As most immigrants know, the journey from immigrant to citizen can be a long and complicated one. For Ayna Meredova, one of our paralegals, it has been an interesting and complicated path and we would like to share it with you. 

Ayna was born in Turkmenistan and lived in many places around the world, including Czech Republic and Germany. She first came to the United States on a J-1 visa, through a U.S. Congress sponsored cultural exchange program. She liked her experience very much here so she knew she wanted to come back here eventually.

A few years after her first experience in the U.S., Ayna returned to the United States to pursue higher education. As an F-1 student, she worked on campus at the Center for International Programs, where she became familiar with some of the complex immigration laws applicable to foreign students. She once again found herself dealing with immigration law when she married a U.S. citizen and applied for U.S. permanent residence based on the marriage. She felt she could handle filing the case on her own, but even with her good understanding and experience with immigration law, the process was difficult and there were many hiccups along the way. She finally had to consult an immigration attorney to help resolve their problems and allow her to become a U.S. permanent resident.

Ayna's love and curiosity for immigration law and appreciation for the role of an immigration attorney in the process led her to work in this field, and she is now an expert in various immigration processes and U.S. immigration law. When she applied for U.S. citizenship in May 2014, she felt prepared and confident, equipped with not only her own vast understanding and knowledge of immigration law, but also with the backing of her colleagues and mentors at Weinstock Immigration Lawyers. Her case was adjudicated quickly and she became a U.S. citizen exactly five months after filing her application for Naturalization, and is now a proud U.S. citizen!

Ayna's personal immigration path to U.S. citizenship included various visa types, and spanned over 12 years in total, and she uses these experiences and personal knowledge with her clients, bringing a deep, empathetic and efficient experience for our clients in traversing their immigration trials and tribulations.