SGG congratulates its newest partner Yeu Hong.
Q & A with Yeu
Q: How did you get started as an immigration attorney?
A: As an immigrant to the United States, the area of law was interesting to me and I took the course along with participating in the school’s immigration law clinic. I also interned at the San Diego branch of the American Friends Service Committee, a non-profit organization that provided pro bono immigration legal services. I found the work performed for this organization to be very rewarding. Following my graduation from the University of San Diego School of Law, I joined an immigration firm in Los Angeles and have been practicing in this field ever since.
Q: Can you briefly describe the types of immigration cases you handle?
A: I primarily handle employment based nonimmigrant and immigration cases, with a small mix of family based immigration matters. One visa type that I work on routinely is the E-2, Treaty Investor, visa. I mention this, as I learned only recently that my family and I originally entered the U.S. with an E-2 visa when my father’s employer transferred him to the U.S. I think of this often as I prepare E-2 visa applications for our firm’s clients.
Q: What is a common misconception that people have about what you do?
A: A common misconception is that I go to immigration court and represent foreign nationals whom the U.S. government is seeking to remove from the U.S. Beyond one pro bono case, I haven’t been in an immigration court for over 16 years. Most of the visas I obtain are for short term employment transfers and most people don’t realize how many foreign nationals are here working temporarily for multi-national corporations.
Q: What do you like most about what you do at SGG?
A: After spending most of my career at a very small immigration law firm, I have enjoyed working collaboratively with various immigration attorneys and legal support staff. I have also enjoyed spending time with the younger attorneys trying to pass along what I know of immigration law.
Q: You have been working as an immigration attorney for 19 years. Can you tell us about one professional experience that was most rewarding?
A: I obtained asylum for a young women whose parents were victims of 1994 Rwandan genocide. A U.S. family had sponsored her to come to the U.S. and I assisted her in obtaining asylum status. This allowed her to remain in the U.S. with her sponsor family.