Reno Immigration Appeal Lawyer
Why Hire SMIT LAW GROUP to handle your case?
- 5-star client reviews.
- Experience in both immigration and family law.
- Multilingual, global-mindset legal team.
- Proactive communication and clear case updates.
- Local Reno presence, ready to serve.
- Strategic approach to complex cases.
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Schedule Your ConsultationRevisit Immigration Cases and Seek a More Favorable Outcome With the Help of a Motions to Reopen and Reconsider Attorney in Reno, NV
Losing your case in Immigration Court can feel like the end of the world, but you aren’t out of options yet. It may be possible to appeal decisions that would rip you away from your home. To succeed, you’re going to need an abundance of legal knowledge, unwavering advocacy, and a calculated approach to the legal process. A Reno immigration appeal lawyer at Smit Law Group is ready to fight for you when everything is on the line.
With extensive experience handling all aspects of immigration law, from visa applications to deportation defense, we have a comprehensive understanding of the legal process and its challenges. Contact us today for help pursuing a second chance.
Compassionate Legal Support for Immigration Appeals
When a removal order has been issued, you’re facing expulsion from the country, your community, and your home. In many cases, you may even be separated from your family.
For some immigrants, deportation isn’t just the loss of the life you have built here in the United States but potentially a one-way trip to a dangerous destination where you’re facing persecution, physical violence, or torture. No matter the circumstances, you need to explore every avenue available to preserve your ability to remain in the U.S.
At Smit Law Group, we treat the clients we serve with genuine respect and compassion. Led by attorney Margaretha Smit, who is herself an immigrant from Holland, we have a firsthand understanding of the challenges that immigrants face. With the empathy to understand the stress and fear our clients are going through, we provide service that prioritizes results, reassurance, and peace of mind.
What to Do if You’ve Lost Your Immigration Case
If your immigration case has been denied or you’ve received a final order of removal, you still may have options. Immigration law allows several forms of post-decision relief, one or more of which may apply to your situation. Each avenue has strict deadlines and requirements, so contacting an experienced immigration attorney as soon as possible can make a major difference in preserving your rights.
Here are the steps you need to take after a loss in Immigration Court to protect your rights:
- Read the decision carefully to ensure you understand what it means, what the judge’s reasons for denial were, and whether you have the right to appeal.
- Gather all supporting documents related to your case so that you can provide an immigration appeal attorney with the most complete information possible.
- Contact our Reno immigration appeals lawyer immediately to ensure you can get the help you need within the time limits imposed on your case.
- Work with your attorney to determine your options for relief, make informed decisions about your strategy, and meet all filing deadlines.
- Speak with your attorney about requesting a stay of removal during an ongoing appeal or motion.
- Avoid leaving the United States during a pending appeal or motion without first getting legal advice.
Even after a loss in Immigration Court, you may explore other remedies, such as applying for relief directly with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), requesting prosecutorial discretion, or, in some cases, seeking federal court review.
Because every case is unique, there’s no one-size-fits-all path forward. Instead, you need to have an immigration lawyer evaluate your specific situation, identify the best available options, and guide you through the next steps. Acting promptly and strategically offers the best chance to turn your case around.
Your future deserves attention today. Call 775-993-2235 or contact our team to schedule a consultation. We’re here to help you move forward with confidence.

Immigration Appeals and Motions You Could Pursue in Reno, NV
Exploring every option means putting your case in the hands of a Reno immigration appeal lawyer who is prepared to analyze your case from every angle. Are there any potential legal or procedural errors that impacted the outcome of your immigration case? Has new evidence or changing circumstances, either here in the United States or in your country of origin, come to light that could make a difference?
In certain situations, it makes sense not to accept an unfavorable outcome in Immigration Court as the final word. Through appeals, motions to reopen, and motions to reconsider cases, your attorney may be able to secure you a second chance to achieve a positive outcome in Immigration Court.
Immigration Appeals
In immigration law, an appeal is a formal request for a higher authority to review a decision made by an immigration agency or judge. If you disagree with a denial of an immigration application or with a removal order issued following deportation proceedings, you may have the right to ask an appellate body to review that decision. In immigration matters, appeals can be filed with:
- The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)
- The Administrative Appeals Office (AAO)
- In some cases, a federal court
You first need to file an appeal, meeting deadlines and other procedural requirements. Generally, you only have 30 days to appeal an immigration decision. This means you need to act quickly to identify your options, submit the necessary paperwork, and build your case. If you don’t already have legal counsel representing your interests, it’s essential that you seek professional legal guidance right away. The stakes are high, and the process of fighting an unfavorable decision in Immigration Court isn’t easy.
During an appeal, the appellate body examines the record of the original case. Here’s what the higher court does and does not do in the context of an immigration appeal:
- The court does seek to determine whether the decision was legally correct.
- It does assess whether the law and facts involved in the case were applied correctly.
- It does not consider new evidence or events that happened after the original decision.
For example, imagine a situation in which an immigration judge has denied the noncitizen’s request for asylum. The immigrant may file an appeal to the BIA if they have grounds to argue that the judge misapplied the law or overlooked key facts. The BIA would then review the case to determine whether the law was applied properly and all key facts were considered appropriately in the judge’s decision.
Based on this review, the appellate court can either uphold the decision, reverse it, or send back (“remand”) the case for further proceedings.
Motion to Reopen an Immigration Case
Appeals to a higher court aren’t your only option. In some situations, it may make sense to file a motion asking the same decision-making body (Immigration Court) to review the case again, on a specified basis, and give it further consideration.
Among the most common types of motions we file on behalf of immigration clients whose cases have been decided unfavorably are motions to reopen. Through a motion to reopen, you can introduce new facts or changed circumstances, asking the Immigration Court to consider information that was not available at the prior proceeding but that may impact what now constitutes a fair or appropriate decision.
What makes motions to reopen immigration cases particularly important is their status as the only chance after a final order to raise new evidence or present changed circumstances. Without filing this motion, you could be stuck with the unfavorable outcome of the original court proceeding despite new developments that make your case worth revisiting.
A motion to reopen an immigration case must present new evidence or changed circumstances that were not available or could not have been discovered or presented at the earlier proceeding. This evidence must be material, which means that it is likely to change the result of the case.
Motions to reopen a case are generally subject to strict filing deadlines, as well as limitations on the number of motions, although exceptions may apply in certain circumstances. As soon as new evidence or a change in circumstances comes to light, you should consult an experienced motions to reopen and reconsider attorney in Reno, NV, for help managing the appeal, meeting deadlines, and implementing a strategy that meets the high threshold required for success.
Motion to Reconsider Immigration Issues
If you have no new evidence to introduce, a more fitting option might be filing a motion to reconsider your case. Through this motion, you can ask the decision-maker behind the original decision to review the existing record in the context of an alleged error of law or fact that impacted how the prior decision was made.
Professional legal guidance is essential for filing an effective motion to reconsider, because your motion must specify the legal or factual error in the prior decision, identifying a precedent, regulation, policy, or statute that supports the claim of error.
Act Fast to Meet Deadlines and Preserve Your Right to File Immigration Appeals or Motions
Whether you’re pursuing an appeal, a motion to reopen the case, or a motion to reconsider, timing is critical. These legal actions are subject to strict time limits.
- A Notice of Appeal must typically be filed within 30 calendar days of the immigration judge’s decision.
- A motion to reopen must generally be filed within 90 days of the date the final administrative order of removal is entered.
- A motion to reconsider must be filed within 30 days of the immigration judge’s final administrative order.
Unless you fit into a limited range of exceptions, missing the deadline will usually cause your motion to be dismissed, preventing you from receiving a second chance to attain a favorable outcome to your immigration case.
The sooner you get in touch with a Reno immigration appeal lawyer, the better a position you are in to identify the most promising path forward, meet all deadlines and procedural requirements, present a compelling argument, and receive a decision that benefits you.
The Advocacy of an Experienced Motions to Reopen and Reconsider Attorney in Reno, NV, Matters
When it comes to immigration appeals and motions, the threshold for acceptance and changed decisions is high. In appeals and motions to reconsider, you need to identify specific legal errors and the statutes or precedents that support your argument. In motions to reopen the case, you must show why the evidence was not previously available, why it matters, and how it changes the case.
Either way, you benefit from having professional legal guidance on your side to understand what’s required and how to meet the high demands of the appeal or motion you’re pursuing.
How Smit Law Group Can Help
From the strategic considerations that guide your next moves to the highly technical legal work of identifying legal errors or meeting other high thresholds, we provide the full support our clients need from a Reno immigration appeal lawyer. Drawing on experience obtained through years of practicing immigration law, we analyze your case from every angle to determine what options could potentially support a better outcome than the immigration judge’s original decision.
We’re ready to address your concerns, answer your questions, and begin building your case with diligence you can count on and compassion that provides peace of mind.
Why Choose Smit Law Group as Your Reno Immigration Appeal Lawyer?
At Smit Law Group, we take seriously the different legal avenues available after Immigration Court proceedings have concluded. Clients throughout Reno and the surrounding area turn to us when they need legal counsel who brings precision, persistence, and compassion to every appeal.
- Analytical precision: Our detailed research approach helps uncover overlooked legal errors and new opportunities.
- Experience: With nearly two decades in practice, attorney Margaretha “Greta” Smit is a trusted name in Reno immigration law.
- Personal understanding: Having navigated the immigration process herself, Greta approaches each case with empathy.
We don’t just file appeals. We build second chances.
Contact a Reno Immigration Appeal Lawyer at Smit Law Group Today for Your Initial Case Evaluation
If your immigration case was denied, an appeal may provide new hope. Don’t wait to take advantage of every opportunity that appeals or motions to reopen or reconsider your immigration case offer. We can help you explore your options, meet important legal deadlines, and present the most compelling case possible.
For help from a motions to reopen and reconsider attorney in Reno, NV, contact Smit Law Group online or call 775-993-2235 today.
