Nataly Mualem

My experience with Nataly Mualem as my immigration attorney was extremely disappointing and frustrating. I hired her last year to handle my J-1 waiver case based on fear of persecution, trusting her "expertise" and assurances that she would oversee the process from start to finish. I promptly provide...d all necessary documents as requested, expecting diligent legal representation. However, shortly after I submitted my paperwork, she left the firm she was affiliated with without informing me and unilaterally transferred my case to another attorney without my consent. At no point was I consulted or even notified about this transition. Eight months later—around the time she had indicated I should expect a decision—I followed up on my case, only to discover a major, devastating, and completely avoidable error: she had never submitted Form I-612 to USCIS, the most crucial step in the waiver process. Instead, she only filed the paperwork with the Department of State (DOS). What she failed to disclose—and what I only learned after months of waiting in limbo—is that a persecution-based J-1 waiver is not even reviewed until Form I-612 is first submitted to USCIS. As a direct result of this negligence, my immigration status is now at serious risk, and my future plans have been significantly delayed. Adding to this failure, she also provided me with incorrect legal advice. She assured me that once my waiver was approved, I could adjust my status from within the U.S. However, I later learned that for a persecution-based waiver, one must leave the country and obtain a new visa stamp from a U.S. embassy abroad. This fundamental misrepresentation of the law further underscores her lack of competence. Beyond these critical mistakes, her unprofessionalism and lack of communication made an already stressful process even more difficult. After leaving the firm, she ignored my emails and messages when I sought clarification on who was handling my case. She failed to provide even the most basic updates, leaving me to uncover her mistakes on my own—months later. Every interaction, email, and failure on her part is well-documented, clearly demonstrating that she did not fulfill her professional obligations. Based on my experience, I strongly advise against hiring Nataly Mualem for any immigration matters. Her negligence, lack of accountability, and disregard for her clients’ well-being suggest that she prioritizes getting paid over providing competent legal representation. If you are seeking reliable immigration counsel, I highly recommend looking elsewhere to avoid the costly mistakes and unnecessary distress I have endured.