Jean Walkens Merilien

I came to immigration law by living it.

I was born in Haiti. I went through the U.S. immigration process myself, long before I had a law license — the waiting, the forms that decide a family’s future, the particular fear of building a life while its permanence sits in someone else’s hands. When I tell a client I understand what this is costing them, it is not a professional courtesy. I have been on that side of the desk.

That is why I founded The Merilien Law Firm. I wanted the people going through this process to have a lawyer who understood it from the inside.

How I can help

I represent clients throughout the immigration system:

• Deportation and removal defense — representation in immigration court, including bond hearings, cancellation of removal, and relief applications

• Asylum — affirmative applications before USCIS and defensive claims in immigration court

• Family and marriage-based petitions — reuniting spouses, children, parents, and siblings

• Green cards and adjustment of status — including consular processing and waivers

• Citizenship and naturalization — N-400 applications, including cases complicated by criminal history, travel, or prior filings

• Employment, investor, and student visas — work visas, business and investor petitions, and student status matters

Because immigration is federal practice, I represent clients throughout Florida, across the United States, and internationally. Consultations are available at my Orlando and West Palm Beach offices or virtually, wherever you are.

We can talk in your language

I work with clients in English, Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole — directly, without an interpreter standing between you and your own case. If you have spent years having someone else explain your situation on your behalf, this changes what it feels like to ask for help.

What to expect from me

You will have direct access to your attorney. You will get the truth about your case — including when the answer is not the one you were hoping for, because in immigration, a lawyer who tells you only what you want to hear is a lawyer who costs you years. And you will never have to wonder where your case stands.

I also handle personal injury matters for clients hurt in accidents throughout Central Florida. But immigration is where this firm started, and it is where most of my work lives.

If you are facing a deadline, a notice to appear, or a decision you don’t understand, call The Merilien Law Firm. The first conversation is about understanding your options — nothing more.