Svetlana L. Kaff

Svetlana L. Kaff

3.8
Rating: 9.8

Licensed for 23 years

Immigration Lawyer at San Francisco, CA
Practice Areas: Immigration

1728 Union Street, Suite 307, San Francisco, CA

About Svetlana

Biography

Practice Areas

1

Practice Area

Immigration 100%

Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law. Fourteen years of successful immigration law practice in the areas of Family, Business, and Asylum and Deportation Defense.

24 years | 1,600 cases

100%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in California for 23 years

State: California

Acquired: 2002

Inactive

No misconduct found

Location

Svetlana L Kaff

1728 Union Street, Suite 307, San Francisco, CA, 94123

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Svetlana L. Kaff's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

3.8 /5.0

45 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (45) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 10 reviews | General Knowledge

Posted by Marina , Vadim | January 16, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Svetlana is the best attorney!!!

Благодарим Светлану, Марата и команду за профессиональную работу с нашим делом. Благодаря Светлане, мы выиграли суд и получили статус. Светлана - профессионал своего дела и лучший иммиграционный адвокат! Огромная моральная поддержка от неё, компетентность, профессионализм, уверенность и опыт, это важ...но в успешной подготовке дела! Спасибо! Марина и Вадим.

Svetlana Kaff

Replied last February 08, 2024

Spasibo bolshoye vam tozhe, dorogiye Marina i Vadim. Ya vas pozdravlyayu yescho raz i blagodarna vam za rabotu so mnoi i moimi kollegami, i za etot otzyv. Vsego vam samogo nailuchshego! S uvazheniyem, Svetlana Kaff.

Posted by Vladimir | November 07, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Attorney Dr. Svetlana Kaff and her success has played tremendously positive role in our life.

To find the best of the best attorney for an immigration process and related needs is very important and critical, since this is about your life and your further success and happiness. We are glad that on our life path we met Attorney Dr. Svetlana Kaff – top San Francisco immigration lawyer with uni...quely high record of success of immigration cases. Within the entire process we were very happy to work with Attorney Kaff – very knowledgeable and highly experienced professional, absolutely accurate, extremely friendly, supportive and tactful person. She performed her mission very effectively making sure that all steps were taken on time and in the right way and manner. As the result of Attorney Kaff’s dedicated and efficient work, we successfully completed on-time all documentation, passed all required procedures, got positive decision of the immigration authorities and received documents for permanent residency. That was our huge accomplishment thanks to Attorney Kaff! If you will ever have a need in top-notch professional legal services on all types of your own or your friends’ and families’ immigration needs – we would strongly recommend you to go only with Attorney Dr. Svetlana Kaff. She will play tremendously positive role in your life. Sincerely, Tania and Vlad G San Francisco Bay Area

Posted by Igor | October 05, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

The best attorney

We thank Svetlana and the office for their help in obtaining the status of a just-won case and protecting our interests in court. Work with Svetlana was conducted from the beginning of 2017. After refusing an interview, there were big doubts whether it was worth fighting further or retreating, but af...ter talking support and instilling arguments for success, we decided to completely trust Svetlana. It was our choice, and Svetlana did not disappoint. We thank Svetlana with success to the end of the completed business and the receipt of our large family status in a really difficult business! Each case is individual, each person-complex, as in the preparation process and in the defense process. And here is the choice for everyone: either trust and accept, or go further in search. We also had nuances with delays in working together, but everything was resolved, answered, prepared, corrected and, most importantly, brought to a successful positive result! For two years, not a single question has remained unanswered. With experience and professionalism gained over the years, we received answers to our questions, doubts and felt support. And most importantly - the Result - Our Family Got Status! We thank Svetlana for her work and result

Posted by Iana | September 08, 2019

Надёжность и профессионализм.

Спасибо большое Вам Светлана Кафф за то что помогаете нам по всем юридическим вопросам. Вы надёжный и профессиональный адвокат. Я желаю Вам всего самого лучшего.

Posted by Marina | August 26, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Immigration

Результат достигнут благодаря Светлане и её команде.

Хочу выразить благодарность Светлане и её команде за высокий профессионализм, порядочность и честность, а самое главное - это за полученный результат. Мы сотрудничали по визе ЕВ-1 и получили одобрение после запроса на дополнительные документы. И хотя, должна сказать, что процесс подготовки был непрос...той, изматывающий морально, так как занимает достаточно много времени и сил (у нас полтора года), мы знали, что результат будет и терпеливо работали. Да, не всегда это получалось так быстро, как мы себе представляли, но Светлана сразу нас честно предупреждала, что клиентов много и придётся потерпеть, подождать с чем-то, так как мы не одни. Это и понятно, так как у плохого адвоката клиентов много не бывает. И ещё хочу подчеркнуть, что нельзя надеяться, что вашу работу за вас сделает адвокат. Прежде всего, вы сами должны работать. Адвокат направляет, советует и правильно оформляет ваш кейс, даёт профессиональное описание, которое навряд ли вы сделаете сами правильно. Но первичные документы - это ваш труд и работа. Перед тем, как заключить договор со Светланой, мы консультировались с несколькими адвокатами. Светлана была единственной, кто дал ответы на наши вопросы вразумительно, чётко, логично и честно. И теперь мы имеем результат правильности нашего выбора. Ещё раз большое спасибо Светлане за её работу.

See All Client Reviews

Svetlana L. Kaff's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Svetlana
Igor Shoiket headshot
Igor Shoiket

Immigration lawyer | Feb 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Svetlana is an excellent and experienced immigration lawyer. I refer all immigration matters to her and unhesitatingly endorse her as an expert in this field."

Peter G Milne headshot
Peter Milne

Immigration lawyer | May 03

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Svetlana Kaff is a brilliant attorney who has a passion for the practice of law. I respect her as a fearsome advocate and hope that she is never my opponent."

Patricia Renee Rodriguez headshot
Patricia Rodriguez

Immigration lawyer | May 16

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Alexander M. Ivakhnenko headshot
Alexander Ivakhnenko

Immigration lawyer | Nov 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Attorney Svetlana Kaff for her valuable contribution to immigration laws practice assisting clients with her demonstrated legal knowledge and efficiency."

Darya Landa headshot
Darya Landa

Immigration lawyer | Feb 23

Relationship: Other

"Svetlana is an excellent attorney, which I know from working with her. She is highly experienced, organized, knowledgeable, and a zealous advocate! I have since referred her to my friends and friends of friends and they were happy I did."

Irene S. Gold headshot
Irene Gold

Immigration lawyer | Mar 10

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Svetlana is very knowledgeable, competent, thorough and really goes out of her way to take care of her clients."

Somair Syed Alam headshot
Somair Alam

Immigration lawyer | Feb 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Svetlana is an excellent immigration attorney and a zealous advocate for her clients. I recommend that you call her if you have any questions about any facet of immigration law."

Ross Brenton Russell headshot
Ross Russell

Unknown lawyer | Apr 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. She is very experienced and knowledgeable!"

Ekaterina L Powell headshot
Ekaterina Powell

Unknown lawyer | Jun 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Very knowledgeable attorney."

Roland Yin-Chia Ho headshot
Roland Ho

Immigration lawyer | Mar 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Jill L Rogers headshot
Jill Rogers

Unknown lawyer | Feb 25

Relationship: Other

"I wholeheartedly endorse this lawyer. A brilliant, trustworthy and highly respected attorney in the legal community"

Peter John Marek headshot
Peter Marek

Immigration lawyer | Feb 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"13 years of practicing immigration law is very experienced. Her knowledge of both the law and procedure is excellent and evident in her pro bono contributions here. Read her client reviews and you will want to hire her. Her peer endorsements are also outstanding. Do yourself a favor and schedule a consultation with her."

Anita Gurnani headshot
Anita Gurnani

Immigration lawyer | Jan 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Douglas MacMillan Borthwick headshot
Douglas Borthwick

Immigration lawyer | Jan 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Michael Hugh Carlin headshot
Michael Carlin

Immigration lawyer | Jan 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Attorney Svetlana Kaff. Her answers on Avvo indicate that she is a dedicated and knowledgeable advocate in the area of immigration law."

Mengjun Qiu headshot
Mengjun Qiu

Immigration lawyer | Jan 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Ms. Kaff is a highly trusted member of the legal community, her contribution is greatly appreciated and valued."

Jagbir Singh Terkiana headshot
Jagbir Terkiana

Unknown lawyer | Dec 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Very knowledgeable and respectable member of community."

Nicole Whitaker headshot
Nicole Whitaker

Immigration lawyer | Dec 25

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Ms. Kaff. She demonstrates an impressive knowledge of the law based on his accurate legal answers on Avvo. She is an asset to the legal field and respected by colleagues."

Alfonso Caprara headshot
Alfonso Caprara

Immigration lawyer | Dec 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Attorney Kaff has provided insightful answers to some of the most difficult situations I've seen posted on AVVO so far. She also has a very impressive record of service in state, national and international legal organizations."

Allen Shabani headshot
Allen Shabani

Immigration lawyer | Dec 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Attorney Kaff is a knowledgeable lawyer and her representation is recommended,"

View All Endorsements
Alexander M. Ivakhnenko headshot
Alexander Ivakhnenko

Immigration lawyer

Oly Roma Filatova headshot
Oly Filatova

Landlord or tenant lawyer

Carl Michael Shusterman headshot
Carl Shusterman

Immigration lawyer

Kevin Lawrence Dixler headshot
Kevin Dixler

Immigration lawyer

Gordana Schifanelli headshot
Gordana Schifanelli

Immigration lawyer

Sarah Elizabeth McElwaney headshot
Sarah McElwaney

Immigration lawyer

Alfonso Caprara headshot
Alfonso Caprara

Immigration lawyer

Francis John Cowhig headshot
Francis Cowhig

Criminal defense lawyer

John Paul Dickson headshot
John Dickson

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer

Maria J. Marty headshot
Maria Marty

Immigration lawyer

Stuart D.P. Gilgannon headshot
Stuart Gilgannon

Immigration lawyer

Gunda Johanna Brost headshot
Gunda Brost

Immigration lawyer

Daniel Jason Corno headshot
Daniel Corno

Immigration lawyer

Martins I. Imudia headshot
Martins Imudia

Immigration lawyer

Charles Lee Reese V headshot
Charles Reese

Criminal defense lawyer

Jeffrey A Kilmark headshot
Jeffrey Kilmark

Immigration lawyer

Obadan Unuigbojie Iziokhai headshot
Obadan Iziokhai

Immigration lawyer

Aggie Rachel Hoffman headshot
Aggie Hoffman

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Judd S Nemiro headshot
Judd Nemiro

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Tatyana A Edwards headshot
Tatyana Edwards

Immigration lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.8 (Superb)

Honors

2016

Legal Specialist in Immigration & Nationality Law, California Board of Legal Specialization

2016

Featured Attorney, Lawyers of Distinction

2015

Featured Attorney, Lawyers of Distinction

2015

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2015

Featured Attorney/Lawyer of Distinction, Lawyers of Distinction

2014

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2012

Best Russian Speaking Immigration Attorney, Bay Area Russian Community

2011

Certificate of Appreciation, Southern Poverty Law Center

2011

Important Contributor, Wall of Tolerence in Montgomery, Alabama - Fight Against Intolerance

2006

Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers

2001

Dean's List, GGU School of Law

2000

Who is Who Lawyers, Who is Who

2000

CALI Award for Excellence in Criminal Procedure, GGU School of Law

2000

Dean's List, GGU School of Law

1999

CALI Award for Excellence in Constitutional Law, GGU School of Law

1999

Dean's List, GGU School of Law

1999

CALI Award for Excellence in Torts, GGU School of Law

1998

Achievement Award for Academic Excellence, San Francisco State University

1998

Honoree, Beta Gamma Sigma

1998

AM-JUR Award for Excellence in Civil Procedure, GGU School of Law

1994

President's Award, FIDM

Work Experience

2002 - Present

Senior Immigration Attorney, Law Offices of Svetlana L. Kaff, P.C.

2014 - 2014

Contract Attorney, V&E

2013 - 2014

Contract Attorney, WSGR

2003 - 2006

Immigrant Rights Commissioner, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

2002 - 2002

Judicial Law Clerk, San Francisco Immigration Court

2002 - 2004

Immigration Attorney, Jewish Family & Children's Services

1993 - 1998

Financial Assistant, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network

Associations

2015 - Present

Lawyers of Distinction

Featured Attorney

2014 - Present

Martindale-Hubbell

Member

2004 - Present

United Humanitarian Mission

Chief Information Officer

2010 - 2011

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Advisory Counsel Member

2008 - 2010

Hadassah

Board Member

2008 - 2010

San Francisco Bar Association

Arbitrator

2004 - 2007

Rabota

Board Member

2003 - 2006

San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission

Immigrant Rights Commissioner

Sample of Legal Cases

Asylum

Granted

Aylum

Granted at Asylum office level

Asylum from Ukraine

Part reversed and part remanded by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

See More Legal Cases

Education

2014

Odessa Institute of Technology and Computer Systems

BS in Civil Engineering

2002

Golden Gate Univ SOL

JD - Juris Doctor

1998

San Francisco State Univer

BS - Bachelor of Science

1994

FIDM

AA

Speaking Engagements

2014

US History and Culture

Immigration In The Lives of Teenagers

2014

Russian Attorneys Training on Law Firm Management

Small to Mid-size Law Firm Management in the US

2010

Rabota Legal Forum

Hot topics in Immigration Law

2010

GGU School of Law Moot Court

Appellate Judge

2008

Hadassah Attorney's Counsel Luncheon Ethical Issues in the Legal Profession

Publications

Languages

Russian

Ukrainian

Activity

Avvo Rating

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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