Invest
E-2 investor visas
Build the immigration strategy around a real operating business, the source of funds, and the investor’s role.
Explore this route
RELAWCATIONU.S. IMMIGRATION LAWVirginia-based U.S. practice
Establish your life in America on the right legal foundation.
Relawcation is a Virginia-based U.S. immigration practice for individuals, families, businesses, employers, and people with exceptional professional ability.
U.S. IMMIGRATION LAWStrategy before paperwork.Eligibility. Evidence. Filing. Follow-through.
More than 30 years of legal experienceJames Cohen · Richmond, VirginiaDC · Maryland · Virginia bars
Priority practices
Four routes. Different legal tests. One strategic discipline.
We begin with the objective and the facts—not with a favorite form.
Transfer
L-1 business expansion
Move executives, managers, and specialized knowledge into a qualifying U.S. operation.
Explore this routeAchieve
O-1 extraordinary ability
Turn sustained achievement into a coherent evidentiary case—not a disconnected stack of credentials.
Explore this routeUnite
Marriage & family
Choose the right route and sequence for spouses and families inside or outside the United States.
Explore this routeComplete immigration practice
U.S. immigration work built around the real legal route.
From family petitions and employment cases to investment, citizenship, humanitarian relief, immigration court, appeals, and agency responses.
01
Family & citizenship
Petitions, adjustment, consular processing, conditional residence, naturalization, and citizenship evidence.
Explore service02
Business & investment
Investor cases, company expansion, intracompany transfers, and immigration planning for U.S. operations.
Explore service03
Employment & talent
Temporary and permanent strategies for professionals, extraordinary ability, employers, and specialized talent.
Explore service04
Status, travel & waivers
Status changes and extensions, admissibility analysis, travel issues, consular routes, and available waivers.
Explore service05
Asylum & humanitarian protection
Affirmative and defensive asylum, protection-based options, and humanitarian filings based on the facts and available relief.
Explore service06
Removal defense & appeals
Removal defense, immigration court representation, motions, appeals, and administrative review where appropriate.
Explore service07
Agency responses
Requests for Evidence, Notices of Intent to Deny, revocation issues, and responses to agency concerns.
Explore service08
Employer support
Petition strategy, workforce transfers, and immigration support for employers and institutions.
Explore serviceCourt, humanitarian, and appellate matters are evaluated individually. Every engagement is subject to conflict review and a written agreement defining the scope of representation.
How we work
Immigration cases fail in the distance between eligibility and proof.
Our work is to close that distance: identify the governing standard, test the facts honestly, and build the record deliberately.
01
Diagnose
We identify the legal route, the factual gaps, and the risks before forms begin.
02
Build
The evidence and narrative are organized around the legal standard and the real facts.
03
File & follow through
The team manages preparation, filing, and the next procedural steps.
More than three decades of practice
James Cohen
James Cohen has practiced immigration and federal law from Virginia since 1990. His experience includes hundreds of successfully completed immigration cases for businesses, families, and individuals.
He is a member of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia bars and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Earlier in his career, he served as chief counsel to a U.S. Senate subcommittee and as an assistant to the Senate Majority Whip.
J.D., Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America. B.A. in History, cum laude, Pennsylvania State University.
Read James’s profileClient perspective
“I never felt like just another case or a number.”
“Working with Mr. James Cohen was truly one of the best decisions I made during my immigration journey. His guidance gave me confidence during a very important chapter of my life, and I always felt that I was in good hands.”
Oren UzielCEO, Baron Building Group · Houston, Texas
Read the full client perspectiveIndividual experiences vary. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.Decision guides
Start with the question that changes the case.
Is the investment substantial for this specific business?
E-2 investment amountDoes the actual role qualify as managerial or executive?
L-1A manager and executive rolesDo the achievements prove sustained distinction as a whole?
O-1A evidence and criteriaShould the spouse apply in the United States or through a consulate?
Compare marriage filing routesDoes the position and the candidate’s background support specialty-occupation classification?
H-1B position and qualificationsWhat must happen before the next hearing or filing deadline?
Immigration court procedureWhat is the deadline to appeal the Immigration Judge’s decision?
BIA appeal deadlines and procedureCan detention and release evidence support a bond request?
Immigration bond hearingsDo the facts support asylum or another protection-based route?
Asylum and humanitarian optionsCase assessment
Before choosing a form, establish the route.
2224 Lancashire Drive
Richmond, VA 23235
In-person meetings by appointment only — no walk-ins
Tell us what you are trying to accomplish and where the case stands. Zoom consultations are also available. Initial contact does not create an attorney-client relationship.