Miriam Bustamante Riedmiller - Legal Profile

WHO WE ARE

An American immigration law firm, providing first class legal services  for over 15 years in the heart of Washington, D.C. A walk from the U.S. Passport Office, the World Bank and Metro Stations/public transportation (www.wmata.com).   

WHY WE LIVE THE TRUE IMMIGRANT SPIRIT

Our Law Firm is built on the vision of our founder, Miriam Bustamante Riedmiller, a Philippine-born attorney, who worked for the Philippine Senate and  major law firm.  

A United States immigrant,  naturalized to a U.S. citizen, became a U.S. licensed attorney starting in  1994, (first in Ohio and then in Washington D.C.) -- living  the true immigrant spirit of tenacity, hard work, learning and compassion; worked in the U.S. legal arena, and started this practice, premised on public service to America and the immigrants.

Miriam Bustamante Riedmiller was President of the Philippine American Bar Association of Greater Washington D.C., Inc (PABA-DC, Inc.), and is a second term-appointee by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Board on Professional Responsibility as an alternate member of the Hearing Committee .

LOCAL LIVES - WASHINGTON D.C. CASES

•  B-1/B-2 tourist and business visas,  A visas for  diplomats/ employees of foreign Embassies, G-IV and G-V visas for World Bank  executives, and  their  household workers;
•  K fiance/ fiancee  visas and also  green cards and citizenship  for military families;  
•  I-360 special immigrant petitions:  retirees of International organization,  religious ministers from abroad, victims under the Violence against Women Act (VAWA).;
•  J-1 Exchange Scholar visas and waivers of the two year-home residence requirement under INA Section 212(e), and more.

 GLOBAL TIES, OUR INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS

Sensitivity to diversity. Representing clients from many countries, from Germany to Japan, Ghana, England, Holland , India,  the Philippines etc..
We successfully represented a German exceptional ability client, in a  self petition for a green card for himself and his family. We proved that he serves U.S. national interest through transfer of green roof  technology,  obtaining a waiver of requirements for a  job offer and  labor certification application.

GLOBAL FILIPINOS –OUR FOCUS

Possessing extensive experience with Philippines related cases. Together with China, India and Mexico – the Philippines is  specified in the Visa Bulletin, due to visa backlogs; These four countries generally suffer longer waiting time for the green card. (http://travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin). Thus, we strive to carve the shortest legal paths for our clients.

The Philippines and Filipinos occupy a special place in American history as ally in peace and in wartime, as discussed in our founder’s article on “The 100 Years of Filipino Immigration to the U.S., in the American Immigration Lawyers Association.( www.aila.org); and Immigration Lawyers on the Web ( www.ilw.com)

We speak English, Filipino and Tagalog.  We nurture ties with the Philippines and the Filipino Americans (FILAMS) in community building. We work with the American legal community towards continuing legal education (CLE) , immigration pro bono clinics and public service in the areas of ethics and professionalism.

Miriam B. Riedmiller - Honors and Awards

• President, Philippine American Bar Association of Greater Washington, D.C. Inc 2002 & 2003.
• Appointee, District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Board on Professional Responsibility: Alternate Member, Hearing Committee.
•  Awardee, Filipino Women’s Network (FWN) /ABS-CBN Global Channel, “100 Most Influential Filipino Women in the U.S. (Policy Makers and Visionaries) Washington, D.C. 2007.
• Speaker, Smithsonian 2010 Folklife Festival, “ Local Lives; Global Ties: Immigration Stories, How We Got Here), July 26, 2011, Washington, D.C.
• Author, “ Why Filipinos Call This Country Home” (100 Years of Filipino Immigration to the U.S.), American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Immigration Law Today (ILT), July/August  2007 Issue.
• Faculty, AILA 2010 Annual Conference,  “Affidavit of Support Panel), July 26, 2010, Washington D.C.
• Keynote Speaker, Homeland Security (Washington District  Office), Asian Pacific American Day, May 2004.

AILA Annual Conference (An AILA Lawyer)

• American Immigration Lawyers Association ( WWW.AILA.ORG),
  ( Faculty, 2010 AILA ANNUAL Conference, Contributor, AILA Infonet, AILA Immigration Law Today)

2010 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

• Smithsonian 2010 Folklife Festival (Asian-Pacific Americans)
  ( Speaker/ Immigration Story Teller ,  Immigration Stories, June 26, 2010)

Immigration Expertise

We serve from simple cases to clients with special handling needs:

• I-601 Waiver for fraud and material misrepresentation

People make mistakes. We help people get a second chance and win green cards because of positive factors, merit, extenuating and mitigating factors .

---

• National interest waiver for extraordinary and exceptional ability aliens

Helping foreign born talents in the sciences and the arts  prove their merit, and waive tedious labor certification process and job offers to win green cards.

---

• Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

We fight for men, women and children who were victims of battery and extreme cruelty under the VAWA criteria, win green cards.

---

• J-1 Waiver of two year residence requirements

We help J-1 Visa holders win green cards, through adjustment of status in the U.S. by proving that they are exempt from the two year requirement to return to their home country or prove that they are exempt.

---

• Fiancee Visa ( K Visa)
• B-1, B-2, Business and Visitor Visas
• Working Visas (H1B, L, I, G etc.)
• J-1 Section 2-12(e) Waivers

  ---