Our Firm

ASHLEY EMERSON MENDOZA

Founder & Managing Attorney

Ashley E. Mendoza is Founder and Managing Attorney of The Law Office of Ashley Emerson Mendoza, LLC, practicing exclusively U.S. immigration and citizenship law. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and serves as the Chair of the Connecticut Chapter of AILA in addition to being a member of the New York chapter of AILA. Ashley has dedicated her career to immigration law, practicing exclusively in this area for the past 13 years.

Ashley’s interest in immigration law originated during her study abroad program in Paris, France, during her junior year in college. After obtaining her Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College (MA) in 2007, where she graduated magna cum laude, her interest only grew after interning for the late Senator Edward Kennedy who was pushing immigration reform at the time. In Fall 2007, Ashley moved to New York City to attend New York Law School, where her interest in immigration turned into a profession. After obtaining her Juris Doctor from New York Law School in 2010, where she graduated cum laude, she began work as an Associate Attorney for boutique immigration law firm Daryanani Law Group PC (formerly Daryanani & Bland PC). In April 2016, Ashley moved back to her home state of Connecticut, where she worked as an Associate Attorney practicing immigration law for the highly respected full service firm Shipman & Goodwin LLP. In July 2018, Ashley moved back to the boutique immigration law firm setting as an Associate Attorney for Roberts Immigration Law Group, LLC. There, she rose to Senior Attorney and eventually Managing Attorney before founding her own immigration law office.

Ashley has also personally experienced the U.S. immigration system, having sponsored her noncitizen husband for a marriage-based green card in 2014 and obtained his U.S. citizenship in 2019. Being on the client-side of the system allowed her to gain a unique perspective into and appreciation for what her clients go through when pursuing their U.S. immigration goals.

Over the course of her career, Ashley has provided comprehensive business immigration and compliance advice and representation for a variety of clients, ranging from start-ups to small employers to Fortune 500 companies in the retail, entertainment, fashion, fine arts, culinary, sports, media, communications and marketing, healthcare, education, financial services, life sciences, technology, and information technology industries. Ashley has extensive experience devising and executing comprehensive case strategies in order to timely obtain the desired immigration benefits for noncitizens whose talents are crucial to the ongoing business and growth of U.S. employers.

Ashley has successfully filed employment-based EB-1-1, EB-1-2, EB-1-3, EB-2 and EB-3 [PERM and National Interest Waiver] immigrant petitions as well as O-1A, O-1B, O-2, L-1A, L-1B, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, H-3, TN (NAFTA), J-1, and P-1 nonimmigrant visa petitions and applications for a wide range of professionals including company executives, investors, entrepreneurs, data and marketing analysts and strategists, physicians, biomedical researchers, teachers (primary through university level), engineers (software, mechanical, data, bioinformatics, etc.), economists, architects, accountants and auditors, graphic designers, artist and model agents, artists (photographers, hair and makeup artists, stylists, sculptors, illustrators, etc.), models, actors, comedians, directors, producers and production support personnel, musicians, athletes and fashion and jewelry designers. She has also successfully filed family-based immigrant visa petitions and adjustment of status applications, and naturalization applications. Upon petition approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Ashley has regularly provided immigration advice and services to noncitizens in connection with the consular process to timely obtain their visa stamps from U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide.

Ashley regularly counsels U.S. employers regarding compliance with the immigration laws in light of mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate reorganizations, as well as the creation of new companies. She has also counseled employers regarding I-9 compliance and self-audits, as well as compliance with the federal antidiscrimination immigration laws.

Ashley is admitted to both the New York and Connecticut state bars. She has presented on a variety of immigration topics at various in-person and online seminars including Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) and AILA CLE events, and in partnership with the U.S. Commercial Service and Connecticut District Export Council. She has also lectured on the topic of business immigration at University of Connecticut (UCONN) law school. Ashley is proficient in French and has a basic understanding of Spanish. She cherishes her role as “mama” to two young children and is a true Francophile. Ashley enjoys travel, learning about winemaking, reading, good tea, green apple Jellybelly jelly beans, sports (she played volleyball in college and is now trying her hand at pickleball), and music (she sang a cappella in college).