Trow & Rahal, PC

Trow & Rahal, PC Trow & Rahal is a business immigration law firm helping businesses, families, athletes & entrepreneurs.

Attorneys Stephen Trow, Linda Rahal, and Cynthia Hemphill, owners and shareholders of Trow & Rahal, P.C. are widely recognized as leading business immigration attorneys and have a solid reputation within the legal community, as evidenced by their inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America. Their reputation for high ethical standards has earned them recognition in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register

of Preeminent Lawyers. Having helped clients with their immigration issues for several decades, they know that immigration issues affect many aspects of an individual’s professional and personal life. Developing solutions quickly and effectively can be critical. As your immigration law firm, Trow & Rahal will stay on top of rapidly changing regulations, steer around the roadblocks in the system, and when needed, craft a customized solution to help you cross the finish line and receive the benefits you require.

Did You Know? Adjustment of Status became part of U.S. immigration law in the 1950s largely to reduce the burden and dis...
06/05/2026

Did You Know? Adjustment of Status became part of U.S. immigration law in the 1950s largely to reduce the burden and disruption caused by requiring certain applicants to leave the country for visa processing abroad.

Before Adjustment of Status existed in its modern form, many individuals already living, working, or building families in the United States still had to depart the country and complete immigrant visa processing through a U.S. consulate overseas before returning as permanent residents.

The process could be costly, time-consuming, and disruptive for both families and employers.

Adjustment of Status created a pathway for certain eligible applicants already inside the United States to apply for permanent residence without leaving the country, helping make the immigration process more practical for many applicants.

Now, decades later, recent USCIS policy guidance has once again sparked discussion about the role and future interpretation of Adjustment of Status within the U.S. immigration system.

Immigration law has continued to evolve through changing legislation, policies, and agency interpretations — which is just one reason staying informed remains so important.

Filmmaker Mira Nair came to the United States from India as an international student before becoming one of the most inf...
06/04/2026

Filmmaker Mira Nair came to the United States from India as an international student before becoming one of the most influential directors and storytellers in modern cinema.

After studying at Harvard University, Nair began creating films that explored identity, migration, family, culture, and the immigrant experience. Her work often highlights the realities of navigating multiple worlds at once — balancing heritage, belonging, opportunity, and change.

Her 1991 film Mississippi Masala explored the experiences of families displaced by political upheaval and rebuilding their lives in the United States after immigration. Later projects, including The Namesake, continued to examine themes of immigration, generational identity, and life between cultures.

Nair’s work has received international recognition while helping bring immigrant stories and perspectives into mainstream film and conversation in the United States.

Her story is a reminder that immigration journeys contribute not only to science, business, and technology, but also to art, storytelling, and the way communities understand one another.

06/03/2026

We are pleased to announce that as of June 2, 2026, attorney Linda M. Hoffman has joined Trow & Rahal as "of counsel," bringing with her decades of immigration experience and a nationally recognized business immigration practice with a specialty in A and G visa matters.

Linda Hoffman is widely known for her work involving G-4 visas, which are commonly used by employees of international organizations and institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and other diplomatic and multinational entities.

She also brings significant experience with A visas, which apply to diplomats, foreign government officials, and certain representatives of foreign governments traveling to the United States for official purposes.

These are highly specialized areas of business immigration law that often involve unique procedural requirements, international considerations, and constantly evolving policy interpretations. Linda’s addition strengthens Trow & Rahal’s ability to support clients navigating these complex visa categories while also expanding the collaborative resources available to her own clients across employment-based immigration, family immigration, citizenship, and beyond.

At a time when immigration policies and procedures continue to shift rapidly, strategic collaboration and deep subject-matter expertise are more important than ever. Together, Trow & Rahal and the Law Office of Linda M. Hoffman are proud to provide clients with an even stronger, broader foundation of immigration support and advocacy.

We are excited to welcome Linda Hoffman to the Trow & Rahal team and look forward to this next chapter of collaboration.

To celebrate the beginning of Pride Month, we are delighted to share that the U.S. Embassy in Madrid approved our client...
06/03/2026

To celebrate the beginning of Pride Month, we are delighted to share that the U.S. Embassy in Madrid approved our client’s same-sex K-1 fiancé visa today for a Russian citizen. We anticipated that the visa application might be put into administrative processing, but it wasn't.

This approval follows the adjudication of the U.S. citizen fiancé’s I-129F petition on behalf of our client. USCIS took 8 months to adjudicate the I-129F petition, followed by a 2-month transfer through the U.S. Department of State’s National Visa Center, and 6 months to get an interview.

With this K-1 visa issued, our client can now join his U.S. citizen fiancé in the United States, marry, apply for lawful permanent resident status, and begin building their life together.

06/02/2026

: Do not make international travel plans while an Adjustment of Status application is pending without first understanding the potential risks and consulting with your attorney.

International travel during the Adjustment of Status process can have serious consequences depending on whether Advance Parole has been approved, and the applicant’s current immigration status.

In some situations, departing the United States without proper authorization may result in abandoning the application.

Certain visa categories, including H and L classifications, may have additional flexibility due to dual intent provisions, but travel decisions should still be reviewed carefully on a case-by-case basis.

With recent policy changes and evolving adjudication trends, it is more important than ever for applicants to understand how travel may affect their pending case before making plans.

06/01/2026

After a week of significant concern surrounding a new USCIS policy memo on Adjustment of Status, the Department of Homeland Security has clarified that the memo is not intended to require all green card applicants to leave the United States and apply through consular processing abroad.

The original USCIS memo, issued on May 21, emphasized that Adjustment of Status is a discretionary benefit that is "extraordinary" and one of "administrative grace". The memo directed officers to apply greater scrutiny when deciding whether an applicant should be permitted to complete the green card process from within the United States.

This raised immediate concern for employers, foreign national employees, families, and immigration attorneys because Adjustment of Status has long allowed many eligible applicants already in the United States to apply for permanent residence without departing the country.

DHS has now reportedly stated that the memo was not a blanket policy change and does not apply to everyone, but rather is a reminder of USCIS officers’ existing discretionary authority to review cases individually.

That clarification is important, but it does not eliminate all uncertainty.

The memo remains in place, and questions remain about how officers will apply discretionary factors, whether certain applicants will face heightened scrutiny, and how pending and future Adjustment of Status cases may be affected.

For now, the most important takeaway is this: Adjustment of Status has not ended, but the adjudication environment may be changing.

Applicants, employers, and families should avoid making assumptions based on headlines alone and should seek case-specific legal guidance before making decisions about filing strategy, travel, or consular processing.

We will continue monitoring this developing issue closely.

In the early 1900s, many U.S. border crossings looked dramatically different than they do today. While some major ports...
05/29/2026

In the early 1900s, many U.S. border crossings looked dramatically different than they do today.

While some major ports of entry already had more formal inspection systems, others consisted of little more than a small booth, a gate, or a roadside checkpoint, often with minimal infrastructure and far fewer documentation requirements than modern travelers encounter today.

As automobile travel became more popular, especially during the 1920s and 1930s, cross-border day trips and tourism increased dramatically. During Prohibition specifically, many Americans traveled across the U.S.-Mexico border to visit restaurants, bars, casinos, and entertainment venues where alcohol remained legal.

Border crossings were generally far less standardized than the highly structured ports of entry we recognize today, which now involve extensive inspection systems, advanced security technology, formal documentation review, and significantly higher travel volume.

Over time, evolving immigration laws, growing international travel, changing security concerns, and increased trade transformed border crossings into the far more complex systems used today.

The history of border crossings offers an interesting glimpse into how immigration, travel, and international movement have continued evolving over generations.

Darlene Keju dedicated her life to bringing international attention to the long-term health impacts of nuclear testing i...
05/28/2026

Darlene Keju dedicated her life to bringing international attention to the long-term health impacts of nuclear testing in the Pacific Islands and advocating for Marshallese communities whose experiences had often gone unheard.

Born in the Marshall Islands, Keju later spent nearly two decades studying and training in Hawaii, where she earned degrees in public health and healthcare administration.

She used that education and experience to advocate for communities affected by decades of U.S. nuclear testing conducted in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958.

After returning to the Marshall Islands, Keju became one of the leading voices documenting the lasting medical and environmental consequences experienced by local communities. Her work focused heavily on public health education, women’s health, cancer awareness, and improving healthcare access across Pacific Island populations.

She also helped bridge cultural and medical gaps by working with researchers, physicians, and policymakers to ensure Marshallese voices and experiences were represented in broader public health discussions.

Darlene Keju’s story is a reminder of the many individuals who come to the United States for education, training, and professional development, then use that knowledge to create meaningful change within their own communities around the world.

Her legacy continues to influence public health discussions, Pacific Island advocacy, and community healthcare efforts today.

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