Immigration Attorney Heather Poole
Cover of Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine
Marriage Immigration Feature Article

Attorney Heather L. Poole is a private immigration lawyer exclusively devoted to complex family-based immigration, deportation defense, and U.S. citizenship law. She is a Certified Specialist in Immigration & Nationality Law.* She has been practicing only federal immigration law since 2000.

She helps immigrants keep their green cards despite marital breakups and successfully reunites couples who would otherwise face a devastating long-term separation due to immigration imposed unlawful presence bars or other immigration barriers including criminal convictions, misrepresentations, prostitution, and drug use.

She works one-on-one with individuals and families across the U.S. and the world.  She also actively prepares clients for interviews and filings at consulates worldwide. 

Heather regularly travels outside of California to represent clients at CIS interviews and deportation court proceedings located throughout the U.S. to be by a client’s side.  She can represent clients in every U.S. state as U.S. immigration is federal law. She also represents clients in federal court lawsuits against the government and is licensed in the Central District Court of California and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Get to Know Heather:   Video Interview with Attorney Heather   

A PROVEN SUCCESS RATE.

Immigration Attorney Heather L. Poole

Heather has a 99% approval rate on all family-based immigration (including difficult conditional green card, VAWA, and NOIDs/RFE cases), I-601 & 212(h) waivers, and citizenship cases for the past 19 years and running.*  She is often relied upon by business immigration attorneys who need a removal defense and waiver expert for their clients.

Her success rate, including some of the most difficult cases that other attorneys refuse to take on, proves that clients can trust Heather’s experience and judgment when deciding to pursue a particular immigration option under Heather’s representation. Heather will tell it to you straight so you know your chances before starting your case.**

** Success rates are not meant to nor to they guarantee a successful outcome or result in your case. Every case is different. It is unethical and illegal for any Attorney to guarantee you a positive result. What the attorney can do is provide you with her legal opinion as to what the strengths and weaknesses of your case are and her belief on how successful you may be. She cannot nor will she ever “guarantee” a positive outcome or result.

 A RECOGNIZED EXPERT.

Heather’s expertise in immigration law is widely recognized by her peers.

She served on the National Board of Directors for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) for 5 years, the largest bar association of immigration attorneys in the U.S. She is former Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association Southern California Chapter, made up the third largest concentration of immigration lawyers in the U.S. She regularly trains other immigration attorneys on complex immigration topics for AILA (national & state conferences), Federal Bar Association, Los Angeles County & Orange County Bar Associations, Pasadena Bar Association, and national Continuing Legal Education companies. 

She is an internationally published author on family-based immigration and deportation defense issues, writing both to train other lawyers and to offer educational information to the media and individuals about key immigration concepts. co-authored the first article on the V visa and an article entitled, “Responding to Requests for Further Evidence & Notices of Intent to Deny in Family Immigration Cases”, both published in the AILA’s Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook. She also wrote on Conditional Green Card Waivers in AILA’s Immigration Forms and Fundamentals, another key reference guide for immigration attorneys throughout the U.S. as well as other publications. She is also published on the complex family immigration subjects in Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine (Los Angeles County Bar Association), The Orange County Lawyer (Orange County Bar Association), The Pasadena Bar Bulletin, The Alaska Bar Rag (Alaska State Bar Association),  The Riverside Lawyer (Riverside Bar Association), and the State Bar of California’s International Law Journal  among others.  

Immigration Attorney Heather L. Poole Voted a “Super Lawyer” for Excellence in Immigration Law

Other immigration attorneys consider her the expert. Heather has been named by other attorneys a “Super Lawyer” (Superlawyers.com, and appearing in SuperLawyers magazine), a designation for the top 5% of immigration attorneys over the age of 40 in Southern California, six years in a row.  Before she turned 40, Heather was named “Super Lawyer: Rising Star” seven times for excellence in immigration law in Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine, an honor given to only 2.5% of Attorneys in Southern California each year. She was also listed in the “Top 40 Under 40” list of Immigration Lawyers in the entire State of California by the American Society of Legal Advocates.  She has been repeatedly named one of the top women lawyers in Southern California in Los Angeles Magazine and a Pasadena Magazine “Top Attorneys” for many years.  

Visit Attorney Heather’s Profile on Superlawyers.com.   

Read Attorney Heather’s Latest Client Reviews on Avvo.com (Attorney rankings)

* Certified as a Legal Specialist by the Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California

A COMMUNITY LAWYER. 

Heather’s expertise is recognized and sought by community organizations, schools, and the media. She is currently on Neighborhood Legal Services’ (NLS), Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), and San Pedro Community Services Immigration Referral lists as a recommended private attorney. 

• She has been a featured immigration lawyer at KFI AM 640 Law Days from 2006-2010, hosted by the #1 nationally syndicated law talk radio show in the U.S., Handle on the Law. Heather also has spoken to nonprofit agencies, adult schools, shelters, government agencies, and churches on various immigration issues. She has been interviewed on air on Los Angeles’s #1 newsradio station, KNX 1070 on consular denials and inadmissability issues and is a regular consultant to TV producers and reporters on immigration issues.
• She also teaches “Immigration Law” in the paralegal degree program at Fullerton College (Orange County, CA) and Cerritos College (Los Angeles County, CA).  

Her work with immigrants has been commended by the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Haven House – the country’s oldest domestic violence shelter, and Project Sister, a rape crisis center serving the Inland Empire. She is a long-term volunteer helping survivors obtain restraining orders in family court for the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Barrister’s Project. She has received these recent awards for her community service:

• 2008 Los Angeles Superior Court’s Volunteer of the Year

• 2013 Public Service Award from the Los Angeles County Bar Association for over 900 hours of pro bono work with domestic violence survivors over the past decade as part of the Barrister’s Domestic Violence Project.

Heather regularly volunteers her time representing detained asylum seekers and unaccompanied children in federal deportation court for KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) and Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project (Catholic Charities). Her cases have saved the lives of gay men, transgendered activists, domestic violence survivors and others who were tortured in their home country.   She also mentors new immigration attorneys for AILA’s Immigrant Justice Program, who are representing detained asylum seekers in asylum and torture relief proceedings and facing deportation judges for the first time. 

Visit Attorney Heather’s YouTube Channel – Immigration Videos – Useful Tips and Warnings.  

Visit Attorney Heather’s Immigration Video Channel today and Subscribe! More in-depth Info about complicated Immigration law…

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

For upcoming Immigration Talks, click here.  To request that Attorney Heather speak at your event, please email us: info@humanrightsattorney.com.

A sampling of Heather’s past speaking engagements:

• Speaker, “Intersection Between Family & Immigration Law”, American Inns of Court – Family Law Division, Los Angeles, CA (September 2019)
• Speaker, “An Analysis of the New Public Charge Rule: What can we expect from the new Public Charge Rules?” American Immigration Lawyers Association Southern California Chapter, Los Angeles, CA (September 2019)
• Speaker, “The Tricky World of I-601 Waivers”, Orange County Bar Association Immigration Law Section, Irvine, CA (March 2019)
• Speaker, “Immigration Issues and Liability Exposures”, Surplus Line Association of California, Universal City Hilton, Universal City, Hollywood, CA (August 2018)
• Speaker & Discussion Leader, “Advocacy and Ethics in Client Interviews Before DOS and USCIS”, American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA (June 2018)
• Speaker, “Immigration Options for Victims: VAWA, Us, and T Visas”, American Immigration Lawyers Association Southern California Annual Winter CLE Conference, Lake Las Vegas, NV (April 2018)
• Speaker & Moderator, “Family Immigration 101”, American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA (June 2017)
• Speaker, “Cutting Edge Topics in Inadmissibility: How to Find Inadmissibility Issues and Understanding What Cannot Be Waived in the Immigrant Waiver Context”, American Immigration Lawyers Association Interactive Waivers Conference, Las Vegas, NV (April 2017)
• Keynote Speaker, “Trump: The First 120 Days: Impact on Immigration”, San Gabriel Valley Bar Association, Alhambra, CA (March 2017)
• Speaker, “Cutting Edge Topics in Inadmissibility: How to Find Inadmissibility Issues and Understanding What Cannot Be Waived in the Immigrant Waiver Context”, American Immigration Lawyers Association Interactive Waivers Conference, Las Vegas, NV (April 2017)
• Speaker and Moderator, “The Unlawful Presence Bars – Analysis and Remedies”, Live Webcast, American Immigration Lawyers Association (November 2016)
• Speaker, “Waivers for INA 212(A)(9)(C) Unlawful Presence After Prior Immigration Violations”, American Immigration Lawyers Association Waiver Conference, Chicago, IL (October 2016)
• Speaker & Moderator, “Evaluating Extreme Hardship: Overview of the New USCIS Guidance”, Live Webcast, American Immigration Lawyers Association (October 2016)
• Speaker, “”Practice Tips for Prepping a Strong Waiver Case“, Stone, Grzegorek & Gonzalez Immigration CLE Series, Los Angeles, CA (August 2016)
• Speaker & Discussion Leader, “It’s Complicated: Filing Removal of Conditions in Difficult Circumstances”, American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV (June 2016)
• Speaker & Moderator, “Waivers at the Consulate”, Immigrants List Spring CLE, University of Southern California School of Law (March 2016)
• Speaker & Moderator, “Waiver Update”, American Immigration Lawyers Association California Chapters Annual Conference, San Diego, CA (November 2015)
• Speaker & Moderator, “Complicated Affidavit of Support Issues”, American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Conference, National Harbor, MD (June 2015)
• Speaker, “Opposition to AB 60 – Hearing”, California State House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Hearing (on behalf of Southern California AILA), State Capitol, Sacramento, CA (March 2015)
• Speaker, “Immigration Reform in Flux: The Future of Executive Action Implementation After Texas State Court Injunction”, City Club of Los Angeles Lawyers’ Dinner (March 2015)
• Speaker, “So I Fibbed About My Swings and Stole That Ball Marker: Preparing Strong Traditional I-601 Cases for CMTs, Misrepresentation, and Smuggling”, Winter CLE Conference, American Immigration Lawyers Association Southern California Chapter, Palm Springs, CA (February 2015)
• Speaker & Moderator, “Update on the I-601A Waiver Process“, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Live Audio Seminar (Internet) (February 2015)Speaker, “Advanced Family Immigration“, American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual California Chapters Conference, San Jose, CA (November 2014)
• Speaker & Host, “Tips for Filing Convincing I-601/I-601As: Strategies for Making Your Case ‘Unique’ Among the Masses” (Taste of San Jose New Member Division Mentor Series), American Immigration Lawyers Association California Chapters Conference, San Jose, CA (November 2014)
• Speaker, “Advanced Affidavit of Support Issues“, American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual National Conference, Boston, MA (June 2014)
• Speaker & Moderator, Provisional and Traditional Unlawful Presence Waivers Panel, American Immigration Lawyers Association Statewide Annual California Chapters Conference, Anaheim Marriott, Anaheim CA (November 2013)
• Speaker, Representing and Defending Marriage Fraud Cases, American Immigration Lawyers Association Live Webcast (August 2013)
• Speaker, Solving Unlawful Presence Immigration Problems for Employees & Family, Live CLE Webcast, hosted by myLawCLE.com, Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego, CA (July 2013)
• Speaker, Notices of Intent to Deny and Requests for Further Evidence in Family Cases, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual Conference, Hilton Hotel – Union Square, San Francisco, CA (June 2013)
• Speaker, “Avoiding the Long Lift Lines: Panel on Provisional Waivers“, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) So Ca Chapter Winter CLE Conference, Mammoth Lakes, CA (April 2013)
• Speaker & Moderator, “Don’t Fear the Mountain: I-601 Workshop“, American Immigration Lawyers Associaiton (AILA) So Ca Chapter Winter CLE Conference, Mammoth Lakes, CA (April 2013)
• Speaker, “No More Sails Into the Sunset – Resurrecting, Converting or Ditching the Joint 751? (Conditional Green Card Removal Cases), Los Angeles County Bar “Lunch with the Expert” CLE Event., Los Angeles, CA (Nov 2012)
• Speaker, “Client Representation in Immigration Practice – Representing Individuals with Mental Disabilities in Immigration Court, Business Clients in the Removal Context, Detained Clients, and Clients with former Domestic Violence Allegations“, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual California Chapters Conference, San Diego, CA (Nov 2012) 
• Speaker, “Legal Options for Survivors of Domestic Violence” Panelist representing the Los Angeles County Bar’s Domestic Violence Project for City of Glendale’s Film Screening of Loves Me, Loves Me Not, as part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; presented by City of Glendale, CSW and the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA.Glendale CA (October 2012)
• Speaker, “Immigration 101 – Family & Employment”, Law Review CLE (Attorney CLE program), Riverside, CA (July 2012)
• Speaker & Host, “The evolving world of I-601 Waivers: Tips for preparing your client & your case  (co-hosting with Laurel Scott), American Immigration Lawyers Association National Conference, Nashville, TN (June 2012);
• Speaker, “USCIS Interviews & Tips on Presenting Complicated I-130/I0485/I-751 & Naturalization Cases” Panel, Federal Bar Association National Conference, Memphis, TN  (May 2012)
• Speaker & Panel Moderator, “VAWA Adjustment Updates & Emerging Issues” Panel, Federal Bar Association Annual Conference (May 2012) 
• Speaker, “Immigration 101“, Law Review CLE (Attorney CLE program), Pasadena, CA (January 2012)
• Speaker, “Modern Marriage and Family Issues Before USCIS and on Appeal,” American Immigration Lawyers Association California Chapters Conference (November 2011);
• Speaker, “I-751 and Waivers: Removing the Conditions on Residency” Fundamentals Panel, American Immigration Lawyers Association National Conference (June 2011);
• Speaker, “US CIS Interviews & Tips on Presenting Complicated I-130/I-485/I-754 & Naturalization Cases, Panel”,Federal Bar Association National Conference (May 2011);
• Moderator, “VAWA Adjustment: Updates and Emerging Issues” Panel, Federal Bar Association National Conference (sMay 2011);
• Speaker, “Making Hardship Easy:  Understanding the Grounds of Inadmissibility and Preparing Successful Waivers“Panel, CLE Training for the Beverly Hills Bar Association Immigration Law Section (August 2010);
• Speaker, “VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) Basics“, American Immigration Lawyers Association New Member Division, Southern California Chapter (August 2010);
• Speaker, “Hot Topics in Immigration Law“, University of La Verne Law School’s Annual Immigration Symposium (February 2010);
• Speaker, “Immigration & Domestic Violence Law”, CLE Training for Los Angeles County Bar’s Domestic Violence Project (October 2009);
• Speaker, “From Birth to Marriage to Death: Handling Complex Issues in Family-Based Immigrations” Los Angeles County Bar Association CLE Event, Topic: I-751 Waivers of Joint Filing (April 2009);
• Speaker, “The Foreign Affair: Immigration Consequences of Marriage, Divorce & Custody” Pasadena Bar Association’s Family Law Section (2005, 2008);
• Speaker, “The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Immigrant Population“; Annual Conference on Domestic Violence, Los Angeles County Department of Child and  Family Services (2007).
• Speaker, “A Marriage to Save, Ditch or Escape? When to Opt for a Conditional Green Card Waiver” Orange County Bar Association’s Immigration Law Section, CLE Event (April 2007).
• Key-note Speaker, “Real-life Consequences: Media Coverage of Immigration”, presented at “2006 Communications Day” Cal Poly Pomona (2006); 
• Speaker, “The I’Dos and Don’ts of Marriage-Based Immigration” presented at KFI Law Day, Whittier Law School (2006 – 2010), Orange County Paralegal Association – Immigration Law Section (2005)
• Speaker, “Immigration Options for Abused Immigrants“, presented at Glendale Commission on the Status of Women (October 2009). Haven House DV Shelter  (2004 – present; quarterly training of advocates & hotline workers); CLE Attorney Training, Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women Legal Assistance Project (2005, 2006)
• CLE Attorney Training, Peace Over Violence’s Legal Assistance Project (2006); The Coalition for Mental Health Professionals, Inc. (community family wellness center) in East Los Angeles (2003), PeaceTalks, Inc.
• Advocate Training, Los Angeles Police Department (2003, 2004);Pasadena/Altadena Violence Prevention Coalition (2005) Project Sister Rape Crisis Center (2002 – present; quarterly training of advocates & hotline workers), Glendale Episcopal Church Regional Leadership Training (2006);
• Guest Lecturer, “Understanding the Route to Permanent Residency and Legal Status“, presented at El Monte Adult School ESL Classes (2003 – present; biannual lectures); Pasadena City College’s “Discovering PCC Day” (2006)
• Speaker, “U.S. Citizenship via Naturalization: Avoiding Denials, Heartbreak and Deportation Triggers” presented at Orange County Paralegal Association’s Immigration Section (June 2007);   

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PUBLICATIONS/ARTICLES

• “Structuring the Role of the Paralegal and Working with Attorneys New to Immigration Law: Tools, Training, and Supervision” Removal Track, American Immigration Lawyers Association Midyear Conference Materials, St. Maarten (January 2017)
• “Waivers for Violence Against Women Act Self-Petitioners”, American Immigration Lawyers Association Waiver Conference Handbook, Chicago, IL (October 2016)
• “INA 212(a)(9)(c) Inadmissability” Contributing Author, American Immigration Lawyers Association Waiver Conference Handbook, Chicago, IL (October 2016, republished AILA Waivers Workshop Handbook (April 2017)
• “Is it Truly Safe to Travel? Arrabally’s Impact so Far on the Unlawful Presence Bars”, Co-author, American Immigration Lawyers Association (November 2016)
• “Saving the Green Card When Problems Involving Marriage Arise”, Immigration Practice Pointers, 2016-2017 Ed., American Immigration Lawyers Association (June 2016)
• “Waiver Update”, American Immigration Lawyers Association California Chapters Annual Conference Handbook, San Diego, CA (November 2015)
• “Complicated Affidavit of Support Issues”, Immigration Practice Pointers: Tips for Handling Complex Cases (2015-2016 ed.), American Immigration Lawyers Association (June 2015)
• “Setting Client Expectations in I-601A Waiver Cases”, American Immigration Lawyers Association (February 2015)
• “Practice Tips for Arguing Financial Hardship in I-601A Waiver Cases”, Practice Pointer, American Immigration Lawyers Association National Benefit Center Liaison Committee, published on aila.org, AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14122342 (posted Dec. 23, 2014)
• “Advanced Affidavit of Support Issues“, Immigration Practice Pointers: Tips for Handling Complex Cases, American Immigration Lawyers Association (June 2014)
• “Immigration Policy Shift on Unlawful Presence Waivers Benefits U.S. Citizens Facing Long Separation From Their Immigrant Loved Ones“, The California International Law Journal, Official Publication of the State Bar of California’s International Law Section, Vol. 21, No. 2, (Summer/Fall 2013).
• “Working with Potential ‘Reason to Believe’ Determinations [in I-601 Unlawful Presence Provisional Waiver cases]” American Immigration Lawyers Association 26th Annual AILA California Chapters Conference Handbook (November 2013).
• “Notices of Intent to Deny and Requests for Further Evidence in Family Cases” (co-authored with Mo Goldman & David Isaacson), American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) , June 2013.
• “Representing the Difficult Client: Representing Individuals with Mental Disabilities in Immigration Court, Business Clients in the Removal Context, Detained Clients, and Clients with former Domestic Violence Allegations“, American Immigration Lawyers Association – 2012 Annual California Chapters Conference Handbook (Nov 2012)
• “California’s Expansive Criminal Law Provisions Protecting Elders Assist Immigrant Victims of Abuse“, (article on U Visa) The Riverside Lawyer (Official Magazine of the Riverside, CA Bar Association), Sept. 2012
• “It’s Been an Emotionally Trying Year of Uncertainty and Confusion for US Citizens Married to Undocumented Immigrants” (article on developments in I-601 Waivers), The Alaska Bar Rag (Official Publication of the Alaska State Bar Association, June 2012;
• “Modern Marriage and Family Issues Before USCIS and On Appeal” (co-author with I. Shugall & A. Padilla), 2011 AILA California Chapters Conference Handbook;
• “International Affairs“, (Feature cover story) Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, Los Angeles County Bar Association (June 2011);
• “Annotations to Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence“, Forms & Fundamentals, 2011 Ed., American Immigration Lawyers Association
• “The Quickest Way to a Green Card is Harder than You Think“,Orange County Lawyer, Orange County Bar Association (July 2007);
• “The V Visa: a New LIFE Form” published in the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s 2001 Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook, the most authoritative guide on current immigration practice in the U.S.
• “When Marriage Is Not Enough: Facing Deportation Because of Your Spouse“, published in Bucks County Courier Times (2005); Republished in the Pasadena Bar Bulletin, Pasadena Bar Association (September 2005) and various online sites
• “Fear of Fake Marriages making Permanent Green Cards Difficult to Obtain“, published by various online sites including:        Lycos CANADA (2006); GoingLegal.com (2006); 411-Legal-Info.com (2005); Courva.co.uk (British website)(2006);  MyUSgreencard.com (2006); Resources for Attorneys.com (2005);       
• “Protecting the Most Vulnerable: Legalizing Your Child’s Immigration Status” published online:  Legalblog.resourcesforattorneys.com (2006)
• “Abused Spouses: How Divorce May Affect Your Green Card Chances” published by various online sites including:  theimmigrationguide.com (2005); LawArticlesOnline.com (2005); Latestlegal.com (2005);Divorce.super-information.com (2006); BigLaws.com (2005);
• “Recognizing “Abuse” May Be Key Step for Many Immigrants Seeking Green Cards” published by various online sites including:  lawyerIntl.com (2005); Green-card-lottery-site.info (2005); Greencardpro.info (2005);
• “Do you Need a Restraining Order?” Brochure created for the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Barrister’s Domestic Violence Project (2004)