Christopher William Helt

Immigration Attorney at Chicago, IL

About
Contact
Reviews
Cost
Resume

Brilliant and Knowledgeable Attorney

In one word - incredible!

Chris was an absolute delight to work with during this immigration process. He guided me every step of the way and made even the most complex legal undertakings seem straight forward and achievable. Chris and his team supported me and my partner to complete all the paperwork and the turn around has been extremely speedy. Despite an estimated time of up to 24 months, Chris had the entire process completed in under 5 months. We would work with him and the Helt Law Group team again in a heartbeat!

About Christopher

Learn Christopher’s areas of practice.

Practice area

Immigration

100%

Immigration & Nationality law, with a nationwide immigration practice appearing before the USDOJ's Executive Office for Immigration review, federal district court, federal circuit courts of appeal, and the Department of Homeland Security.
... Read more
28 years

DO YOU HAVE A SERIOUS IMMIGRATION ISSUE? CONTACT CHICAGO IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY CHRISTOPHER HELT ESQ.

Christopher W. Helt, Esq. managing member of The Helt Law Group, LLC., is a nationally recognized, removal defense immigration attorney, providing legal counsel to immigrants appearing before the U.S. Immigration Court (EOIR), federal district court, federal circuit courts, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He has offices in Chicago and Atlanta, and is a twice-qualified expert witness on immigration related-matters in U.S. District Court jury trials and is a Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Preeminent™-rated attorney. Over the span of two decades, his cases and clients have been featured on the front pages of The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago SunTimes, and featured in Time Magazine. He is a past inductee into Marquis Who's Who in American Law®, and is an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University of Chicago, where he has taught courses to undergraduate, master, and students on immigration policy. Mr. Helt has served as lead counsel to precedent-setting, published decisions before numerous courts and administrative agencies, including the federal circuit courts. He is a past-recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award (DCLA), the FBI's principal award "honoring individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in America." Christopher Helt has been selected as an Illinois Super Lawyer® and has been featured in the ALM's Legal Leaders® edition of Chicago's Top-Rated Lawyers, a publication appearing in the Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune. Mr. Helt is recognized by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers as a "2020 Trial Lawyer of the Year", and recognized by Lawyers of Distinction and featured in the New York Times as a "2020 Power Lawyer".

Photos and videos

Licensed for 28 years

State IL

Status Active and Authorized to Practice Law

Acquired 1994

Updated 01/06/2023

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Contact Christopher

The Helt Law Group, LLC

(877) 639-1821 Office

10 South Riverside Plaza

Suite 875

Chicago, IL, 60606

www.heltlawgroup.com

Message Get Directions

Helt Law Group Atlanta

(877) 639-1821 Office

260 Peachtree NW

Suite 2200

Atlanta, GA, 30303

Message Get Directions

Hide locations

Reviews

Write A Review

5.0 / 5.0

34 customer reviews

5 Star

100%

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Posted by BST | September 8, 2020

Brilliant and Knowledgeable Attorney

Mr. Christopher Helt has been working on my green card for a long long time and finally I got mine last year. He and his staff are very professional and nice. If you are looking for a knowledgeable and dedicated immigration attorney, I would highly recommend Mr. Helt.

Posted by Phil | February 5, 2020

In one word - incredible!

Read less

Posted by Abdul syed | January 15, 2023

Best immigration attorney

Started from adjustment of status. Than green card and finally naturalized citizen.

Posted by George | August 3, 2022

Fantastic! Supportive and very knowledgeable

The Helt group were fantastic! Chris in particular was extremely supportive through a very complicated process. Chris is extremely knowledgeable and up-to-date with immigration procedures and policies. I would highly recommend the Helt Group and Chris.

Posted by Oleg | March 11, 2022

Very well done

Christopher Helt was keenly aware of both the political situation in Ukraine and the US laws and was able to predict that TPS would pass in the United States. He actually advised me to do nothing and wait until TPS was started. He gave me this advice a week before TPS was started. He can predict the future. Brilliant knowledge of the law! Grateful for advice and I do really appreciate for high level service you provide.

Read less

Posted by Mu | February 15, 2021

He is a must attorney to go, especially if you have an immigration court case, he knew lots of things about my case without docs

Consultation is a must to know a good attorney. You will see a big difference between Attorney Chris and other attorneys. He told me about the path to follow, how to succesfull.

Posted by Sunshine | September 22, 2020

Impeccable Services, top-notch lawyer

Mr Helt is very knowledgeable and genuine in explaining different scenarios and sharing law interpretations. He is very sharp with the technical details, empathetic and open-minded in listening to our case. We appreciate how Mr Helt explained to us, in layman's terms, the risks involved in every option. We will be using Mr Helt's services.

Read less

Posted by anonymous | February 20, 2020

The best Immigration attorney in Chicago

It took me 8 years to finally be a permanent resident. After initial consultation with few attorneys with no doubt Mr Helt was by far most knowledgeable with immigration court procedures. I took me few minutes in our initial consultation to choose Mr Helt to represent me. Unfortunately with immigration court backlog my case took much longer than usual time. The 8 years all the questions/concerns and hundreds of emails Mr Helt always replied to my emails within hours it felt good knowing that he cares. He has experience and knowledge of decades which helps his clients. I would recommend Mr Christopher Helt truly. He's a Hero and will rescue you when you need him. GOD BLESS YOU. AJ

Read less

Posted by Abdul | January 6, 2020

Intelligent Lawyer

Mr. Christopher Helt is a professional, kind and intelligent attorney and his staff promptly responded to all my questions during the process. Mr. Helt took hours to meet with me, preparing me for my hearing appeal. Mr. Helt's intelligence was seen when he explained my situation to the immigration officer at my interview. The immigration officer said they were sorry about my denial and later approved my case. I give Christopher Helt and his staff the highest recommendation possible.

Read less

Posted by Sabina | December 13, 2019

Great lawyer, very knowledgeable and professional.

I will highly recommend services of attorney Christopher Helt. Mr. Helt and everyone at his office did an incredible job with our case which had a positive outcome. He was always on point and always on top of things. I had a very complicated case and Mr Helt went above and beyond during our long process and did everything he could to ensure a successful outcome. I could not be happier and more grateful. Thanks to Mr Helt and his wonderful staff for helping us.

Read less

Posted by Rick | May 15, 2019

Mr. Sosa

The most knowledgeable and professional lawyer in the Midwest. Mr. Helt helped my mother and I with her citizenship and I cannot thank him enough. Mr. Helt's professionalism-dedication and commitment to his clients is second to none. Thank you sir

Posted by Branko | April 24, 2019

Thanks

From the first day at the consultation to the moment when I received my green card, Christopher was there for me and did an excellent job on my case. I can sincerely recommend Christopher as an attorney you can depend on. Once again thank you.

Posted by RW | September 24, 2018

If you need an immigration lawyer look no further!

I couldn't speak any higher of Chris. His guidance and insightful knowledge put myself and husband at ease when applying for our new immigration status. He guided us through each step, answering any questions we had and provided us with the reassurance and information we needed. When looking to work with a lawyer you want a knowledgeable, honest and genuine person. Chris is all of these and that's just to name a few qualities this amazing guy has! He goes above and beyond. If you need an immigration lawyer look no further. I am truly grateful for the help and guidance Chris gave to my family.

Read less

Posted by anonymous | September 6, 2018

The only immigration lawyer you need

In March 2018, my family was contact by immigration stating that there were some issues with our current status. I had family members apply for citizenship and were concerned that they would not have to opportunity to partake in the citizenship of this great country. We went to a total of 4 different lawyers, one of whom was Mr Helt. The first 3 recommended a stance of defense; Mr Helt recommended a stance of attack. For some reason, we decided that based on how Mr Helt presented himself to us we would hire him to represent our case. It was a decision I would go back in time to make again. After we hired Mr Helt, he drew up a plan on how to approach this case and he represented us despite the complexity of our case. My family was preparing to sell our house and all of our belongings expecting the worst. Mr Helt told us to not waste our time considering that, rather just live life as normal as we can. Mr. Helt was ALWAYS, and i mean ALWAYS, willing to meet and help my family when we felt concerns arise and he responded to email within 1 business day. To say least, we received our citizenship strictly due to the skill-set of Mr Helt. I sincerely make this plea to anyone reading this, just hire Mr Helt. I am eternally grateful for the kindness and confidence Mr Helt gave us during our time of need. Thank you again Mr. Helt for helping my family. -K.M.

Read less

Posted by Saeef | April 4, 2018

He is Angel

I talk with Christopher William about my case .He is very helpful very experienced he listen you very carefully and give you time explain ur case then he gives his opinion. .

Posted by anonymous | July 19, 2017

Perfect and professional process

Everything went to plan and was smooth. The whole process was made seamless as all paperwork, evidence and next steps were clearly indicated through clear communication. Everyone was polite, efficient and highly professional. I highly recommend Helt Law Group!

Posted by Sheetal | July 12, 2017

Best Immigration Attorney in Chicago

Mr Helt is a person who you can be easily contacted, very genuine straight forward person.He can guide you if things can done or not .He guided me straightly that he can charge the money but If i can file the papers myself he can guide me on my brothers case, other attorneys could have charge the money and would not have filed , but Mr Helts honest advise guided me, I would definitely recommend him .A very Respectable, Human ,knowledgeable ,professional Lawyer who knows his work very well, definitely the best in Chicago for all the immigration matters

Read less

Posted by Renan | May 17, 2017

Professionalism and honesty

I need to be honest and say that Dr. Christopher Helt is professional, knows about what he is saying, and is very honest. With no doubt the best option when you say about immigration. I would reccomend him with no doubt.

Posted by anonymous | February 7, 2017

Fantastic

I've only had a phone consultation and a few email exchanges with Chris Helt so far, but I could not be happier with his level of knowledge, his honesty, and his commitment to help. I'd recommend Chris without any reservations, and I myself hope to hire him in the near future to provide some additional help related to my naturalization application.

Read less

Posted by anonymous | April 29, 2015

Immigration advice session

I had a call with Christopher Helt and he was very helpful. He gave me good advice and answered all my questions accurately. The best thing to do is consulting him with all your issues. He is very competent.

View all reviews

View less reviews

Cost

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

Managing Member
Helt Law Group, LLC.
1994 - Present

Education

Loyola University Chicago School of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
1994

Loyola University Chicago
BA - Bachelor of Arts
1990

Legal Cases

Hui Ran Mu v. Barr, 936 F.3d 929 (9th 2019)
Petition for review granted; denied as to MTR.

In Matter of Hasan Meghani (BIA 2014)
Administrative closure by BIA

Noorani v. U.S. Attorney General, (11th 2006)
Petition for review granted. IJ and BIA decision vacated.

View all legal cases

Associations

Loyola Academy Bar Association
Member
2013 - Present

American Immigration Lawyers Association
Member
1998 - Present

Chicago Bar Association
Member
1994 - Present

Federal Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois
Member
1994 - Present

American Bar Association
Member
1990 - Present

View all associations

Languages Spoken

English

Honors and Awards

Chicago's Top Rated Lawyers (Immigration)
ALM Legal Leaders
2022

AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated
Martindale-Hubbell
2022

Litigator of the Year
American Institute of Trial Lawyers
2022

Who's Who in American Law
Marquis Who's Who in American Law
2019

llinois Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers Magazine
2015

Humanitrian Award, pro bono service, Honduran refugees and UACs.
LULAC of Illlinois
2015

FBI Director's Community Leadership Award
FBI
2014

View all awards

Publications

American Immigration, LLC (ILW.com)
Terrorists Strike Pakistan: Changed Country Conditions And Filing A Motion To Reopen Or BIA Remand. A Practice Advisory
2007

American Immigration, LLC (ILW.com)
Immigration Reform On The Minds Of Lawmakers, The Public And Now The High Court: How Will The Court Rule With Alito And Roberts On The Bench
2006

American Immigration, LLC (ILW.com)
Practice Advisory: Response To ILW.COM's articles/comments concerning the AR-11 issue."
2002

Speaking Engagements

Guest lecuturer, Immigration & Islam in The United States Islamic History Course (Dept of History)
Immigration
2014

A Person to Person History: 9/11 Survivors Visit Loyola University
Symposium Loyola University
2010

9/11 Survivors Visit Loyola
Symposium Loyola University
2009

Criminal Justice Ethics...tough decisions for lawyers, judges, police and other professionals.
Law and Ethics
2005

View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (5)

Given (4)

Endorse Christopher

Micheal Harper

Immigration Attorney | Oct 27
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

""Tough as nails adversary, and gentleman outside the courtroom." I was an INS/DHS prosecutor for over 27 years. I have had many contested hearings with Mr. Helt over the years, and have always found him well prepared and a fighter for his clients. Outside the courtroom, Mr. Helt has always been the consummate gentleman. I consider Mr. Helt one of the best immigration removal defense attorneys in the Unites States.""

Kenneth Levine

Immigration Attorney | Jun 02
Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Christ Helt is an exemplary immigration attorney. He has a global reputation in deportation defense and over the years has prevailed on several important cases in U.S. circuit and district courts. Immigration lawyers nationwide regularly cite Chris's court decisions in their own advocacy."

James McClintick

Immigration Attorney | May 22
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Chris is a highly skilled and uncommonly dedicated attorney, with years of experience and an extensive knowledge of immigration law. Whether it be family-based adjustment, removal defense, or any other aspect of immigration law, Chris will be a fierce and creative advocate for his client. He's a legend in his field and among the very best."

Kenna Walker

Immigration Attorney | Jun 23
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I wholeheartedly endorse Chris Helt. He is one of the hardest working and ethical immigration attorneys currently practicing. His advice is straight and true. Chris values his clients and will not stop until he gets the best outcome for each."

Sameer Hasan

Immigration Attorney | Jun 05
Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Chris is passionate about his cases. He is one of the rare attorneys that have the legal knowledge coupled with the passion required to zealously represent clients."

James McClintick

Immigration