Elizabeth Torres

I was introduced to Atty. Liz Torres by a friend who highly vouched for her excellence in immigration matters. I hired several immigration attorneys in Los Angeles who were nothing like Ms. Torres. She is very trustworthy and charged a very reasonable fee, even designed an affordable installment plan... for me; it helped me a lot especially after paying so much money to other attorneys who claim to be the best, yet did not produce any positive result for my case. I was on deportation in absentia, caused by another lady attorney who failed to send me a copy of INS's letter requiring action within 90 days. I learned about the letter almost a year later, when I applied for renewal of my work authorization. As a result, I lost my job at the Los Angeles Superior Court. Although I was able to prove that it was not my fault that I failed to respond to INS's letter, it already caused me a good-paying job that I could still be holding at this time. My case was handled by one attorney who barely communicated with me despite repeated phone calls. Fortunately, a friend told me about Ms. Torres, who took over my appeal and successfully won it for me. I was feeling very desperate then, I literally lived in fear after other attorneys I consulted with told me to go home voluntarily because I was already a "fugitive;" I was also told to forget about my mother's approved petition because I was deportable, and that my mother's petition did not matter anymore. Ms. Torres listened and worked her best to save me from deportation. She allowed me to review my documents before mailing out to the Ninth Circuit Board of Appeals. When I was called for interview for my lawful permanent residence, I was handed a Voluntary Departure Form to fill out and to agree to "go home voluntarily" and wait for my visa in Manila. The deportation officer told me that he had the discretion to arrest me or to send me home if I sign the voluntarily departure form. Then he told me that I was being sent back to Manila because my appeal was denied. I was able to defend myself at that moment, asked the deportation officer to search my file folder and look for a "Stay of Deportation" issued to me in December 2004. I told the deportation officer that I knew my first appeal was denied but that I was issued that "stay" on the basis of my appeal with the 9th circuit. I was proud of how I handled the situation at that time - the deportation officer left the room and the interviewer handed me the approval letter for my lawful permanent residence. I give credit to my knowledgeable attorney who paid attention to details and who got me and my husband personally involved in putting together the vital supporting documents for my appeal. With the other attorneys I worked with, I had to review the information on my forms and would find significant errors, i.e., spelling and dates. That was how I was able to direct the deportation officer to my file and to find the "Stay of Deportation;" it was my saving grace because that piece of document allowed me to wait for my green card here in the U.S. and not in Manila. I was granted my LPR in March 2008, three years after my immigration attorney won the victory for me. Ms. Torres even promised to assist me with my naturalization application whenever I am ready to apply for it. Attorney Elizabeth Torres is my hero(in). She served not only with her head but with her heart, as well. She also has inspired me to enrol in paralegal studies, a certificated course that I will complete shortly, at the University of California Riverside Extension in June 2011.