Founder and Immigration Attorney | Kasturi Law, LLC, Chicago, Naperville, and Schaumburg

About Shobhana

Shobhana Kasturi is a proud first-generation immigrant, and her work is deeply personal. She arrived in the United States as a teenager and watched her parents, then in their forties and fifties, work long days to keep a roof over the family and put her and her brother through school.

She has personally gone through consular processing, an immigrant visa interview, studying for the citizenship test, and the naturalization process, and she has petitioned for a family member. She knows what it means to adjust to a new country, and she understands the pride and relief of building a life here.

That experience is why she practices immigration law. She founded Kasturi Law, LLC in 2014 so that every client would receive individual attention and know they count.

Before opening her firm, she was a partner at Macey Bankruptcy Law from 1998 to 2013 and began her career as an associate at Peter Francis Geraci. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1995 and her undergraduate degree from Loyola University, Summa Cum Laude, in 1991.

Why Immigration Law

For Shobhana, immigration law is more than a practice area; it runs in her veins. She believes in the American Dream because her own family lived it: her parents immigrated and sacrificed so she could become a lawyer and her brother a physician, and she wants others to have their own slice of that dream.

No matter how long the day, she says she walks into the office with pride and a desire to advocate. Some of the cases that shaped her include helping a longtime green card holder establish that he was already a U.S. citizen, sparing him from deportation fears, and guiding a young man from having no identification or lawful status to becoming a permanent resident.

What She Does Differently

Shobhana calls it gold glove service. When you call her office, you speak with an attorney about your case, not a call center, and she is known for responding quickly and being accessible.

She takes the time to explain, in plain terms, what your case is really about, what your options are, and the pros and cons of each, so you can make the decision that is right for you.

As she puts it, this is someone’s life, not just paperwork. Being fluent in English, Hindi, and Urdu allows her to connect directly with many of the clients and communities she serves.

Practice Focus

Kasturi Law focuses exclusively on immigration law and represents clients in:

• Family-based immigration, including I-130 petitions, marriage-based and parent petitions, and stepchild petitions
• Green cards and adjustment of status, including adjustment and N-400 interviews and green card renewals
• Employment-based green cards, including H-1B, L-1, and O matters and I-485J “same or similar job” issues
• I-751 petitions to remove conditions, including good-faith-marriage, abuse, and hardship waivers
• Naturalization and citizenship, including N-400, N-336 appeals, N-600 certificates, and U.S. passport matters
• 601A and other waivers, including 601, 212(d)(3), and other non-immigrant waivers
• K-1 fiance(e) visas
• F-1 student visas, F-1 reinstatement, and B-2 to F-1 change of status, Sevis/RCL/ Medical withdrawal
• U visas, VAWA, and other non-immigrant and humanitarian matters
• Consular processing worldwide, including 221(g) administrative processing
• Requests for Evidence (RFE), Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID), Notices of Intent to Revoke, and 290B motions to reopen or reconsider
• Crimmigration opinion letters, interview preparation, U.S. passports, SB-1 returning resident visas, and FOIA requests
• Change of Status from H4 to F1, B2 to F1, H1b to F1
• Interview prep and representation for adjustment cases and naturalization (across the 50 states). When you have Shobhana representing you, you will be well prepared for the interview.

Because immigration law is federal, the firm accepts cases from all 50 states. Please note that Kasturi Law does not handle immigration court, removal or deportation defense, or asylum cases.

Notable Case Results

Family petitions and naturalization

• Secured approval of an I-130 parent petition within about six months after a prior pro se petition had been denied for insufficient evidence, allowing the parent to proceed with consular processing.
• Obtained naturalization approval for a client with two prior DUIs by demonstrating good moral character and rehabilitation over time.
• Overcame a Notice of Intent to Deny on a naturalization case where good moral character was questioned, and secured approval.
• Won an N-336 naturalization appeal after a denial for allegedly breaking continuous residence, by showing the client met an exception to the rule.

Waivers and removal of conditions (I-751)

• Obtained approval of an I-751 petition and a 10-year green card for a client who suffered abuse in a short marriage with limited documentation.
• Overcame a difficult Request for Evidence on an I-751 for an abandoned spouse, securing green cards for the client and her three children.
• Secured an I-751 approval after an interview for a client whose prior domestic-violence charge and protective order had both been dismissed.
• Overcame a difficult I-751 interview for 10 year approval of a green card;

RFEs, motions, and green card filings

• Filed an I-290B motion to reopen with new documentation after an adjustment-of-status denial; the motion was granted, and the I-485 green card was approved.
• Overcame an I-485J “same or similar job” RFE with expedited Department of Labor support; the case was approved within two weeks, the interview was waived, and the client and family received green cards.
• Secured an I-485 approval without an interview where a U.S. citizen’s parents lacked birth certificates, using alternative documentation accepted by USCIS.

Student status and Notices of Intent to Deny

• Reinstated a client’s F-1 student status through an I-539 after a difficult RFE alleging status violations and financial-support concerns.
• Overcame a Notice of Intent to Deny on a B-2 change of status and, separately, a NOID on an H-1B involving a dismissed domestic-abuse charge; both cases were approved.
• Helped reinstate F1 status for a student by identifying a DSO error.
• Successfully had a F1 student depart the US and re-enter on a new I-20;
• Overcame a NOID for STEM OPT.
• Overcame a B2 NOID for an H-1 B applicant.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each immigration case is unique and depends on its own facts. Case descriptions are shared with client confidentiality in mind.

Education

• J.D., University of Iowa College of Law, 1995  (2.5 years)
• B.A., Loyola University, Summa Cum Laude, 1991

Bar Admissions

• Illinois, admitted 1997 (Bar No. 6239279)
• Indiana, admitted 1998

AILA Leadership and Professional Memberships

• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), member since 2014
  • Secretary, AILA Asia Pacific American (APAC) Chapter (2024 to present)
  • Co-Chair, AILA Indian Sub-Continent Interest Group (2025 to 2026)
  • AILA National Distance Learning Committee, Family and Humanitarian Section (2024 to present)
  • Recipient, AILA APAC Chapter Award
• Chicago Bar Association, member since 2013
• State Bar of Illinois and State of Indiana
• National Immigration Project (member since 2026)

Awards and Recognition

• Avvo Rating 9.8 “Superb”
• Avvo Clients’ Choice Award (2015, 2018, 2021, 2022)
• Three Best Rated Top Lawyers and Best Business recognition (multiple years, 2021 to 2026)
• More than 340 Google reviews (4.9 rating) and more than 350 Avvo reviews (5.0 rating) from clients

Speaking Engagements

• Speaker, AILA Annual Conference (2025 and 2026)
• Speaker, AILA APAC Conference (2022, 2024, 2025, 2026)
• Speaker, AILA South Florida Conference (2025), “Complex Consular Processing Issues Involving Waivers: Navigating the Maze”
• Panelist and presenter on provisional waivers, the basics of immigration law, and naturalization eligibility

In the Media and Publications

• Guest, Lawfully Realtime Immigration News Recap, “New USCIS Discretion, Naturalization Rules and more” (August 2025)
• Author, “Immigration Expresso,” a monthly immigration newsletter on LinkedIn
• Author of numerous Avvo Legal Guides on RFEs, 601A waivers, naturalization, and humanitarian parole
• Author of immigration articles at kasturilaw.com on Notices of Intent to Deny, reentry permits, the returning resident visa (SB-1), and the naturalization interview
• Contributor, AILA publication on the T visa
• Academic publication, “Palestinian Women: Beyond the Basic Law”

Languages

• English
• Hindi
• Urdu

Verified Profiles and Directory Listings

You can verify Shobhana Kasturi’s credentials and read independent client reviews on her profiles:

• Avvo Profile (9.8 “Superb”)
• Martindale-Hubbell Profile
• Justia Profile
• Lawyers.com Profile
• FindLaw Profile
• Yelp
• Better Business Bureau

What our Clients Say About Us:

“Excellent discussion with Shobhana followed by a prioritized set of recommendations.”

“Shobhana is an excellent and empathetic attorney. Displays great attention to detail and is invested in your outcomes. I’m very happy with my choosing her to represent me.”

“Shobhana is a very detail-oriented and thorough attorney; my wife and I appreciated her support at every step of the way.”