I worked with Laesa Bokoko and she was great. It's important for people to understand that it is a…read moreprocess and that nothing happens overnight. There were times when I was frustrated but after talking to other people who also had to go through the same thing they said it took time. Also, the legal requirements by the country is in constant review so expect to be asked to provided proof of documents. Also, the office has a lot of clients that they also have to tend to. The key is to be patient and keep track of all the documents that you've submitted and also do your due diligence to research and ask questions if you're not clear. The attorney has but so much control over what they can do.

I had a very disappointing experience with Balcells Group, particularly with the lawyer Laesa, and…read moreI cannot recommend their services. I hired them because I expected experienced immigration lawyers to ensure that my application was complete and that all required documents were submitted correctly. Unfortunately, my application was rejected due to what I believe was the omission of a basic required document. This resulted in approximately seven months of lost time, additional expenses, disrupted travel arrangements, and a great deal of unnecessary stress. Communication throughout the process was one of the biggest problems. Emails were often answered very late, and in many cases my questions were simply ignored. Instead of receiving clear answers to straightforward legal questions, I repeatedly had to follow up without getting the explanations I was asking for. Even after the rejection, I requested a legal explanation for why the missing document had not been identified before the application was submitted, but I did not receive a satisfactory answer. What made the situation even more frustrating was being asked to pay additional fees to resubmit the application or file an appeal instead of receiving accountability for what I believe should have been identified before submission. Based on my experience, I expected much higher standards of professionalism, communication, and attention to detail from a law firm handling immigration matters.