The U.S. immigration system runs on forms, deadlines, and fine print most people never see explained. McNamara Law helps families, workers, and future citizens across Central Florida understand the process — and guides them through it, start to finish.
Led by Matthew McNamara, Esq. — serving Orlando & Winter Park
Each service below is labeled with the government form it typically begins with — because knowing which form applies to you is the first step in understanding your own case.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents can petition for spouses, children, parents, and siblings. We prepare petitions, navigate consular processing, and keep families on the fastest lawful path to reunification.
Discuss your family's case →Becoming a lawful permanent resident from inside the U.S. means proving eligibility, admissibility, and timing. We build complete, well-documented applications designed to avoid delays and requests for evidence.
Start your green card →From the eligibility review to the civics interview and oath ceremony, we prepare clients for every stage of naturalization — including cases complicated by travel history, taxes, or old records.
Become a citizen →Workers, professionals, and the employers who sponsor them rely on the EB visa categories. We advise on eligibility, labor certification, and strategy for both companies and individual applicants.
Explore work visas →Asylum, Temporary Protected Status, VAWA, and U visas exist to protect people fleeing persecution, violence, or abuse. We handle these sensitive cases with discretion, urgency, and compassion.
Seek protection →A notice to appear is not the end of the road. We represent clients in immigration court, pursuing every available defense — cancellation of removal, adjustment, asylum, and appeals.
Defend your case →At McNamara Law, we are dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for our clients. Established in 2024, our firm has grown by delivering attentive legal service and consistently securing favorable results for the people we represent.
Immigration is personal. Behind every petition is a family waiting to be reunited, a career waiting to begin, or a future waiting to be secured. That's why every case at our firm starts the same way: we listen first, explain your options in plain language, and tailor a strategy designed for your specific situation — never a one-size-fits-all approach.
From our offices in Winter Park, we serve clients throughout Orlando and Central Florida with the care, candor, and determination they deserve.
Founder & Attorney
Matthew McNamara is a distinguished lawyer with deep roots in Central Florida, dedicated to serving his community with exceptional legal service. Blending cutting-edge expertise with professional integrity, Matthew delivers tailored solutions for individuals and families — and his unwavering commitment to justice makes him a trusted advisor and advocate throughout the region.
You'll never sign something you don't understand. Every form, fee, and timeline is walked through in plain language before your case moves forward.
Immigration law offers more than one path in most situations. We assess your full picture — family, work, history — and choose the route with the strongest footing.
Months of silence from the government is normal. Silence from your lawyer shouldn't be. You'll know the status of your case, and what comes next, at every stage.
Most people only learn how the immigration system works once they're inside it. These are the fundamentals we believe everyone should understand, whether or not they ever hire a lawyer.
A visa is permission to enter the U.S. for a specific purpose and time — work, study, or visiting. A green card (lawful permanent residence) lets you live and work in the U.S. indefinitely, but it can be lost through abandonment or certain criminal issues. Citizenship is permanent: it brings the right to vote, a U.S. passport, and protection from deportation. Many journeys move through all three stages over several years.
Most green card holders can apply for naturalization after 5 years of permanent residence — or 3 years if married to and living with a U.S. citizen. After filing Form N-400, processing typically takes several months to over a year depending on your local field office. The timeline before that — getting the green card itself — varies enormously by category and country of origin.
Often, yes — but not automatically. Many applicants (including most adjustment-of-status and asylum applicants) can request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) using Form I-765 while their case is pending. Working without authorization, even briefly, can create serious problems for a future application, so it's worth confirming your status before accepting any job.
No — an RFE means the government wants more documentation before deciding your case, not that it's being denied. It comes with a strict deadline, and your response is often the single most important filing in the entire case. A complete, well-organized response can turn a borderline case into an approval; a rushed one can sink a strong case.
A denial is rarely the end. Depending on the case, you may be able to file a motion to reopen or reconsider, appeal the decision, or simply refile with stronger evidence. What matters most is understanding why it was denied — and whether the denial affects your current status. That's a conversation to have with an attorney quickly, since deadlines run from the decision date.
Not for everything — and we'll tell you when you don't. Some straightforward renewals can be handled on your own. But immigration filings create a permanent record, and small mistakes (a missed deadline, an inconsistent answer, an unnecessary admission) can follow you for years. If your case involves any prior denials, arrests, status gaps, or court proceedings, professional guidance pays for itself.
Short, practical reading on how the system actually works — written for people, not lawyers.
The monthly chart that decides when millions of people can file — decoded in five minutes, with examples for family and employment categories.
Read the guide →What officers actually ask, what documents to bring, and the small preparation steps that make the biggest difference on interview day.
Read the guide →Everyone in the U.S. — regardless of status — has constitutional rights. Here's what you are and aren't required to do, at home, at work, and in public.
Read the guide →We've been breaking down legal barriers for our clients, and we're ready to do it for you today. The first step is a conversation.
Reach out by phone, email, or the form — or book a consultation directly. Every inquiry is read by our team.