Aniefiok 'Ani' Bassey

Attorney

I practice exclusively immigration and nationality law. As an immigrant, I am keenly aware of the numerous challenges faced by many immigrants in navigating the complex immigration system. It is for this reason I dedicate my practice exclusively in helping individuals, families and business in obtaining various immigration benefits, providing exceptional services at affordable fees. My clients are numerous and diverse as the immigration services I provide them. I have clients from all over the world including Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East and Australia and I have successfully represented them before all agencies with jurisdiction over immigration law such as U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its constituent agencies U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of State, Department of Labor, Department of Justice, Immigration Court, Board of Immigration Appeals, U.S Embassies and Consular Posts abroad.

Prior to establishing Bassey Immigration Law Center (BILC), I directed the immigration services program at one of the biggest social services agency in the Greater Tampa Bay Area where I oversaw a dozen of staff and represented hundreds of immigrants, asylees, refugees and their families from Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, Iraq, Iran, Ecuador, Peru, Vietnam, Burma, Venezuela, Liberia, Sudan, Somalia, and Cameroon a variety of immigration benefits such as Cuban Parole, permanent residence (green cards), citizenship (naturalization), work permits, advance parole, travel permit, work permits, refugee travel document, immigration waivers, motion to change venue, motion to reopen, representation in immigration court among many other immigration benefits.

At BILC, I advise my clients on all aspects of U.S Immigration & Nationality Law, including family petitions and visas, employment and business based visas, adjustment of status (green cards), citizenship, asylum, immigration waivers, removal and deportation defense, deferred actions, victims of domestic violence and crimes, and counsel criminal defense attorneys about the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. I am well experienced in assisting aliens who are being threatened with deportation or removal from the United States, including aliens with prior criminal convictions and facing the possibility of deportation.

I have successfully represented clients in removal/deportation hearings, bond hearings, reasonable and credible fear interviews, and I have a track record in successfully assisting my clients in obtaining immigration bond, removing ICE Detainers ( ICE Hold), ICE Stay of Deportation (ICE Form 246), Motion to Reopen, Motion for Stay of Deportation, Administrative Closure of Removal Proceedings, Cancellation of Removal for Certain Permanent Residents (EOIR-42A), Waiver of Inadmissibility under former INA Section 212(c) (Section 212 c Waiver), Section 212 i Waiver of Misrepresentation or Fraud, Section 212 (h) waiver, Section 237(a)(1)(H) Waiver, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), NACARA, VAW Victims of Domestic Violence and Asylum before various Immigration Courts in the United States.

I am licensed in the State of New York and my practice is limited to Immigration & Nationality Law in the State of Florida. I am also admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeal for the Eleventh Circuit, United States Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. I am a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), American Bar Association (ABA) and the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA). I am married with two kids and live in the Tampa Bay area. I am active in my local church and in my spare time I like to go to the beach with my family, play in the local park with my kids, and watch soccer, basketball and football.

Karen Villota

Paralegal

Karen is a Legal Assistant working directly with the Attorney in preparing and filing immigrant visas, asylum applications, citizenship applications, family based petitions and consular processing. Karen is interested in cases filed under the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA Petitions”), Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status (U Visa – Victims of Crimes) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA Applications”) and she has assisted clients in preparing, packaging and filing applications to obtain these important immigration benefits. Also, Karen is an important part of our deportation/removal defense unit. She has experience in preparing applications for waiver of grounds of inadmissibility (Form I-601) (waivers under §212(h) and §212(i)), application by refugee for waiver of grounds of excludability (waiver under §209), application for advance permission to return to un-relinquished domicile (Form I-191) (waiver under §212(c)), applications for cancellation of removal for lawful permanent residents (Form EOIR-42A).

Karen is first generation Colombian-American. She is fluent in Spanish and English. As a child of immigrants, she is keenly aware of the challenges faced by many immigrants in navigating the complex immigration system.

Karen is currently a student at the University South Florida, Tampa, Florida

Isaura is a Legal Assistant at BILC. She is responsible for various administrative duties including meeting with clients, scheduling appointments and taking payments. In addition, Isaura assists in preparing and filing family based immigration applications, Deferred Action cases, citizenship applications, employment authorization documents, applications to replace permanent resident cards, visa extensions and other immigrant applications. Isaura’s parents are immigrants and she is acquainted with the complicated immigration system and available to assist clients. She is fluent in Spanish and English