Stephanie Chantelle Coste

I was born and raised in Miami, Florida to a Nicaraguan mother and Dominican father. I graduated summa cum laude from Florida State University with a major in International Relations with a concentration in Political Science and minors in both Psychology and Economics. I then graduated from Fordham Law School in New York, where I represented clients detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba through Fordham's International Justice Clinic and served as secretary of the Latin American Law Student Association.

Upon graduating from law school, I practiced law in New York for several years defending pharmaceutical and insurance companies. Although I found the work challenging and interesting, I felt my true calling was rooted in helping others. I subsequently pursued a career in education. For seven years, I taught at both the middle and high school in high needs communities in both New York and Miami. I worked at the Miami Dade County Public School District for 3 years, coaching teachers within underprivileged communities.

After moving back to my hometown of Miami, I decided to once again pursue a legal career, but this time in an area of the law that would serve the people. I practiced immigration law at a prestigious Miami law firm assisting clients with a range of legal services like family based petitions, humanitarian deferred actions, asylums, U-Visas, and Cuban Adjustments. I then decided to begin my own firm with my partner Sophia Montz to continue to work diligently to aid immigrants in pursuing their dream in this land of opportunity.

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Florida

The Florida Bar

ID Number: 1036947

Since 2022

New York

New York State Office of Court Administration

ID Number: 4583068

Since 2008

Associate

Immigration Group, LLC

2022 - 2022

•Conducted initial consult with clients to determine best legal strategy for immigration benefits •Reviewed client documents and government documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act to determine next steps •Reviewed and revised immigration applications included but not limited to family based petitions, U-Visa, travel permits, work permits, and I-90 renewals

Associate

Sedgwick Detert Moran & Arnold LLP

2007 - 2010

• Prepared initial litigation reports for clients involving claimsdisability Prepared initial litigation report analyzing relevant factual and legal issues to determine litigation strategy and budget •Drafted motions for summary judgment regarding plaintiffs’ claims for long-term disability benefits pursuant to employee group benefit plan •Drafted federal court mediation statements and attended mediation in matters raising employment discrimination and long-term disability claims •Argued motion to dismiss complaint in state court due to plaintiffs’ failure to prove “sickness” as defined by travel insurance policy •Conducted several depositions in product liability actions brought against DES manufacturers •Prepared discovery demands and responses in employment discrimination and disability benefits cases •Member of team litigating six-week insurance trial

Long Island University - Brooklyn Campus

M.A. (2013) | Education

2011 - 2013

Fordham University School of Law

J.D (2007) | Law

2007

Activities: Associate Editor of Fordham Intellectual, Media, & Entertainment Law Journal Secretary of Latin American Law Student Association

Florida State University

B.A (2004) | International Affairs

2004

Honors: Summa Cum Laude Phi Beta Kappa Dean's List 4 consecutive years

The Florida Bar  # 1036947

Member

Current

New York State Bar  # 4583068

Member

2008 - Current

Q. What should be the response to: Was the beneficiary ever in immigration proceeding? on I-130 application for my brother.

June 20, 2023

A: Immigration proceedings means that the person received a notice to appear before an Immigration Judge at Immigration Court (or EOIR aka Executive Office for Immigration Review). The denial of your brother's tourist visa does not appear to have placed him in immigration proceedings as he never actually entered the country. Instead, he was simply denied entry into the country based on his tourist visa.

Q. Hi, my parents' petition is already approved and waiting for the interview. Can my 20 years old sibling join my parents?

June 20, 2023

A: Unfortunately, no you can't add your 20 year old sibling to your parents' approved I-130 petition as there are no derivatives in an immediate family based petition. Your parents are immediate family members and have a visa immediately available to them upon approval of the I-130 petition. Your sibling would fall into the F4 preference category, which means they would have to wait several years, possibly 15 years (note: wait times vary by country), for a visa to become available to him/her.