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Jagbir Singh Terkiana

Immigration Attorney at San Jose, CA

4.9   129 reviews

also known as Jay Terkiana

  • State Years
    California - CA 2 years
    New York - NY 13 years
  • Licensed for 2 years
    State CA
    Acquired 2021
    Status
    Active No misconduct found
  • Licensed for 13 years
    State NY
    Acquired 2010
    Status
    Currently Registered No misconduct found

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

About Jagbir

Learn Jagbir’s areas of practice.

1
Practice area
  1. Immigration
    100%
    I have handled some of the most challenging immigration cases. My focus is on Complex Employment Based, Family Based, and Investment Based Immigration Cases.

    15 years

WE HANDLE COMPLEX IMMIGRATION CASES.

I am Managing Immigration Attorney at Terkiana, Inc., a law firm based in Silicon Valley, California, primarily focusing on Employment, Family, Business, Investment, and Complex Immigration matters. I have successfully represented several individual & corporate clients in some of the most difficult and challenging immigration cases across nation. I never forget that I am an immigrant, who came to the United States as an F-1 student and had to navigate the entire immigration process myself when all the odds were stacked against me. Therefore, for me practicing immigration law is not just a business. It's personal.

I have assisted thousands of clients (including individuals, start-ups, small businesses and large corporations) in successfully petitioning for employment-based immigration cases, specially H-1B, L-1A, L-1B, EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-1C, National Interest Waivers (NIW), O-1, EB-2/EB-3 PERM, EB-5, TN, E-2, Adjustment of Status/Green Cards. I have assisted clients in some of the most challenging immigration cases, where they were facing very complex issues like unlawful presence, out of status, deportation, inadmissibility, 3/10-year bar, criminal convictions with severe immigration consequences. In addition to immigrant & non-immigrant visas, my experience also includes answering Request for Evidence (RFE), assistance with 601 hardship & inadmissibility waivers, filing Motion to Reopen (MTR) or Appeal against the denials, assistance during Department of Labor/USCIS Site Visits, I-9 Compliance, Reinstatement of Status, LGBT Immigration Cases, U-Visas, VAWA, R-1, handling Department of Labor (DOL) and Immigration Audits, and assisting in lawsuits arising from benching/back-wages claims.

I have worked in several reputable immigration law firms across nation. Prior to practicing immigration law in San Francisco Bay Area, California, I was Senior Counsel in Manhattan, New York, where I assisted EB-1, O-1, H-1, E-2 and other clients working on prestigious assignments for recognized brands like Dior, Prada, Gucci, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Marc Jacobs, Elite, GQ, Apple, Facebook, Google, Amazon, eBay, PayPal, Intel, Microsoft, and many more. Over the years I have developed a strong expertise in successfully handling some of the most challenging immigration cases, conducting compliance consultations, defending government audits and related litigation.

We are not a Visa Mill or a corporate law firm chasing numbers/revenue. I never hide behind a team of non-lawyers or support staff. I am involved with every individual case and my clients can reach me on my cell phone via call, text or an email. After having personally gone through many of these critical processes & experiences myself, spending many years representing individual & corporate clients, and successfully handling thousands of immigration cases; I am confident that if you entrust me with the responsibility to handle your immigration case, I will deliver the best.

Awards

Client's Choice 2023,2021,2020,2019,2018,2017,2016,2015,2014
Client's Choice
2023 2021 2020 + 6 ...
Top Contributor 2015,2014
Top Contributor
2015 2014

Contact Jagbir

Terkiana, Inc. | Immigration Attorneys
Terkiana, Inc. | Immigration Attorneys
One Market Street
36th floor
San Francisco, CA, 94105
Terkiana, Inc.
1220 Brahms Terrace
Fremont, CA, 94538
Terkiana, Inc.
118-21 Queens Blvd
#603
Forest Hills, NY, 11375
Terkiana, Inc.
228 Hamilton Ave
3rd Floor
Palo Alto, CA, 94301
Hide locations

Reviews

4.9 / 5.0
  129 customer reviews
Client's Choice 2023
Client's Choice
Client's Choice is an Avvo award granted to attorneys with a significant number of client reviews over 4 stars in a given year.
Posted by Raymond | November 18, 2014
OPT Denial Reversed - Motion to Reopen Approved!!
I am an international student from Nigeria and studied in Minnesota. I had initially filed an OPT STEM application with a wrongly dated check. USCIS rejected it because of my error and requested a date-corrected check to be sent along with my application. The problem was, at this time, my OPT card has expired by 2 weeks! My resubmitted application was eventually denied because it was submitted late. This was when I approached Jay Terkiana to help me file a Motion to Reopen (MTR), much against the advice of my DSOs and several attorneys who considered an MTR to be futile in most cases. One of my DSOs specifically said that the only successful MTR he has seen was due to USCIS error and not error from applicants like in my case. I spoke to Jay and discussed my case. He was nice to talk to and explained to me all the issues involved and how to handle them. I felt confident that he could handle my case. He filed a motion to reopen, with a very persuasive brief that I really liked. I think that is what did the trick. USCIS approved my OPT application and ordered the card for production, despite my late filing or not having an active I-20. I cannot be any happier. I highly recommend Jay Terkiana!
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Posted by Janey | January 6, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
He gave me a big help!!!
I hired Jay for my denied I-601. My I-485 was also denied. I was very disappointed but Jay gave me a big help. He helped me refiled my I-601 and also filed i-290 appeal for me. I know that appeal is very hard to get approved but it was finally approved! I was so excited! Jay is very kind and careful, his appeal letter is so detailed and covered all aspects. I really appreciate his efforts. His service is top level!!!
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Posted by Lovepreet singh | August 2, 2023
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Wonderfully service
Bahot vdia service sir tuhadi. Tuhada te tuhadi sari team da dillo dhanwaad sir❣️
Posted by Maggie | May 24, 2023
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Trustworthy, Highly Efficient, Responsive
Jay (Jagbir Terkiana) first handled my case in 2015 and quickly impressed me with his ability to meet important deadlines. Whenever I have any questions or need anything, Jay always responds to me quickly (unlike a lot of attorneys who will make you wait!!!!!!). In the past 8 years, whenever I was in trouble, Jay was the first person I would have thought of. Jay is reliable, trustworthy, knowledgeable and highly efficient. I would recommend Jay to anyone who needs immigration service. He will take care of your concern and get you out of trouble TIMELY!
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Posted by Sukh | May 13, 2023
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
I751 Approved . Amazing Work
Finally got my i751 approved. I can’t be thankful enough with the services and attention provided by Mr Jay Terkiana. Over the last couple of years, all of the team members of Terkiana law firm especially Ms kimmi have been always helpful and attentive at every step of the way, going above and beyond to assure all doubts are cleared and they’ll always follow up as they know how important peace of mind is for a client when facing any legal process.He is definitely the best lawyer in the bay area. What can I say everything was amazing just be patient they now what they are doing!And they tell you the true. Thank you to each and every single one of you!!
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Posted by Sahiba | April 27, 2023
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
MADE IT POSSIBLE !
I would highly recommend Jay and his team if you are looking for efficient and trustworthy Attorney. Everyone is knowledgeable and always available if you have any questions. Even tho my case was very difficult, they made it POSSIBLE. Thank you so much for everything again :)
Posted by Gursahib singh | March 28, 2023
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Great professionalism
Jay Terkiana sir and Kimmi mam both are amazing, hardworking, helpful and professional. They worked on my i485 case competent way. They were available to answer our questions all the time. I got my green card case approved last week.I am thankful to them for their hard work and support. I would definitely recommend mr. Terkiana for people who need help with immigration services
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Posted by Gurpreet | January 20, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
F1 to permanent status adjustment
Jay helped me to file status adjustment and charged a very reasonable fee. Everything was handled professionally and I really liked the idea of using Dropbox for document sharing with Jay and his team, which not only saved me multiple visits to drop documents, also helped in keeping the whole process really organized and transparent. With a detailed list of documents and proper filing, my case had no delays and I received my green card in less than 10 months during covid pandemic times.
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Posted by Amit | December 13, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Super professional, dependable
We use Jay's firm to file for Family based preference Green Card. His team did a great job in preparing all our docs and filing the forms. They are quick and expedient, always respond quickly on email. Most of our interaction was through email (Covid times!) and we only went to the office to submit finalized forms. Overall they guided us very well and answered all our questions and addressed concerns. I had used another lawyer for my own green card and the process has been really rough, Jay's firm was amazing to work with. Will definitely recommend them.
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Posted by Srikant | December 7, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
I485 / H1B
My I485 was a complex case and Jay made it look very simple and he made extra efforts every step of the process and in end due to his efforts my I485 got approved. He was also my company's go to attorney for H1B filings and for the last 10 years all the H1b petioions filed by him for me was approved without RFE and he really is a gem of a person and I have a very high regard for him both as a excellent immigration attorney as well as very nice person.
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Posted by Jun | September 29, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent immigration lawyer
Very experienced and professional immigration lawyer. He always gave the correct and most efficient solution for any issues.
Posted by Durga Prasad | August 7, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Asylum Approval & helped to preponed my hearning
Jagbir Singh is one of the best attorneys I have met in the United States. Before filing my Asylum I have met a couple of Immigration Attorneys, but I found Jagbir is very responsible towards his clients. Since he took over my Asylum case he is very responsible and has taken care of my case perfectly in each and every step. Due to COVID, my hearing got postponed from December 2020 to May 2023, He understands my family issues and helped me to get the early date from the EOIR (from May 2023 to July 2021). Jagbir and Alexandra Jacobs did an excellent job and because of their hard work, I got my Asylum approved.
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Posted by siddharth | July 29, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Exceptional
i am glad Jay is our companies immigration lawyer. we have been working with him and his team for many different cases including complex merger and acquisition related immigration cases. He had his staff are really very helpful, responsive and fast. highly recommend him to those who need help with any kind of immigration cases.
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Posted by Roshan | July 25, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Best Lawyer that I have seen my immigration career
Jay is a very professional and responsive immigration lawyer. We wanted a quick filing and quick response, which was our high expectation and this was totally full filled from Jay and team.
Posted by Sowmya | July 16, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Complex H4 NPT approved
My current employer lawyers (BAL law firm) misguided me on on my visa status stating that I was on H4 when I was on H1B status. When I applied for my H4 extension, UCSIS issued a RFE asking me to prove whether I was maintaining my H1B status. I was in a state of shock that I was out of status for more than 14 month but was also working. I reached out to several lawyers to discuss my case and most of them had a hard time understanding my case. Even when they understood, they said they cannot handle my difficult case. I then approached Jay, he understood my case in 10 mins and gave me a solution immediately and he gave me confidence that my case will be approved. True to his words, my case got approved. He is best in the business. I highly highly recommend for any of your complex immigration needs.
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Posted by Hirushan | June 20, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent lawyer
My company hired Jagbir Singh Terkiana for my H1B process. Jagbir did an absolutely great work and got the H1B case approved smoothly. Also he is a very patient attorney who listens to your concerns thoroughly and always available when needed. He also has an excellent and a very skilfull team. I highly recommend him.
Posted by Owen | June 20, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Simply the best
I have known Jay since 2016. During the same period of time, he helped me with my H1-B application, O1-A application and recent extension recently done in 2021. He is an exceptional lawyer, and almost the best immigration lawyer you may ever find. Trust all the positive reviews here.
Posted by Prerna | April 14, 2021
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Highly recommend
I just maiłed him about my queries and within one day he gave me the solution in very simple language.Thank you
Response from Jagbir Terkiana May 12, 2021
Thank you for kind words. I would really like to be transparent with the readers. I am not generally able to mail or reply back instantly, because of the workloads. So please do not expect a reply back instantaneously. I do what I could. It all depends upon how many hearings or briefings I have for a given week. Best way to contact us will be to call our firm. I appreciate your good rating Prerna.
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Posted by anonymous | April 4, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
4 RFEs, an undeterred lawyer and an approved petition!
Shorter version - If you are reading this review, trust me when I say Jay is a really good lawyer and has the patience to actively listen - a quality that his profession demands yet not many have them. He lays the facts straight and is honest about the situation and how much he can achieve. He will never overpromise but will make sure to deliver 100% on what he has promised. So trust this review and all the good words others have put in for him and reach out to him if you are in need of immigration consultation. He is especially great with complex issues! Longer version - I had a particularly difficult case with visa extension withdrawn by my employer and i94 being expired long time ago. I had to deal with the probability of facing a 3-year ban and travel out of the country with my new born baby. I was in an urgent need of immigration consultation and looked up for lawyers on Avvo. That's where I came across Jay's firm. I did my thorough research about his work and went through every online review written about him before reaching out. I think that has been one of the best decisions I have ever taken. Jay understood the gravity of my situation and immediately gave me the time the same day. It is fairly easy to reach him and my experience has been the same until the very end. He took the time to listen to all the facts, and explained my options to me in an easy to understand, simply laid out format. This was important to me because I must have spoken to a dozen of lawyers at the time, wasting thousands of dollars, as most of them weren't professional enough and multitasking on the call. Whereas, Jay patiently answered all my questions and run different scenarios by me that I hadn't even thought of. His counseling is straightforward and involves honesty that I really appreciated. This helped me build my confidence in his abilities and intentions of working in the best interests of his clients. I convinced my new employer to bypass their lawyer and let Jay work on my tricky case as he knew all the facts. Jay even spoke with my employer and stated everything as-is that helped them have confidence in my case. I must commend how seamless the process was and the speed at which everything was accomplished as time was of utmost importance then. We filed my petition with a solid argument and waited with fingers crossed. Cutting to the chase, my H1B transfer was approved in the end. But we had to deal with 4 RFEs to get there! I have never heard anyone being issued more than 2 RFEs, let alone 4. It was a testing time. But throughout all of this nightmare, Jay and his team demonstrated humanity above everything. He prioritized my case and promptly yet diligently crafted replies to all of the RFEs, building stronger argument everytime. He did not charge an extra penny even when he knew he wasn't going to make anything from my case. But that's what he had promised and he insisted on keeping his word. Jay and his team was always available to address my questions, often times asked in panic, with patience and facts. He did not give up and worked doubly hard for every RFE to present a tough fight. Eventually, all the hardowrk paid off and my petition was approved!
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Posted by Navpreet | February 20, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Help me in getting green card in my difficult case
My wife refused to go to interview with me bcz of family dispute & then i talk to jay & he started the process by reapplication & he guided me getting all the necessary papers i needed to prove my genuine marriage, my case was very complicated bcz my wife said she is not going with me just 2 days before the interview & she emailed the immigration office to hold my green card. I requested Jay bcz i was very nervous and he went to interview with me although he was very busy. He is very knowledgeable & I highly recommend to contact him in any kind of immigration questions. He helped me getting 10 yrs green card in just a year.
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Cost

Rates
  • Retainer Always
Payment methods
Check, Credit Card

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

  • Managing Immigration Attorney
  • Terkiana, Inc. | Immigration Attorneys
  • 2018 - Present
  • Senior Counsel
  • Ferrante PLLC, Manhattan, New York City
  • 2014 - 2014
  • Managing Immigration Attorney
  • SAC Attorneys LLP
  • 2014 - 2018
  • Associate/Law Consultant
  • Nair & Associates, LLC, California
  • 2010 - 2010
  • Attorney
  • Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, PC., Virginia
  • 2010 - 2014
  • Associate/Law Consultant
  • The Chugh Firm, California
  • 2008 - 2010
View all work experience

Education

  • Saint Louis University School of Law
  • LL.M - Master of Laws
  • 2008
  • Department of Laws - GNDU, India
  • B.A., LL.B (Honors) - Bachelor of Laws
  • 2007
  • Department of Laws - GNDU, India
  • B.A. (Laws)
  • 2005

Legal Cases

  • H-1B - Project/Design Manager Civil Engineer
  • Approved
  • O-1 - Jewelry Designer
  • Approved
  • O-1 for Fashion Model
  • Approved
View all legal cases

Associations

  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (Santa Clara Valley chapter)
  • Member
  • 2014 - Present
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association
  • Member
  • 2011 - Present
  • New York State Bar Association
  • Member
  • 2010 - Present
  • The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana
  • Member
  • 2007 - Present
View all associations

Languages Spoken

  • Hindi
  • Punjabi
  • English

Honors and Awards

  • 10 Best
  • American Institute of Legal Counsel
  • 2016
  • Top 100 Lawyers
  • The National Advocates
  • 2016
  • Top 40 Under 40
  • The National Advocates
  • 2016

Speaking Engagements

  • #AEATalks (American Eduction Alliance)
  • H-1B Visa
  • 2016
View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (49)
Given (55)
Endorse Jagbir
Immigration Attorney | Jan 22
Relationship: Other
"I endorse this lawyer. Jay contacted me late at night to confirm the marital status of his client. A lawyer doing that sort of due dilligence is both wise and has his client's best interests at heart."
Immigration Attorney | Dec 10
Relationship: Friend
"Jay is among the best immigration lawyers I know – highly regarded, professional, and diligent."
Immigration Attorney | Jun 29
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I have had the pleasure of working with attorney Terkiana on a matter that involved crossover issues related to family and immigration laws. Mr. Terkiana is smart, knowledgeable, and has a great demeanor when working with clients. I highly recommend him."
Immigration Attorney | Dec 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Immigration Attorney | Aug 28
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I highly endorse Mr. Terkiana. Truly exceptional and caring immigration attorney who achieves great results in representing clients! I want all people in his area to contact him for help."
Immigration Attorney | Aug 03
Relationship: Other
"I endorse this lawyer."
Immigration Attorney | Jul 17
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Immigration Attorney | Jul 06
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Great lawyer for immigration matters and a superb worker!"
Immigration Attorney | Jul 06
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Immigration Attorney | Jun 01
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Immigration Attorney | May 13
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"From review Attorney Terkiana's client reviews. endorsements and contributions to AVVO you can see that he is an excellent attorney who cares deeply for his clients."
Unknown Attorney | Apr 28
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"One of the absolute best. Exceptional attention to detail, service next to none. I endorse this lawyer."
Unknown Attorney | Mar 25
Relationship: Other
"I endorse this lawyer."
Unknown Attorney | Mar 21
Relationship: Other
"I endorse this lawyer."
Immigration Attorney | Mar 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Unknown Attorney | Feb 25
Relationship: Other
"I wholeheartedly endorse this lawyer. A brilliant, trustworthy and highly respected attorney in the legal community"
Immigration Attorney | Feb 23
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Immigration Attorney | Feb 14
Relationship: Supervised lawyer
"Jay is one of the most experienced immigration attorney whom I know in the areas of business and investment related immigration matters."
Immigration Attorney | Jan 13
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Unknown Attorney | Jan 08
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Terkiana is highly respected in the legal community with an outstanding reputation for client advocacy and dedication."
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