Turkish-Speaking Lawyer for Clients in Texas

Bu sayfanın Türkçesi: Texas’ta Türkçe Konuşan Avukat Nasıl Bulunur?

There is a growing Turkish community across Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, and the question we hear most often is this: “I live in Texas — do I have to find a Turkish-speaking lawyer in Texas?” The answer depends on the type of matter, and it is more flexible than most people expect. Immigration law is federal; company, contract and real estate law are state law. This page separates the two.

Why state bar admission is not decisive in immigration matters

Immigration is a federal system end to end. USCIS, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and U.S. consulates are federal bodies, and their own regulations govern who may appear. Under 8 CFR 292.1(a)(1) and 8 CFR 1292.1(a)(1), that authority extends to attorneys in good standing with the bar of the highest court of any U.S. state. For the immigration courts there is one added condition: the attorney must also be registered with the EOIR eRegistry.

The legal footing is not new. In Sperry v. Florida ex rel. Florida Bar, 373 U.S. 379 (1963), the Supreme Court held that where a federal agency authorizes representation before it, a state may not use its own unauthorized-practice rules to block that representation. In practice this is what allows a Bethesda firm to represent a Houston family before USCIS.

So the question to ask is which category your matter falls into. The table below draws the line.

What is federal and what is Texas state law

In short: a green card, E-2, L-1, H-1B, EB-2 NIW or naturalization matter does not require a Texas-barred attorney. A Texas divorce or a Harris County lease dispute does. Where a matter spans both, we handle the federal side and work with local Texas counsel on the state-law portion.

USCIS offices and immigration courts in Texas

Texas carries heavy immigration infrastructure. Your interview will most likely be scheduled at one of these field offices:

• Houston Field Office — 810 Gears Road, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77067.
• Dallas Field Office — 6500 Campus Circle Drive East, Irving, TX 75063.
• San Antonio Field Office — 20760 North US Highway 281, San Antonio, TX 78258. Its jurisdiction is broad and includes Austin (Travis County).
• No walk-ins — USCIS field offices operate by appointment only; do not go without your interview notice.
• Immigration courts — Texas has numerous EOIR courts, including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Conroe, Harlingen, Laredo, Pearsall and Port Isabel; detained cases go to separate courts, and some hearings are held by video.

Addresses and the counties each office serves do change, so always follow the office named on your interview notice; the office locator at uscis.gov carries the current information.

For Turkish founders forming a company in Texas

Texas is a frequent choice for Turkish founders, largely because it levies no state income tax and operating costs are moderate. Two points are routinely confused.

First, the franchise tax. Texas companies are subject to a franchise tax rather than a state income tax. For the 2026 report the no-tax-due revenue threshold is $2,650,000; below it you owe no tax, but you must still file an information report — the Public Information Report for corporations and LLCs, or an Ownership Information Report for certain other entities. The figures change annually, so confirm at comptroller.texas.gov.

Second, and more important: forming a company does not confer immigration status. You can open a Texas LLC, but working in that company requires E-2, L-1, O-1 or a suitable green card path. Designing the corporate structure and the immigration path together at the outset is far cheaper than restructuring later.

What working in Turkish actually changes

Language here is not a courtesy; it is a question of file quality. Most immigration cases turn on the client being able to tell their own story accurately — a good-faith marriage declaration, an asylum narrative, a source-of-funds explanation in an E-2 business plan. A story told in a second language loses detail, and lost detail is how Requests for Evidence begin.

Turkish-sourced documents also follow their own conventions: the nüfus kayıt örneği and its vukuatlı version, the adli sicil belgesi, tapu records and SGK statements. Knowing which of these answers which USCIS requirement saves weeks on a file.

Frequently asked questions

Can a lawyer who is not admitted in Texas handle my case?
For immigration matters, yes. An attorney in good standing with the bar of any U.S. state may represent clients before USCIS, the immigration courts and U.S. consulates nationwide under 8 CFR 292.1 and 8 CFR 1292.1. Appearing before the immigration courts additionally requires registration with the EOIR eRegistry. Matters governed by Texas state law require a Texas-admitted attorney.

I live in Houston and my lawyer is in Maryland. Who appears in court?
The same attorney may appear in immigration court. Representation before EOIR turns on federal regulation and EOIR registration rather than state bar admission, and many hearings are conducted by video.

Do I need to live in Texas to form a company there?
No. Texas imposes no residency requirement to form an LLC or corporation, though you need a registered agent address in the state. Forming a company does not by itself give you a visa or work authorization — that is a separate immigration matter.

My documents are in Turkish. What is required?
Every foreign-language document filed with USCIS needs a complete English translation plus the translator’s certification of competence (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). Notarization is not required, but completeness is; partial translations are a common cause of Requests for Evidence.

What to do now

• Classify the matter first — Federal immigration, or Texas state law? The right lawyer follows from that answer.
• Verify bar standing — Whatever the state, confirm your attorney is in good standing through that bar’s official directory.
• Beware “consultants” and notarios — In the U.S. a notario is not a lawyer; only an attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative may handle your immigration case.
• Collect documents with translations — Turkish documents need complete English translations and a translator’s certification.
• Plan company and visa together — If you are forming a Texas entity, map the immigration path at the same time.
• Confirm your interview office — Houston, Dallas/Irving and San Antonio serve different counties; follow the address on your notice.

This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Attorney Advertising. Information current as of Sept. 20, 2026. Ozek Law Firm, LLC maintains no office in Texas and does not hold an active Texas law license; matters governed by Texas state law are handled with local counsel or referred. Office addresses, tax thresholds and procedural rules change; confirm at uscis.gov and comptroller.texas.gov.

Ozek Law Firm, LLC · 4500 East West Highway, Suite 150, Bethesda, MD 20814 · +1 (202) 854-8545 · info@ozeklaw.com · www.ozeklaw.com
Admitted in Maryland, New York and Washington, D.C.; federal immigration practice throughout the United States. Consultations in English, Turkish, Spanish and Swedish; interpreters for other languages.