Immigration attorneys serving NYC's Arab-American community. Asylum, Temporary Protected Status for Syria and Yemen, family petitions, work visas, citizenship, and deportation defense.
Bay Ridge. Astoria. Paterson, NJ. Consultations available in Arabic through our team and interpreter network — by phone or video.
New York City's Arab-American community includes families and individuals from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Morocco, and across the Arab world, with especially large concentrations in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and Astoria, Queens. This community reflects decades of immigration for education, work, and family reunification, as well as more recent arrivals fleeing armed conflict in Syria and Yemen. Many Arab immigrant families in New York include members with varied immigration statuses — some naturalized, some on TPS, some navigating lengthy family petition backlogs or the aftermath of a visa denial.
Immigration cases involving Arab-majority countries frequently involve additional layers of complexity: enhanced security screening ("administrative processing") that can delay consular visa decisions, closed or limited-service U.S. embassies in Syria and Yemen requiring case transfers to third-country posts, and TPS programs that require careful, timely renewal to avoid a gap in status. Understanding these mechanics — and how they interact with a client's broader immigration goals — requires attention to both the legal rules and the practical realities on the ground.
Attorney M. Riaz Musani and Mandi Law Group represent Arab-American clients throughout New York City for asylum, TPS, family petitions, work visas, citizenship, and deportation defense, with consultations available in Arabic through our team and interpreter network.
Affirmative and defensive asylum applications for individuals from Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, Libya, and other Arab-majority countries affected by armed conflict, sectarian violence, or political persecution. We build detailed country-conditions evidence tailored to current, specific circumstances — general regional instability is not enough on its own, so case preparation focuses on the applicant's individual history and risk.
TPS applications and renewals for eligible nationals of Syria and Yemen, both of which have active TPS designations. TPS provides work authorization and protection from removal but does not by itself lead to a green card, so we help clients evaluate whether they also qualify for asylum, a family petition, or another underlying path to permanent status.
I-130 petitions for Arab-American U.S. citizens and green card holders sponsoring spouses, children, parents, and siblings — including cases requiring consular processing at U.S. embassies in Cairo, Amman, Beirut, or through third-country posts when the home country embassy is closed due to conflict. We also handle K-1 fiancé visas and complex cases involving prior visa denials under enhanced security screening.
H-1B petitions for Arab professionals in New York's finance, medical, engineering, and tech sectors. E-2 treaty investor visas for entrepreneurs from treaty countries. L-1 intracompany transfers for employees of companies with operations in the Gulf, Levant, or North Africa expanding into the U.S. market. EB-1 and EB-2 NIW options for accomplished professionals and researchers.
Removal defense at New York Immigration Court for Arab and Muslim-majority country nationals, including cases involving prior visa denials, administrative processing delays, or enhanced vetting concerns. Cancellation of removal, bond hearings, emergency ICE detention response, and BIA appeals for clients with strong family and community ties in New York.
N-400 naturalization applications for Arab-American green card holders across the community — Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Yemeni, Jordanian, Moroccan, and other backgrounds. USCIS interview preparation, and guidance on how naturalization affects existing citizenship in countries with their own nationality rules.
New York City's Arab-American community is concentrated in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn — home to one of the largest Arab populations in the city, including Palestinian, Yemeni, Lebanese, Syrian, and Jordanian residents along Fifth Avenue. Astoria, Queens has a significant Egyptian and broader North African community. Paterson, New Jersey, just across the river, has one of the largest Arab-American populations in the United States, drawing many NYC-area families for community, religious, and business ties. We serve Arab-American clients throughout all of these communities.
Eligible Syrian and Yemeni nationals who meet the residency and registration requirements for the current TPS designation periods may apply for TPS, which provides work authorization and temporary protection from removal. TPS eligibility depends on continuous residence since a specific date set for each designation, and the program requires periodic re-registration to maintain status. TPS does not itself lead to a green card, so we help TPS holders assess whether they also qualify for asylum, a family-based petition, or another path to permanent residency.
Nationals of certain countries, including several Arab-majority nations, are more frequently subject to 'administrative processing' — additional security screening after a consular interview that can delay visa issuance for months or longer. This is distinct from an outright denial and does not necessarily mean the case will be refused, but it requires patience and, in many cases, follow-up inquiries or supplemental documentation. We help families understand where their case stands and what additional steps, if any, can help move it forward.
Yes, in most cases. When a U.S. embassy is closed or not processing immigrant visas — as has periodically been the case in Syria and Yemen — the National Visa Center typically transfers the case to a nearby operating post, such as U.S. embassies or consulates in Jordan, Egypt, or the UAE, depending on the applicant's location and the specific visa category. This can add time and travel logistics to the process, and we help families plan around these practical realities.
Consultations are available in Arabic through our team and interpreter network so you can discuss your case, ask questions, and review your options in your preferred language. Clear communication is especially important in asylum and TPS cases, where the details of your personal history and current country conditions are central to your application.
Common bases for asylum claims among Arab immigrants include persecution tied to political opposition activity, targeting based on religious or sectarian identity (including for religious minorities), risk from armed conflict where the applicant or their family has been specifically targeted, and persecution based on family or clan association with a targeted group. Each claim must be supported by a detailed personal account and corroborating country-conditions evidence. General unrest in a home country, without an individualized fear of persecution, is generally not sufficient for asylum on its own.
Bay Ridge. Astoria. Paterson, NJ. Asylum, TPS, family petitions, work visas, citizenship, deportation defense. Confidential Consultation by phone or video.