Immigration Motions to Reopen

A Powerful Way to Reverse Deportation Orders

A motion to reopen is a legal process that can be used to reopen a case even after an immigration judge has rendered a decision so that new information, facts or evidence can be considered.

Nalbandian Law is an experienced immigration law firm in the Los Angeles area led by expert immigration attorney Sassoun A. Nalbandian. For nearly 15 years, Nalbandian has successfully handled many motions to reopen removal proceedings when clients have had a deportation order issued against them. New facts and evidence for a motion to reopen might include:

  • Adjustment of status eligibility, such as green cards based on marriage to a U.S. citizen or petitions filed by your adult U.S. citizen sons or daughters
  • Changed country-of-origin conditions for asylum cases
  • New asylum claims
  • Ineffective assistance of counsel if your previous attorney provided ineffective, deficient or negligent/reckless legal advice or services which resulted in the deportation order issued against you
  • Battered or emotionally abused spouses, children and parents or victims of crimes on whose behalf we have filed many successful VAWA or U-Visa petitions that were approved by USCIS

In Absentia Motions to Reopen

Our skilled immigration lawyers also handle motions to reopen for cases in which our clients received a deportation order “in absentia,” meaning they were not present in the court when the immigration judge issued the deportation order because:

  • They never received proper notice, or
  • An illness or other extraordinary circumstances prevented them from making it to their court hearing in time (180-day filing deadline applies to this specific type of motion)

Timing Is Critical

Motions to reopen must be filed within 90 days of an immigration judge’s order or within 90 days of an appellate decision with some exceptions.

Deadlines for motions to reopen do NOT apply to you:

  • If you want to file a motion to reopen based on a renewed asylum claim, or
  • If you never received notice of your court hearing date, or
  • In the case of joint motions to reopen, or
  • In the case of sua sponte motions

Normally, only one motion to reopen is permitted though, again, there are exceptions to that one-motion rule. However you have a much greater chance of success if you get it right the first time.

Don’t trust your life and your livelihood in the U.S. to other less experienced or careless attorneys.

Remedies of Last Resort

Nalbandian Law attorneys also prepare motions to reopen cases for our clients when no other relief seems likely. We present these motions to reopen before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) which can decide “sua sponte” (on its own will) to reopen proceedings due to exceptional circumstances.

We are very proud of our successes* with these very difficult cases that many attorneys thought were impossible or never even considered filling on behalf of their clients.

Schedule a Consultation Today!

Call Nalbandian Law today, (818) 244-0310, or contact us online for a consultation with one of our expert immigration lawyers. We’ll honestly assess your situation and the likelihood of succeeding with a motion to reopen your deportation order.

*Approval rates do not guarantee future approval of your petition. No attorney can ethically guarantee any outcome. Always consult with a licensed competent immigration attorney such as the experienced immigration attorneys at Nalbandian Law before filing your case.