Martin Valko

Martin Valko

5.0
Rating: 9.4

Licensed for 22 years

Immigration Lawyer at Dallas, TX
Practice Areas: Immigration

10670 N. Central Expressway, Suite 300, Dallas, TX

About Martin

Biography

Practice Areas

1

Practice Area

Immigration 100%

22 years

100%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in District of Columbia for 21 years

State: District of Columbia

Acquired: 2004

Good Standing

No misconduct found

Licensed in Texas for 22 years

State: Texas

Acquired: 2003

Eligible to Practice in Texas

No misconduct found

Location

Chavez & Valko, LLP

10670 N. Central Expressway, Suite 300, Dallas, TX, 75231

Chavez & Valko LLP

5555 Bridge Street, Suite 100, Forth Worth, TX, 76112

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Martin Valko's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

241 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (241) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 31 - 35 of 132 reviews | Practice Area Knowledge

Posted by Kapil Kaushik | September 06, 2016 | Immigration

Excellent Immigration Attorney!!

Best attorney in town!! Martin Valko helped resolve my long pending Green Card application and six years later was ready to step in as my wait for Citizenship application approval just started getting frustratingly long!! If you are looking for immigration attorney, look no further....i strongly rec...ommend Chavez & Valko lawfirm!!

Posted by Margus | August 31, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Green Card

I worked with Martin Valko and his team to go from my student visa to a professional athletes visa when I entered the NFL draft in 2013. I also worked with him and his team when I applied for a green card this year. I got married in April of 2015, and we filed for a green card application in March of... 2016. Martin was always available and helpful with every question I had about the process and kept me up to date with the appointments. Since my work is in Cincinnati now, they got me appointments at the Cincinnati immigration office for bio-metrics and for the green card interview. It took about 4 months to get the interview appointment and Martin wanted to make sure me and my wife were taken care of during the interview so I flew him to Cincinnati and that gave us a piece of mind having him there. I would highly recommend Martin Valko and his team for any immigration issues.

Posted by Tammy | August 18, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

I-601A Waiver

OMG where do I start. I want to start off first by saying that choosing an attorney for anything is not easy. When I was looking for immigration attorney I struggled for 2 years. Chavez & Valko was the first place I came to. I left thinking it might be too expensive due to the high professionalism ...atmosphere (eventhough I had no idea about the price - which they ended up being very reasonable and fair). I sought out other immigration attorneys which turned out to be NIGHTMARES. My heart lead me back to Chavez & Valko was where it was in the first place. So if you are reading this review go with your heart. I met with attorney Valko who made us feel like the most important people in the world. I left not feeling judge and very welcomed and safe. Soon after hiring attorney Valko I met my paralegal Cielo. Who has more patience than the law allows, I would have never ever been able to complete this process without her. My life has not been easy so my trust issues are very low. But I trusted her with my life. Because no matter how difficult I was, she treated me with the utmost respect. She kept her word on everything, which is PRICELESS in this situation. Had it not been for her I wouldn't even been writing this review. Everyone that I have met in this office has treated me with respect even when I didn't deserve it. Because there were times I was frustrated, because the waiver process is not an easy process. But no matter how many questions I had or how difficult I was they stood by my side and because of them I have my husband by my side and we are free. Now we can have a decent life. So whoever is reading this review please know that my husband and I have already prayed in advance for you. Go have a consultation and then go with your heart. Put your faith in God and your trust in Chavez & Valko. You wont find anything better out there, trust me I tried. This is your life, so place it in the very capable hands of people who care about you and not your money. Have a bless day and I am open to helping anyone who is reading this review. Standing On Faith, Tammy

Posted by Alexandra Albro | March 31, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Excellent Legal Assistance

I am a General Counsel at a Fortune 500 company. I have been working with Martin and his team for over three years on immigration matters including permanent residence, intracompany-transferee, investor’s, and H-1B matters. My experience has been outstanding. Martin or anyone in the firm always respo...nd promptly and professionally. I usually work on very tight deadline and Martin and his team have always helped us achieve our goals. In my experience in comparison to working with other immigration lawyers, Martin and his team make the complicated and burdensome process feel like a breeze. I would recommend Chavez & Valko to anyone who wants precision, promptness and professionalism. - Alexandra Albro, ESET Pracujem ako firmna pravnicka pre softverovu firmu Fortune 500. Spolupracujem s Martinom a jeho firmou uz vyse troch rokov na roznych imigracnych ziadostiach ako trvaly pobyt, intra-firmna mobilita zamestnancov, investorske vizum a H1-B ziadost. Moja spolupraca s Martinom a jeho timom bola vzdy vynikajuca. Reaguju vysoko profesionalne a bezodkladne. Zvycajne potrebujem podat ziadosti velmi rychlo a Martin s timom nemali ziaden problem rychlo a kvalitne dat dokopy ziadosti. Ked porovnam ine imigracne firmy s Martinovou, z vlastnej skusenosti viem, ze tieto zldhave a komplikovane ziadosti sprocesuju ani o tom neviem. Kazdemu, kto vyzaduje precisnost, rychlost a profesionalitu. - Alexandra Albro, ESET

Posted by Itcel | March 30, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

K1 Visa and adjustment of statua

Thanks to Martin Valko and the Chavez and Valko team, my husband has become a U.S permanent resident. They were very helpful and kind to go out of their way to help us with the process. They helped us obtain a k fiance visa and green card. We are so happy with their services and glad we had the help ...of Martin Valko. Gracias a Martin Valko y El equipo de Chavez y Valko mi esposo a obtenido residencia permanente. Martin Valko y su equipo estuvo pendiente de todo el proceso, ayudándonos en cada paso y asegurándose que todo estuviera en orden. Ellos hicieron todo lo posible para ayudarnos en todos los pasos hacia residencia permanente. Estamos muy contentos y agradecidos con el gran servicios de Martin Valko y su equipo.

See All Client Reviews

Martin Valko's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Martin
Omar Alexander Salas headshot
Omar Salas

Immigration lawyer | Oct 17

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"Martin Valko is passionate about Immigration Law. He has built a practice based on customer service and never giving up. This mindset can be seen in the many complex cases that Martin has handled. I endorse Martin Valko."

Danny Dustin Russell headshot
Danny Russell

Immigration lawyer | Aug 28

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Geoffrey Emerson Schorr headshot
Geoffrey Schorr

Immigration lawyer | Jan 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. I highly recommend Martin and the legal services his firm provides. I have known Martin for several years and have found him to be very passionate about the rights of his clients. Whenever I need advice or information regarding immigration issues, I always think to call Martin. I would recommend any friend, family member or client to Martin for legal help with immigration matters, unconditionally."

Barry Sorrels headshot
Barry Sorrels

Immigration lawyer | Jan 18

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Top Notch immigration attorney."

Holden W. Green headshot
Holden Green

Business lawyer | Aug 22

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer."

Lori Ashmore Peters headshot
Lori Peters

Immigration lawyer | Jun 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known Martin for many years. He is a highly professional and exceptional attorney. I would undoubtedly recommend him for any immigration matter."

Anthrea Nikolopoulos headshot
Anthrea Nikolopoulos

Immigration lawyer | Jul 03

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I have first-hand knowledge of the competence that Martin brings to the table in the area of immigration law. He is constantly keeping himself abreast of the compex issues in this area of law which no doubt translates to superior quality for the client. I would have no reservations in endorsing Martin to anyone in need of quality legal representation."

Michael Sheppard Sands headshot
Michael Sands

Immigration lawyer | Jun 30

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Martin is a very talented attorney with an ability to be strategically creative in obtaining positive results for his clients. Martin is result oriented in a cost effective manner and is very passionate in representing his clients."

Hutton Wesley Sentell headshot
Hutton Sentell

Immigration lawyer | Apr 27

Relationship: Co-worker

"I wholeheartedly endorse Martin's work as an immigration attorney. When it comes to navigating through the immigration laws and addressing a client's immigration issues, Martin is top notch!"

Gary Clayton Frost Jr. headshot
Gary Frost

Immigration lawyer | Apr 07

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Martin is a smart and persistent lawyer. He knows the law and doesn’t takes “no” for an answer. I know he cares about his clients because he celebrates their victories and is upset on the rare occasion a successful outcome cannot be reached."

Gary Michael Ashmore headshot
Gary Ashmore

Immigration lawyer | Mar 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work. I have known Martin for many years and have worked with him on many cases. Martin is always professional and his knowledge of immigration is exceptional. I would recommend Martin to anyone who has an immigration need."

Nicolas Chavez headshot
Nicolas Chavez

Immigration lawyer | Aug 10

Relationship: Co-worker

"Martin has a "can-do" mentality with anything he faces. This is evident in his career and the many testimonials from his clients whom he has served."

View All Endorsements
Omar Alexander Salas headshot
Omar Salas

Immigration lawyer

Hutton Wesley Sentell headshot
Hutton Sentell

Personal injury lawyer

Geoffrey Emerson Schorr headshot
Geoffrey Schorr

Personal injury lawyer

Stephanie Luce Ola headshot
Stephanie Ola

Criminal defense lawyer

Jeffrey Albert Yates headshot
Jeffrey Yates

Litigation lawyer

Barry Sorrels headshot
Barry Sorrels

Criminal defense lawyer

Lori Ashmore Peters headshot
Lori Peters

Probate lawyer

Michael Sheppard Sands headshot
Michael Sands

Litigation lawyer

Anthrea Nikolopoulos headshot
Anthrea Nikolopoulos

Litigation lawyer

Gary Michael Ashmore headshot
Gary Ashmore

Probate lawyer

Nicolas Chavez headshot
Nicolas Chavez

Immigration lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.4 (Superb)

Work Experience

2010 - Present

Honorary Consul to the State of Texas, Foreign Ministry of the Slovak Republic

2007 - Present

Managing Partner, Chavez & Valko, LLP

2005 - 2007

Associate Attorney, Law Offices of Joseph E. Ashmore, PC

2004 - 2005

Shareholder, Law Office of Martin Valko

2002 - 2003

Associate Attorney, Vial, Hamilton, Koch & Knox, LLP

2001 - 2003

Law Clerk and Associate Attorney, Vial, Hamilton, Koch & Knox, LLP

Associations

2015 - Present

National Czech and Slovak Museum & Library

Board Member

2010 - Present

Consular Corps fo Dallas/Fort Worth

Vice Dean

2009 - Present

World Affairs Council

Member

2009 - Present

Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce

Member

2005 - Present

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Member

2014 - 2015

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Cmte Member, AILA National SCOPS Liaison Committee

2013 - 2013

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Cmte Member, AILA National Field Operations Liaison Committee

Sample of Legal Cases

Appellate win for Prevailing Wage Determination at BALCA

Employer won the appeal at BALCA

See More Legal Cases

Education

2005

Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia

Bachelor of Law

2004

Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law

Master of Laws

2002

Oklahoma City University School of Law

Juris Doctor

1997

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2019

Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business

International Students in the Workplace

2019

Northwest Dallas Business Association Presentation

Employer Workplace Compliance Overview

2017

Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services H-1B and Beyond - Visa Options for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

2017

1st Annual CIL Immigration Law Conference

Law Firm Management, Marketing and Best Practices

2016

Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services H-1B Specialy Occupation Visas for International Graduate Students

2016

Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services H-1B Specialy Occupation Visas for International Undergraduate Students

2016

SMU Cox School of Business Accounting Department Advisory Board

Employer Strategies in H-1B and Immigrant Visa Processes for DFW Metroplex Accounting Firms

2015

Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services H-1B Specialy Occupation Visas for International Graduate Students

2015

Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services H-1B Specialy Occupation Visas for Foreign Students

2015

American Board of Trial Advocates at the UNT Law School in Dallas

Speaker, Immigration law and Classroom issues for Educators at the Teacher's Law School

2014

Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services H-1B Specialy Occupation Visas for Foreign Students

2014

Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services H-1B Specialy Occupation Visas for Foreign Students

2014

Mexican Consulate General in Dallas, TX

Speaker, Presidential Executive Action (DACA II, DAPA)

2014

DFW-LINC Leading International Networking Clinic Alternatives to H-1B Classification for Graduating Students

2013

Southern Methodist University International Student and Scholar Services H-1B Information Session at SMU

2011

University of Texas CLE

Waivers of Inadmissibility (I-601; I-212)

2011

Human Resources Seminar (Part 2) Temporary and Permanent Work Visas

2011

AILA AILA Spring 2011 Texas Chapter Conference Conference Co-chair

2011

35th Annual UTCLE Immigration Law Conference Speaker, Waivers of Inadmissibility (I-601; I-212)

2010

Career Panel & Networking Series Immigration Law

2009

The Fort Worth Breakfast Club

"Overview of the Immigration Laws"

2009

AILA Fall 2009 Texas/Oklahoma/New Mexico Chapter Conference Advanced Topics in Conditional Permanent Residence (I-751)

2008

Presenter, "Know Your Rights" Videoseminar for respondents

Relief in removal proceedings

2008

Federal, State, and Immigration Consequences of Family Violence Convictions Federal, State, and Immigration Consequences of Family Violence Convictions

2008

Employment-based Immigration Employers' Ethical Obligations

2007

New "No-Match" Regulations: Employers on "Constructive" Notice that Employee May be Working Illegally and How To Avoid P Federal Compliance - I-9 and E-Verify

Publications

2011

University of Texas Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law Extreme Lawyering: Filing Waivers at Home and at Consulate Abroad

2010

Texas Bar Journal Texas People

2009

American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Texas Chapter Fall Conference Advanced Topics in Conditional Permanent Residence (I-751)

2008

Languages

Russian

Spanish

Slovak

Czech

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution