Elsa Álvarez Steps Up
Richmond RIS Immigration Case Manager Elsa Álvarez has advanced to partial accredition by the Board of Immigration Appeals, the first step in a five-year process that leads to full accrediation.
The U.S. Department of Justice granted her this status in September 2009. While five years of work and experience are required before someone is eligible to apply for full accreditation, partial accreditation can be earned after two years of practice in the field.
Elsa plans to continue her work and go on to achieve full BIA accreditation, which would allow her to represent foreign nationals in their cases in front of an immigration judge. That service is something Ofelia Robaina, RIS Richmond's Senior Immigration Counselor, is already able to perform as a fully accredited counselor for RIS.
Refugee and Immigration Services is itself a non-profit organization recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals. The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) is the administrative appellate court for immigration law in the United States, located in Falls Church, Virginia.
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