Katya Stelmakh

This lawyer handled my small business contract dispute with exceptional clarity and responsiveness. They explained complex legal terms in plain language, reviewed the contract thoroughly to identify favorable clauses, and negotiated a resolution that saved my business time and costs. Communication wa...s prompt—they replied to emails within 24 hours and updated me on progress weekly.

I spent a long time debating whether to leave this review, but ultimately decided that if my experience can spare even one person from going through the same disappointment — then it’s worth it. When you pay a substantial amount for legal services, you naturally expect professionalism, responsiven...ess, and work that matches the fee. Unfortunately, in my case, I received none of that. What I experienced was complete neglect, lack of communication, and the clear sense that no one actually cared about my case. They would ignore emails for weeks or even months — and seemed to consider this perfectly normal. Multiple staff members were included in email threads, and yet none of them would follow up. When signing the agreement, I emphasized that time was critically important to me. They assured me the case would be prepared within two months. The reality? Seven months, even though I provided all supporting documents and evidence from the very beginning. During this time, I had to chase them through every possible channel — email, phone, messages — just to get any kind of reply. And when I did get responses, they were rare, vague, and unhelpful. In the end, I did most of the casework myself. Around 95% of the documents were prepared by me personally — and to this day I don’t understand what exactly I paid for. The final petition was weak, poorly written, lacked strategic focus, and didn’t include any additional documents to strengthen the case. As I later discovered, there were numerous weaknesses that they simply failed to address. When I received an RFE, it became clear: if I didn’t take full control, the case would be lost. I ended up preparing almost the entire response on my own. Had I waited for them, I would have lost several more months and probably the case altogether. Interview preparation was a disaster as well. These attorneys clearly do not understand the specifics of EB1/O1 visas, and from what I experienced, they don’t seem to know why consulates deny applicants. Everything related to interview strategy, key talking points, and proper preparation was either ignored or handled superficially, without any understanding of what truly matters. In conclusion: If you're looking for genuine legal support from a team that truly understands their area of practice — look elsewhere. With this firm, you’ll lose time, money, and peace of mind, and be left with a result you’ll regret.

As a Senior Staff Software Engineer specializing in IoT, distributed systems, and cloud computing, I knew I had a strong technical background, but I wasn’t sure how to structure reasonable arguments for EB-1A approval. Katya and her team provided clear guidance highlighting my leadership in the field..., my impact at my current and previous employers, and my contributions to major industry advancements. Despite the thorough initial filing, we received an RFE, which was a very stressful moment. However, the legal team was incredibly proactive: they addressed USCIS’s concerns by strengthening the evidence around my original contributions and my recognition in my field. Their expertise and structured approach turned what could have been a setback into a successful approval. They didn’t charge extra to respond to the RFE. Thanks to the Stelmakh & Associates team's hard work, my EB-1A was approved. I highly recommend Katya and her team to anyone pursuing an EB-1A or other complex immigration case. They are knowledgeable and strategic and genuinely invested in their clients’ success.

I had the pleasure of working with Katya and her amazing team for my EB1A I-140 petition. They were diligent, timely and quick in following up on all the necessary details needed for a strong application. Katya and her team (Carlie, Maddalena and others) prepared a very strong application for my case..., and worked closely with me to finally get the approval within only 7 months of us working together (including responding to the RFE notice I received). They are knowledgable and experienced in all aspects of the application process, providing high quality personalized feedback on where the application can be made stronger and how to collect high quality supporting evidence. I highly recommend Stelmakh & Associates for your immigration needs. Money well spent on your future!

I had an amazing experience working with Stelmakh Law Firm on my O1 visa application. I highly recommend Stelmakh & Associates to anyone considering an O1 visa. After evaluating several law firms, I chose Stelmakh & Associates. From my first introductory call with Katya Stelmakh, I felt confident tha...t their team knew exactly what they were doing and could guide me through every step of the process to create a compelling petition. Coming from a non-traditional background, it was crucial for me to work with a knowledgeable law firm, and I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. I needed guidance on various aspects of the application and how to navigate challenges. Once we began working together, the Stelmakh team, consisting of three members, was incredibly supportive and responsive to all my questions. They did an excellent job of organizing my petition in a clear and structured manner. They also connected me with relevant parties for different elements of the application, such as PR and publishing firms and a business case building firm. The team provided creative ideas and guidance on a range of topics, such as applying for memberships, publishing articles, leveraging work examples, and identifying the right recommenders for a strong application. They even helped draft letters based on my inputs, which sped up the signing process for my recommenders. The team is meticulous about the language used in the letters and petition, which increases the probability of success. One aspect I particularly appreciated was the timing. The Stelmakh team turned around my entire application in just eight weeks. While I had to stay on top of my tasks, the Stelmakh team also pushed hard to build a strong O1 petition for me. This was crucial as I had left my job and only had 3-4 months in the US before I would have had to leave the country. Other firms I spoke with estimated 3-5 months to complete and submit an application. While their fees might be slightly higher, the quality of service and expertise they provide make it a worthwhile investment in the grand scheme of things. The support and guidance from their team significantly reduce stress and ensure a timely and well-organized application process. Overall, I highly recommend Stelmakh & Associates for anyone applying for an O1 visa petition.