whole program fascinating . I threw myself in and learned from A-Z . I felt that I have a natural market for it because I do come in contact with people from Iran and from the MENA region and they are well-to-do guys who want to contribute to the U . S . economy . I felt that there was this niche . I started to pursue it , to talk to some clients and then I was in the EB-5 business . I have a passion for immigrants who come here , and I understand their situations . I think my experience allows me to better understand my clients .
What do you find fascinating about the EB-5 visa program ? It ’ s always changing . There are so many moving parts to it . I ’ m never bored doing it . It ' s challenging and you must analyze what the project is all about . And there ' s no one project for everybody . My job all day is to educate my clients about the EB-5 laws . Learn about their circumstances and analyze the best way to move forward for them . We reserve EB-5 as a last resort because it ' s quite expensive ; you must invest about $ 800,000 or 1.05 million dollars . So I do try to identify alternate solutions for them before we jump into EB-5 , because it ' s not a fit for all . If somebody contacts me and they already have a business overseas , for instance , and they want to open their own U . S . business possibly , and they ' re in their 30s-40s , want to work in this country , then I may suggest an L-1 visa for them if the company overseas is opening a subsidiary or a branch office of an existing company in the United States . An L-1 opens the pathway to EB1C and EB1 . You can get a green card about a year and a half later . Then E-2 is for U . S . Treaty countries . But it ’ s also just a visa , not a green card . There ' s a way to get a green card , but what we do is talk about EB-5 . If somebody ' s not from the Treaty country and if they are older , they don ' t necessarily want to engage in a business , and some people just do this for their kids , who are in college , have their career paths , and they don ' t necessarily want to get involved in a business . So that ' s when they go to a regional center and try to get a green card through EB-5 .
What ' s the most pressing immigration issue facing the EB-5 industry right now ? Right now , it ’ s delays in processing . That said , they have been doing a decent job . I have to give the Immigrant Investor Program Office ( IPO ) some credit . They are hiring new people and they seem to be moving the cases along , especially those in rural areas , post RIA ( Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 ). Priority is given to cases in rural areas and HUAs ( High Unemployment Areas ), but I believe there are still some EB-5s from 3-4 years ago that are still sitting . Those are delayed cases ; sometimes , we are forced to sue the government and file for a Writ of
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