Reviewed by Gokhan Guni, Partner, Texas office · Last updated September 29, 2026

Onal Gallant is a Texas immigration law firm with an office in Sugar Land, about 20 miles southwest of downtown Houston. Our Texas immigration lawyers handle investor and work visas, family and employment green cards, citizenship, and removal defense for clients in Houston, across Texas, and abroad. Meet us at 800 Bonaventure Wy, Suite 120, Sugar Land, TX 77479, or by video from anywhere in the state.

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What Does a Texas Immigration Lawyer Do?

A Texas immigration lawyer helps people and companies use federal immigration law to invest, work, and build a family life in Texas. The filings go to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Department of State, and, in removal cases, the immigration courts. What changes in Texas is where your case is decided: green card and citizenship interviews happen at a Texas USCIS field office, such as Houston, San Antonio, or Dallas, and investor visas depend on a real business set up under Texas law. Our Texas team handles three kinds of work: business and investor immigration, family-based green cards and citizenship, and defense when a case goes to immigration court.

Immigration Services We Handle in Texas

Every service below is handled by our Texas team and supported by the firm's immigration lawyers in New Jersey and New York. Each one links to a detailed guide if you want to go deeper.

Business and investor immigration

• E-2 treaty investor visa. For nationals of treaty countries, including Türkiye, who invest in and run a U.S. business. We prepare the business plan, source-of-funds evidence, and the consular or change-of-status filing.
• E-1 treaty trader visa. For companies and key employees carrying on substantial trade between the U.S. and a treaty country.
• L-1A and L-1B intracompany transfers. For executives, managers, and specialized-knowledge employees moving from a foreign company to its Texas office or new branch.
• H-1B specialty occupation visa. For employers hiring degreed professionals, including the annual registration and cap process.
• O-1A and O-1B extraordinary ability visas. For people with sustained recognition in business, science, athletics, or the arts.
• EB-5 investor green card. For investors who fund a job-creating U.S. enterprise and want permanent residence for the whole family.
• EB-2 National Interest Waiver. For researchers, engineers, physicians, and entrepreneurs whose work benefits the U.S., without an employer sponsor.
• EB-1A extraordinary ability green card. For people at the top of their field who can self-petition.
• EB-3 employment-based green card. For skilled workers and professionals sponsored by a U.S. employer through labor certification.
• Company formation and startup support. For E-2 and EB-5 investors who also need a Texas entity, leases, and contracts. Our business law team handles this alongside the visa.

Family-based immigration and citizenship

• Green card through marriage. For spouses of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, whether the spouse is in Texas or abroad.
• Green card for parents. For U.S. citizens age 21 or older sponsoring a parent.
• K-1 fiancé visa. For U.S. citizens bringing a fiancé to the U.S. to marry within 90 days.
• Other family petitions. Children, siblings, and adjustment of status for relatives already in the U.S.
• Naturalization and citizenship. Eligibility review, the N-400 application, and preparation for the interview at your Texas USCIS field office.

Removal defense and federal immigration litigation

• Removal defense. Representation in Texas immigration courts, including bond, cancellation of removal, asylum, and waivers.
• Habeas corpus petitions. Federal court action to challenge unlawful or prolonged ICE detention.
• Mandamus lawsuits. Federal court action when USCIS or the State Department leaves a case pending far beyond normal processing times.

Houston Immigration Lawyers at Our Sugar Land Office

Our Houston immigration lawyers work from Sugar Land, in Fort Bend County, just off I-69 southwest of Houston. The office is convenient for clients in west and southwest Houston, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, Richmond, and Rosenberg, and we meet Houston clients by video when a drive across the metro does not make sense.

Houston cases run through a specific set of federal offices, and we prepare you for each one:

• USCIS Houston Field Office. Green card and naturalization interviews for most of the greater Houston area take place here. USCIS assigns your office by the home address on your application.
• Houston Asylum Office. Affirmative asylum interviews for the Houston jurisdiction. Since May 28, 2026, USCIS may also schedule these interviews at its new San Antonio asylum location, so check the location on your notice.
• Houston immigration courts. If you are in removal proceedings in the Houston area, your case is heard at one of the Houston immigration court locations, and we represent you there.

What happens at your first consultation

1. We review your history and goals. Bring your passport, visas, I-94, any USCIS notices, and any court papers.
2. We map your options. You leave knowing which paths fit your situation, what each one requires, and the main risks.
3. We give you a plan and a fee quote. If you hire us, we set the filing timeline and the documents we need from you.

E-2 Visa Lawyer in Houston

An E-2 visa lets a national of a treaty country live in the U.S. while developing and directing a business in which they have invested a substantial amount of capital. Houston is one of the most common places our E-2 clients choose to invest. Texas has no state personal income tax, the Houston economy spans energy, logistics, healthcare, and trade, and commercial space costs less than in New York or New Jersey. Our guide to investing in Texas covers the business case in more detail.

For Turkish investors, the E-2 has favorable terms. Türkiye is an E-2 treaty country, and under the State Department's reciprocity schedule, Turkish nationals receive E-2 visas valid for up to 60 months with multiple entries and no reciprocity fee. Each entry is admitted for up to two years, and the status can be extended as long as the business qualifies. If you are already in the U.S. in another status, USCIS can process an E-2 change of status, and premium processing is available.

There is no fixed minimum investment for the E-2. The amount must be substantial relative to the total cost of the business, placed at risk, and more than enough to support only your own household. We build the business plan, source-of-funds evidence, and investment records so a consular officer or USCIS officer can see a real, operating company.

Texas E-2 cases we have handled

Recent Texas E-2 matters from our immigration practice include:

• A Houston freight brokerage arranging full-truckload, less-than-truckload, refrigerated, and expedited shipments from a leased Houston office. E-2 approved.
• A retail liquidation and resale company formed under Texas law and run from leased premises in Houston, with U.S. employees already hired. E-2 approved.
• A Texas car rental and fleet management company focused on hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles. E-2 approved.
• An executive manager of the automotive services division of a company operating from multiple facilities in Houston. E-2 employee (executive manager) approved.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts. More results are listed on our immigration law page.

Turkish Immigration Lawyer in Texas

Our Texas office is led by Gokhan Guni, a partner who practiced law in Türkiye before moving to the United States. He holds a law degree from Marmara University in Istanbul and an LL.M. from the University of Houston, is a member of the State Bar of Texas, and brings more than two decades of legal experience. His practice concentrates on business immigration, investor visas (E-1, E-2, and EB-5), green cards, family immigration, and removal proceedings, along with corporate and real estate matters.

That combination matters for Turkish families and entrepreneurs in Houston. You can explain your situation in Turkish, and your lawyer understands both the Turkish documents in your file and the Texas business environment you are entering. Firm-wide, Onal Gallant has served more than 20,000 clients from offices in New Jersey, New York, and Texas.

Where Your Texas Immigration Case Will Be Decided

USCIS assigns your interview office by your home address, so where you live in Texas decides where you go. Most of our clients fall into these areas:

Confirm your assigned office on your USCIS notice or with the USCIS field office locator. We represent clients anywhere in Texas; most USCIS and consular work is done by video and secure document exchange.

Immigration attorney for Austin clients

Austin has a USCIS Application Support Center for fingerprints and photos, but no field office, so Austin residents usually interview in San Antonio. Austin's technology sector makes H-1B, L-1, and EB-2 NIW petitions, along with E-2 investments in new companies, a large share of our Central Texas work. We handle Austin cases by video from start to finish and prepare you for the San Antonio interview.

How to Choose the Best Immigration Lawyer in Houston, Texas

The right Houston immigration attorney for you depends on your case type, not on advertising. Before you hire anyone, check these points:

1. Confirm the license. Every lawyer should be in good standing with a state bar. You can look up any Texas lawyer on the State Bar of Texas website.
2. Match the experience to your case. An E-2 business plan, a marriage green card, and a detained removal case require very different work. Ask how many cases like yours the lawyer has handled recently.
3. Ask where your case will be decided. A good lawyer should name your likely USCIS office or immigration court and explain what that means for timing.
4. Get the fee structure in writing. Ask what the fee covers, whether government filing fees are included, and what happens if USCIS issues a request for evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions About Texas Immigration Lawyers

Does my immigration lawyer need to be licensed in Texas?

No. Immigration law is federal, so a lawyer licensed in any U.S. state can represent you before USCIS and in Texas immigration courts. A Texas license becomes important when your case also involves Texas law, such as forming a Texas company for an E-2 investment or negotiating a commercial lease for your business. Our Texas partner, Gokhan Guni, is a member of the State Bar of Texas.

Where will my green card or citizenship interview be in Texas?

USCIS assigns your field office based on your home address. Most Houston-area applicants interview at the Houston Field Office. Austin applicants usually go to San Antonio. You can check current wait times with the USCIS processing times tool by selecting your office.

Can you represent me if I live in Austin or elsewhere in Texas?

Yes. We represent clients throughout Texas. USCIS and consular cases are handled by video and secure document exchange, and we discuss how any in-person appointments or hearings will be handled at the first consultation.

How much does an immigration lawyer cost in Texas?

Fees depend on the type of case and how complex it is. A family petition, an E-2 investor case, and a removal defense case are priced very differently, and government filing fees are separate. We give you a written fee quote after the consultation, once we understand your case.

Do you offer consultations in Turkish?

Yes. Consultations at our Sugar Land office and by video are available in English and Turkish.

What should I bring to my first consultation?

Bring your passport, current and past visas, your I-94 record, any USCIS receipts or notices, any immigration court papers, and, for investor cases, your business plan and proof of funds. If you have a criminal record, bring the court dispositions.

Is the E-2 visa a path to a green card?

The E-2 is a nonimmigrant visa and does not lead to a green card on its own. Many investors later qualify through another route, such as EB-5, an employer petition, or a family petition. We plan the E-2 with that long-term goal in mind.

Talk to a Texas Immigration Lawyer

Tell us what you are trying to do, and we will tell you which path fits and what it takes. Contact our Sugar Land office to schedule a consultation.

Onal Gallant Bayram & Amin PC, Texas Office
800 Bonaventure Wy, Suite 120
Sugar Land, TX 77479
Phone: (281) 909-4030
Email: info@onalgallant.com
Consultations by appointment

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Attorney advertising. Lawyer responsible for this page: Gokhan Guni, Onal Gallant Bayram & Amin PC, primary practice location 800 Bonaventure Wy, Suite 120, Sugar Land, TX 77479. This page provides general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.