Gary Chodorow, Managing Attorney

Gary has helped clients with U.S. visas, permanent residence, and citizenship for more than 30 years. Gary also has been a founding member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Asia-Pacific chapter, co-chair of the American Chamber of Commerce-China’s visa committee, and an adjunct professor at Chicago-Kent School of Law. Read more.
Explore Our Services
Family Immigration

- We help with marriage-based green cards, fiancé(e) visas, and immigration for children, parents, and other eligible relatives.
- We have a particular focus on meeting the family immigration needs of U.S. citizens living abroad (expats).
- We have special experience representing families with immigrant visa applications at the U.S. Consulates in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei.
Naturalization and Citizenship

- We help with naturalization.
- Expeditious naturalization for spouses of U.S. citizens employed abroad for certain U.S. companies or organizations
- Acquisition of citizenship by birth abroad to a U.S. citizen parent
- Cases under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000
- Advice for children with dual U.S. and Chinese nationality
Inadmissibility and Waivers

A visa denial, past immigration violation, criminal record, or allegation of misrepresentation can put your U.S. immigration plans at risk. We help you understand whether a ground of inadmissibility applies, identify available exceptions or waivers, and build a strategy to move forward.
Temporary Visas

- L-1 intracompany transferees
- O-1 extraordinary ability
- E-2 treaty investors
- H-3 trainees
- F-1 students
- J-1 exchange visitors
- B1/B2 visitors for business, pleasure, or medical treatment
- Etc.
Overcoming Visa Denial or Delay at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate

Have you received a visa application denial by a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, or has your case been stuck for months or years? We help with:
- Motions for reconsideration
- LegalNet advisory opinions
- Congressional inquiries
- Consular inquiries
- Help with reapplication
Explore Overcoming Visa Denial or Delay at
a U.S. Embassy or Consulate →
USCIS Appeals, Motions, and Other Case Challenges

Have you received a USCIS denial or request for evidence, or has your case has been stuck for months or years? You do not have to accept an unfavorable outcome or indefinite silence. We help with:
- Appeals
- Motions to reopen or reconsider
- Responses to a request for evidence (RFE), notices of intent to deny (NOID), notice of intent to revoke, or notice of intent to rescind
- Overcoming delays through requests for expedited adjudication, Congressional inquiries, and requests to CIS Ombudsman
Protecting Permanent Resident Status During Stays Abroad

- If you are a green card holder who will be abroad for a prolonged period of time, we can help you with advanced planning such as applying for a reentry permit; filing Form N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes; or applying for expeditious naturalization under section 319(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
- We can help assess and mitigate the risk of international travel.
- And we can help if you have not valid entry document, such as applying for an SB1 visa; Form I-193, Application for Waiver of Passport and/or Visa; or Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation).
Explore Protecting Permanent Resident Status During Stays Abroad →
Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Requests

- Request from USCIS a copy of your A-file, including previously filed applications and petitions and related USCIS notices.
- Request from CBP your entry-exit records and documents from encounters at ports of entry.
- Request from the DOS prior visa applications and consular decisions.
- DHS OBIM a history biometric captures (for example border apprehensions, voluntary departures, expeditious removal, visa applications (U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand), secondary inspection, criminal arrests)
Visa Issues for Former Communist or Totalitarian Party Members

- Our firm helps applicants for lawful permanent resident status qualify for exceptions and waivers of ineligibility due to membership in or affiliation with a Communist or totalitarian party
- We help naturalization applicants argue that they fall within an exception to ineligibility.
- And we help former Chinese Communist Party members and their families argue that limitations on B1/B2 visa eligibility should no longer apply.
Visa Issues for Former Communist or Totalitarian Party Members →
China Notary Certificates

- Our firm helps with applications for China notary certificates, including but not limited to police certificates and birth certificates.
- We represent foreigners, Hong Kong / Macao / Taiwan residents, and current and former citizens of Mainland China with these applications.
- Our clients typically use these certificates in connection with immigration and citizenship applications for the USA, Canada, Australia, Italy, and other countries.
Recent Blog Posts
Read the LawAndBorder Blog. You’ll be in good company.
With over 700 articles, we have been quoted in:
Blanche v. Lau: What Happens When a Permanent Resident Comes Home?
A lawful permanent resident (LPR) returning from abroad ordinarily comes home without having to establish eligibility for admission all over again. But the Immigration and Nationality Act contains exceptions. If an exception applies, an LPR is treated as an “arriving alien.” Blanche v. Lau, decided by the Supreme Court on June 23, 2026, interprets how…
Lawyer for U.S. Immigrant Visas in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei
U.S. immigration law is federal, but immigrant visa processing is not identical at every visa-issuing post. Each post may have its own procedures, document practices, appointment logistics, communication methods, and local expectations. Familiarity with local law can matter too. For example, whether a marriage, divorce, or adoption is valid—and whether a parent-child relationship qualifies under…
Updated USCIS Processing Times for I-130s and I-129Fs
This article focuses on processing times for Forms I-130 (Petitions for Alien Relatives) on behalf of immediate relatives (i.e., spouses, parents, and children under age 21) and Forms I-129F (Petitions for Alien Fiancé(e)s) who will apply for their visas at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad.
Immigrant Visa Interviews Canceled Worldwide as Officers Trained on Updated Public Charge Rules
The U.S. State Department is canceling immigrant visa interviews worldwide to allow consular officers to receive new training related to updated public charge rules. Training is to take place within a week, according to the New York Times. Nonimmigrant visa appointments have not been canceled. Pre-interview processing of an immigrant visa application, which is mostly…
Update: State Dep’t Pause on Immigrant Visas for Nationals of 75 Countries “At High Risk of Public Charge Usage”
August 2026 Update On Aug. 21, 2026, Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York vacated the State Department’s policy suspending issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries on the purported basis that such applicants were at high risk of becoming a public charge in the United States. Judge…
How to Apply for a China Police Certificate
Our law firm routinely assists clients in obtaining China police certificates for purposes such as immigration (to the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries) or employment background checks. Our clients include foreign nationals, including former Chinese citizens, and residents of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
Client Reviews
Client Portal

- View your case schedule anytime
- Upload documents for our law firm to review
- Fill client questionnaires
- Review materials drafted by our law firm
- Read legal advice
- Track your complete immigration history
Our secure and confidential client portal helps our firm work seamlessly with clients anywhere in the world.
The ABC’s of U.S. Immigration Law
Are you looking to become more literate in the basics of U.S. immigration law and its jargon? Read here for the fundamentals of:
- Who is a U.S. citizen?
- What types of nonimmigrant visas are there?
- How can one become an immigrant through employment or family?
- How do employers verify that a new hire is eligible for employment in the U.S.?
- Tax issues for noncitizens
- Know your rights: If ICE visits your home
- Locate a person detained by ICE
- Check an Immigration Court case status

























