Becoming an Immigration Lawyer

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Genie Doi, founder and managing attorney of Avocet Law. In this personal reflection, Genie shares how an unexpected path led her to immigration law, the lessons she's learned throughout her career, and what continues to drive her work today. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

When I was little and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I wanted to be the President of the United States. I had very lofty aspirations, but of course, as I grew older, I realized there was no way I could or would even want to be the president. 

In college, I studied international relations and aimed to become a diplomat. I was preparing to take the foreign service exam to join the Department of State with hopes of working in U.S. embassies around the world. It sounded glamorous and a great way to use my education while engaging in public service.

However, my dad expressed a concern: "My lovely only daughter, I’ve never asked you for anything... but I will ask you this one thing: don’t join the foreign service. It would mean you have to live far away from me and spend your life moving from country to country every two to three years." He said, "Please go to law school instead."

I didn’t want to go to law school. I didn’t want to be a lawyer. But my dad, being someone I love and respect, convinced me. He said, "Just do this for me, and if after law school you still want to join the foreign service, you can. It’ll even help your career in the foreign service." This made sense, so I went to law school.

At the time, the U.S. economy was in a really bad place. Lawyers were getting laid off by the thousands, and financial professionals were also losing their jobs left and right. Law school was expensive, and I didn’t want to graduate with enormous debt and no job. I had a dear friend who was a few years ahead of me already attending Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, and she gave me great advice: start working now to get as much experience as I can, making me marketable to employers after graduation. Based on her advice, I switched from full-time to part-time enrollment and I applied to every legal job within a five-mile radius of the law school. I took the first paying job I got, which happened to be at an immigration law firm. I had no plans to pursue immigration law at the time—I was just willing to try anything.

What I didn’t expect was that  I immediately fell in love with the work. Being able to meet people from countries and cultures all over the world and helping them in a very immediate and tangible way was incredibly gratifying. I  relied on my education in international relations and my background as a Korean language speaker to connect with Korean clients and understand their concerns. That’s how I ended up becoming an immigration lawyer—I simply fell into it, with no original plan to pursue immigration law.

Misconceptions About Immigration

There’s a huge misunderstanding of what immigration law is and what it entails. The average American has no clue about the green card process or immigration law in general. A lot of the political negativity towards immigrants stems from misinformation or misunderstanding.

For example, people often say they don’t want immigrants from Central America to cross the southern border because they’re not doing it the "right" way. But the reality is that for many of these migrant workers, the only other option is to wait 17 years for their sister to sponsor them, hope they get picked in a visa lottery, or wait for organized criminals to take their children away. The system is really broken. 

Another misconception I frequently hear is, "I’m going to marry this person. Can you just apply for citizenship for them?" The answer is no! Marrying a U.S. citizen does not automatically grant U.S. citizenship. There’s a whole process to go through. A person needs to be a permanent resident for three years, then apply for citizenship, take a test, and so on. Americans often think it’s easy, but immigration law is one of the most complex areas of law.

A Memorable Case

One of the most memorable cases I’ve worked on was for a professional League of Legends player who was Korean. In Korea, young men have to serve in the army for two years, and this is a significant issue for esports players. In their 20s, they’re at the peak of their career, and taking a two-year break can really hurt their professional trajectory. This player wanted to delay his military service until after his competitive career. To do so, he needed a green card before his 27th birthday. We had a hard deadline and were facing multiple delays with immigration. The case got denied, and we had to sue the government to get it approved. Afterward, there were more delays because of the pandemic, and we had to sue again to get the case prioritized.

Everything that could go wrong did, but we worked hard to solve the situation. We aggressively fought to meet the deadline, and in the end, we succeeded. The player is still competing and doing great in his career. That case was memorable because of the intense pressure and the dedication it took to achieve the result.

Balancing Client Needs and Wants

I’ve always prioritized clients’ needs, but that particular case helped me differentiate between what a client needs versus what they want. While I strive to deliver what clients want, I make sure to communicate expectations clearly. For example, when a client asks, “Can you get my visa next week?” I tell them, “No, it’s not going to happen. This is the processing time, and this is how long it will take to prepare the case and for immigration to file it. You should expect delays.” I try to be clear and set reasonable expectations for my clients.

Measuring Success

Over the years, we have done thousands of cases. Of course, the number of approvals versus denials is a very clear measure of success. But in immigration, sometimes a case should be approved and is legally approvable, but the officer unfortunately denies it by mistake or ignorance. So, I don’t like to consider the number of case denials as a measure of success.

For me, my measure of success is “Are my clients satisfied with the level of service and care they received from us?” It’s hard to measure quantitatively, but I see it in the emails we get from clients, the thank-you cards, the gifts, the flowers, and the reviews on our website as well as a loyal client base that has grown organically from word-of-mouth. What we’re doing isn’t just the bare minimum—people feel comfortable with us and know that we care about them.

That, for me, is the most important thing. Immigration is so stressful, and if we can do anything to help reduce that stress, even a little bit, that carries significant weight for me.

The Lasting Impact of Immigration Success

The most fulfilling part isn’t just getting approvals or visas done. While those are important, I expect that as the bare minimum for my clients. The most gratifying feeling comes years later when I see a client thriving in their career or growing their family or business. Knowing that being in the United States at a critical point in their career had a positive long-term effect is incredibly rewarding. It’s not about the immediate results, but the lasting impact on their lives.

Staying Motivated

I’m a passionate person. As an Aries, I put all my energy into everything I do. I don’t ever lose motivation because I always want to do my best for my clients. I understand how important immigration is for them, and I feel a strong responsibility toward their lives and futures. Sometimes I get physically tired from the workload, but I never lose the drive to do my job.

Setting Goals and Supporting Growth

I absolutely set specific goals for myself and for the team. Each team member has different levels of experience and unique strengths and weaknesses, so I meet with them individually to determine what skills they want to develop each year. I check in with them regularly to track progress and offer support. If they need resources like attending a conference or using new software to improve their skills, I’m happy to invest in that. Ensuring the team has the tools to succeed and the accountability to use them well is a management role I take seriously.

Hopes for the Immigration System

Looking ahead, I would love to see significant changes in the immigration system. One major change would be to expand e-filing. Almost every other application for U.S. government benefits—like tax returns or even passports—can be e-filed or filed online. But right now, the vast majority of immigration filing is still done on paper. Our office probably prints a thousand pages per day. We have to clip these pages together, use up ink, and ship them via FedEx. It’s incredibly inefficient. It wastes time and resources for both the applicants and the government. Immigration really needs to push more aggressively toward becoming a digital agency.

However, we are currently in the middle of Donald Trump’s second administration which has vigorously targeted immigrant communities not only through mass deportations, but sweeping administrative changes that have made lawful immigration harder, longer, and more expensive. Cases that were approved 2 years ago are being challenged or even denied renewals. Today, the needs of U.S. society and businesses are drastically different. We need more workers and engineers, and some of the best minds in the world come from overseas. But these individuals can’t work in the United States without proper visas that are legally and financially accessible to employers, large and small. Honestly, America is losing out on talented minds because the visa system is so broken.

I see this firsthand. I send my son to an international school, and when I talk to other parents there, many of them are no longer considering U.S. universities for their children. Instead, they’re opting for countries like the United Kingdom, Canada or Australia. They’ve heard the horror stories about discrimination towards immigrants and the difficulties of getting a work visa here, even after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on their child’s education. It’s just not a good investment anymore.

Looking back, my journey into immigration law took me in an unexpected direction. What began as a dream to become a diplomat led me to a career where I can help people from all over the world. The challenges I’ve faced have only strengthened my passion for this work. For me, it’s not just about paperwork—it's about making a real difference in people’s lives and helping them build a future in a country they now call home.