Ghassan Marwan Shihab

There's an old joke: "What do you call 3000 lawyers at the bottom of the sea?". Answer? "A good start". That would describe my attitude when i emailed Shihab & Associates. I'm not sure the conventional lexicon has the words to accurately describe my gratitude to Gus and his team. After 4 years of... paperwork, 2 lawyers, and a previous complaint to the California Bar, your faith in the immigration machine can reach the breaking point. It's no understatement the company emphasises "ethics" as a differentiator. My case sits on the "extraordinary" end of the USCIS spectrum, and i'm sure it will make some kind of history in the horror section of a legal journal. Language like "inconceivable" and "riddled with errors" were used in response to USCIS. If you wanted to be concise about what makes this team different, you could summarise it by saying it's immediately apparent that they personally care. You're not just a reference number, you're a person going through one of the most needlessly frustrating organisations on planet Earth. Doesn't sound like much. But when you've burned through a few of the more impersonal, cynical attorneys ratcheting up the numbers to file template documents, it makes all the difference. Gus's briefs actually look like court papers. They are tight, well-argued, diligent, and have a feel of excellence. His practical grasp of jurisprudence is without peerage in my experience to date. My case was an initial enquiry into embassy visa reviews, but quickly the scope spawned into a 3-week marathon race to file a motion correcting what can only be described as some of the most epic governmental stupidity even a 3rd grade schoolkid would roll their eyes at. Magdalena was at work over a weekend to get the brief right; when i was curious as to why, she was blunt that cases where she can make a real difference excited and fulfilled her. I don't think i've ever heard an attorney speak in those tones. They even had a British solicitor on hand to flesh out the nuance. I've giggled on the phone with Gus, swapped jokes over email, pounded the team with homework, expressed my frustration, and received nothing but professional, compassionate support. Therapy isn't in the job description, but i'm in no doubt that everyone at Shihab actually cares about the case outcome. And it's no joke to say that Gus has been 100% accurate so far about each one of those outcomes, without exception. The financials haven't been easy, but i've learned the hard way you really get what you pay for and there's no easy way around what is an unimpeachably flawed, inefficient, and in many cases, entirely hopelessly under-funded immigration system. Gus helped me to see what an unconscionable turd-in-the-punch my previous attorney had created for me, and refilled the bowl with a much more agreeable Martini mix. US immigration comes with an absolutely obnoxious price tag. If you're going to have to write cheques, it's a painful rite of passage learning who to pay, and who not to. WIth the contributions i've made towards multiple people's Lamborghini funds, the ease at which i can accept Gus's itemised costs is a rare experience of trust. From the reception desk to the librarian, Gus has a personable team that are a delight to deal with, a legal hive mind that are genuinely on their clients' side, and a professional machine on a mission to make every other legal firm look bad by comparison. Truth fears no investigation, and the best way to win the loyalty of others is self-evident expression of integrity. It's easy to win clients when they know you're damned good. The reason Shihab will have all of my business through the immigration nightmare through to naturalisation isn't because of something they purported and advertised to be, but because of who they happily wanted to show me they were. And my inevitable jokes tomorrow morning about Gus's hilarious full name.

My experience with The Law Firm of Shihab and Associates has been nothing short of outstanding. Even though my case was primarily handled by Attorneys Kozyra and Shihab, everybody that I interacted with (from the receptionist to their accountant) were exceptionally nice and professional. I found ...out about Attorney Shihab’s firm through a common acquaintance that used their services in the past. I was in a very desperate situation, with my J-1 visa expiring within a year and subject to the Two-Year Foreign Residence Requirement 212(e). My plan was to request a waiver to the two-year rule and later apply for a Green Card since I am married to a US citizen. At the time, I had already met with a different immigration lawyer. However, I felt very uncertain with the counseling I was receiving. After talking with Attorney Shihab for 15-20 minutes I realized how oblivious my first lawyer was, at least regarding my case in particular. Needless to say, I switched law firms that very same day and my journey with Shihab and Associates started. The next couple of meetings, Attorney Shihab introduced me to Attorney Kozyra and together we designed the best action plan based on my situation/needs. Something that I really appreciate is that since the beginning they were always very honest, straightforward and patient. They covered the pros and cons of every possible route and answered all my questions while we were trying to come up with the plan. In addition, they were very kind; our meetings will always start with some small talk and they always gave me reassurance when necessary. They also worked super fast; the time that it takes them to create and submit a case depends almost completely on how long it takes the client to submit the necessary paperwork. There are specific requirements (e.g. medical/physical exams, physiological opinions, among others) that might delay your submission time, since it will depend on how fast you can request an appointment. But as soon as I gave them everything that was requested, they called me within days to sign the forms and submit the case. Even after submission, they always stayed in touch with me either following the status of the case or answering questions. Finally, actions speak louder than words. My first lawyer told me my chances of obtaining the waiver were close to zero, and he even went to the extend of telling me that I was “lying to the US government” since I got married and planned to stay in the US. Today, I can say that my waiver was GRANTED thanks to the time and expertise Attorneys Shihab and Kozyra dedicated to my case. We just finished working on my Green Card application and I am 100% confident my case is in the best hands.

After years of consulting with multiple attorneys in the Columbus area in regards to filing for a Provisional Waiver, my husband and I are extremely thankful to have found Attorney Shihab and his team. When other attorneys told us that filing for this would not be possible, Attorney Shihab confidentl...y assured us that he could assist us in the approval of the Provisional Waiver. Attorney Shihab's experience and expertise in immigration law was always displayed to us whenever we had questions or concerns. He made sure to keep us up to date every step of the way in the process of filing and has always worked efficiently and tirelessly to ensure that our case was a priority. Thanks to Attorney Shihab's detailed preparation and more than sufficient supporting documents, the processing time in filing was always very fast. Not only is he very knowledgeable and professional, he has treated us more like family than his clients. We always felt that he genuinely cared about our case. He is highly ethical and honest. He will tell you if there is any path to solve your immigration status and will work hard to ensure that the process is successful. He is definitely the person to go to for any immigration matter. If others have failed or told you it's not possible, don't give up. The solution lies in attorney Shihab's decades of experience. Thank you to Attorney Shihab and his team for the approval of our case and we would highly recommend his immigration services to anyone in need.

I strongly recommend Gus (The Law Firm of Shihab & Associates) for any immigration matters. Gus and his team worked initially on my fresh H1b Counselor processing in 2011. The service provided to me at my home country to get me back to USA were beyond expectation. The work that team did on documentin...g every process was very thoughtful and it can only come from Gus and his team. Upon arrival here, Gus helped me on every step to build path towards permanent residency. Every step from filing the labor and getting the perm approved, I-140 approval until finally getting 485 approval in 2017 was handled by Gus and his team very professionally. I did have road-blocker RFE's during this long tedious process, I could only overcome those responses back with experienced attorney Mr.Shihab and his team on my side. Recommend reaching out to Gus for any immigration matters.

Ghassan Shihab's quality above all is dependability and his ability to provide peace of mind to his clients. He is very conversant with legal intricacies of immigration law and knows how to tread through the complex situations. After knowing him as a fellow engineer, I was sure he is a problem solver.... He was honest about the complexity of my HARDSHIP in 751 removal of conditions and guided me with thorough insight and laterals which could come my way for the options chosen. I am glad I contacted him and finally got my conditions removed. He is one of the few lawyers who knows the immigration law and does not lead his clients on a mere hunch. I am glad I hired and so should you.