Ashwani Kumar Bhakhri

I was put in removal proceedings. I had green card. My green card was taken away because of a criminal conviction. I received connviction within 5 years of the date of admission in the US. I retained the Law Offices of Ashwani K. Bhakhri who helped me in the court. The Immigration Judge denied my cas...e. Mr. Bhakhri filed an appeal. The appeals court retunred my case to the immigration judge. Mr. Bhakhri filed a motion to terminate the proceedings which the immigration judge granted. Because of Mr. Bhakhri's smart plan, I have been able to keep my green card. I did not realize that a criminal conviction can put me in that big trouble. Mr. Bhakhri is experienced and hard working attorney. He is honest, sincere and candid. His staff is very helpful. My family and I are thankful to Mr. Bhakhri for helping me to keep my green card. I recommend people to go to Mr. Bhakrhi, especially, those who have criminal convictions.

I got my asylum case granted after being in the United States for 22 years. I came to the US in 1991. I retained two other attorneys before hiring Mr. Bhakhri. Prior to Mr. Bhakhri, I had Attorney Kaiser and Kaufman. They represented me before immigration judge. Mr. Bhakhri represented me before Immi...gration Judge, Brian Simpson, The Board of Immigration Appeals, and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Bhakhri win my appeal from 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The case came back to the Immigration Judge. I knew from day one that my asylum claim is week. Mr. Bhakhri's hard work and sharp litigation skills turned the tables around. Mr. Bhakhri is highly professional, good in court and always stick to his position and is always on the client side. I am so impressed with his knowledge about immigration laws. He is very professional. I call him a "fighter". Mr. Bhakhri's staff is very helpful.

I am a US Citizen and I had an arranged marriage with my wife back in India. In 2004 I was trying to bring my wife to USA and my friend Raj recommended me to Ashwani. Raj had worked with Ashwani before for his wife, and Raj was able to arrange a free consultation with Ashwani. Ashwani's office was lo...cated on the 2nd floor of a 2-story building in Burlingame and when we arrived we had to wait for about an hour. The previous reviews about his secretary are accurate: she does come across rude when talking on the phone. She was yelling at customers over the phone while we sat 10 feet way. When Ashwani ushered us into his office, he told us that the paperwork is standard and he will charge $2,500 to do the processing. He told me the process would take about 6-7 months in all likelihood unless there were complications. I trusted my friend, and I paid Ashwani a $1,000 retainer/deposit to get to work along with a check made payable to the US Immigration agency. Over the next few days, the check to Ashwani cleared my account. Ashwani mailed me and asked for several documents and signatures over the next few days. I dropped them off and his secretary told me she was going to mail my check to the Immigration agency with the application later that week. This part was sort of shady, because over the next month and a half I never heard back from Ashwani despite calling, and his secretary kept dodging my question on if my application was mailed. The check to the Immigration agency never cleared, and it had now been almost 2 months. So, I decided to walk into Ashwani's office and see what was going on. When I arrived, I asked Ashwani's secretary about my application and she said the file is with Ashwani and he is reviewing some things. I asked her if my check was mailed and she said, kind of rudely, that it takes time to review the application. This part was especially frustrating because I felt that she was being condescending towards me and I was their customer. She had originally told me that she was going to mail my application that week, and now nearly 2 months later I was told that the application is being reviewed by Ashwani? Since Ashwani was with another client, I waited for about 10 minutes before Ashwani walked out and looked surprised to see me. I asked him about my application and asked why he didn't return my calls. In a rather awkward moment, the secretary asked me when I had called and Ashwani said the secretary had the application and it should have been mailed. I was a bit confused since I had called at least 6 times over the last 2 months to check on my application and speak with Ashwani (I was never connected with him), but evidently their office was not very organized. While I was there, Ashwani brought the file out from the adjacent room and in it was my check and signed application. I was furious. I drove all the way down from Hayward to have them show me that my application was not mailed. Ashwani asked the secretary why it was not mailed, and she said that she did not mail it because she thought Ashwani was still reviewing it. Ashwani was nice, and he sincerely apologized to me. I appreciated this apology, but I felt that their lack of response and lack of organization made me lose trust in their professionalism. My package was mailed out the next day, apparently, and my check to the Immigration agency cleared my account about a week later. The remaining process went smooth. My wife did some sort of interview in India and she got her visa. She arrived about 9 months after I started the process with Ashwani. I know it would have been sooner but the disorganization in getting my application filed was the reason for delay. In the end, I recommend Ashwani so long as you are willing to be proactive in tracking your case with him. You might also have to deal with unfriendly staff, but as long as the job gets done it is not too bad.

I used Ashwani Bhakhri at the recommendation of a friend in 2007 for my immigration issues. I was facing deportation and my previous attorney had indicated that my chances of avoiding deportation were slim. I felt the need to find another attorney. My friend told me to go see Ashwani Bhakhri at his B...urlingame office. I met Ashwani for a consultation in which he quickly glanced through my deportation orders and case. I was a little uneasy of hiring him immediately for a couple of reasons: 1) His secretary kept yelling on the phone in the next room - which I found to be unprofessional; and 2) The office seemed to be "cluttered" with paperwork. However, after hearing Ashwani's opinion of my case, I decided to proceed. He cited numerous strategic options we had to either win the case, or to delay my deportation for up to 18 months. I signed a contract with Ashwani. Below is how it went. A couple of months after our meeting, my master hearing was set in San Francisco. I remember being concerned that my hearing was scheduled at 9:00AM and Ashwani did not arrive until 9:15AM. This was also a little disturbing to me, however, Ashwani did well before the judge. He asked for preparation time for the case and received about 6 months. During the next 6 months my opinion of Mr. Bhakhri went through ups and downs. Initially after the extension as granted, Ashwani mentioned that I do not have to do anything but stay out of trouble for the next several months leading up to my individual hearing. However, I received some documents from the INS and I wanted Ashwani to meet with me so that I could understand them. When I tried to make an appointment, his secretary was not very polite over the phone. My original concerns about her (as noted above) were validated. I quickly realized that the best way to get to Ashwani was to avoid his secretary. So, I called Ashwani's cell phone and he seemed concerned that he did not get my message I left with his secretary, and he asked me to come in the following morning. The next day when I arrived Ashwani was very focused on my case and findings. He said that the paper I received was a "problem" however, he would work through it. Nearing the date of my hearing I began to get nervous. It had now been about 4 months since I spoke with Ashwani or received any sort of communication. I called Ashwani's office and the same secretary picked up. I asked to speak to Ashwani and she cut me off before I could even ask my question. I hung up the phone and called Ashwani's cell again. He answered and said to not worry about anything until the week before the hearing. That is when I heard from them again. Ashwani and an assistant attorney met with me exactly 4 days before my hearing. They told me exactly what they were going to do. If their plan failed, they would appeal. If that appeal failed, they had a 3rd appeal they could file. I signed some papers and they read back my statements. We would meet at the courthouse on Friday. The day of the hearing Ashwani was again getting late, but he arrived exactly as I was walking into the courtroom. He was brilliant with the judge and argued on my behalf. The INS attorney was kept off balance and Ashwani kept pounding at the INS. The judge decided to terminate the INS case against me. Overall, the results were what counted. I dealt with the subpar customer service but I remained in the country. While I noticed that he is not as polished as other attorneys I consulted with, Ashwani took genuine interest in my case and always told me it was ok to contact him directly with questions. The unfortunate incidents with the secretary and tardiness cannot be totally excused from my review only because I know some clients value good customer service, promptness and professionalism. In the end, thank you Mr. Bhakrhi. I would recommend you. If you do get a chance to work on the customer service issues I am sure that you would become the top immigration attorney in the Bay Area.

I was ordered deported from the United States. I had hired few attorneys before I met Mr. Bhakhri. Today, I am in staus. I have two teenage daughters. I was always afraid of Immigration. ICE arrested me. Mr. Bhakhri helped me getting stay from Deportation. Subsequently, he got my U-visa approved. I n...ever thought that I can leaglly stay in the United States. Because of Mr. Bhakhri's excellant work, I am with my children and I enjoy legal status. I highly recommend Mr. Bhakhri for immigration services. He is very knowledgeable.