At the time I hired Carl Shusterman in 2006 to assist me with my application for US citizenship, I had been a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR). The most important issue that blocked my path to citizenship was the fact that I had lived a long, long long time out of the United Stated after becoming an LPR in 1971. Acting on Mr. Shusterman’s sage advice, I was able to collect documents that suggested I had intended to maintain family, social, and financial ties to the United States. Accompanied by one of Mr. Shusterman’s staff immigration attorneys, I sailed through my citizenship interview and passed the citizenship test without difficulty.
Many months later, the real value of the service Mr. Shusterman provides was highlighted when the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had still refused to decide whether to grant my naturalization. USCIS hadn’t decided on my case because the FBI had not completed its background check, notwithstanding the fact that USCIS is required by law to grant or deny citizenship applications within 120 days after completing the naturalization interview.
With only weeks left left before my fingerprints for the FBI background check were to expire, (meaning that I would have to go to the back of the background-check line and wait all over again), Mr. Shusterman’s crack litigation attorney, Amy Prokop came to the rescue.
On my behalf, Ms. Prokop filed a petition for mandamus relief with US federal district court asking the court to order USCIS to make a decision on my citizenship application. The suit spurred the USCIS mandarins to make their decision.
Thanks to Mr. Shusterman and Ms. Prokop, I was sworn in to become a proud US citizen. I highly recommend Mr. Shusterman for anyone needing a trustworthy and knowledgeable immigration attorney.
John L. | Seattle, WA