Our Team

She holds an LL.M. from the New York University School of Law, began her career in international commercial litigation and arbitration with leading law firms in Paris and London, and is an active leader in the American Immigration Lawyers Association, where she serves as Chair of the Asia Pacific American Chapter and as a member of the National Department of Labor Committee. An immigrant herself, she is known for personal attention and quick response.

About Sonal 

Sonal Sharma represents individuals, families, and businesses, from startups to multinational corporations, in the full range of U.S. immigration matters. Before focusing on immigration, she built an international career in commercial litigation and arbitration with top law firms in Paris and London, and she brings that cross-border perspective and rigor to complex, high-stakes immigration cases.

She earned her Bachelor of Commerce from Kurukshetra University in 1999 and her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Punjabi University in 2002, then earned an LL.M. in International Business Regulations, Litigation, and Arbitration from the New York University School of Law in 2013. 

She is admitted in California, New York, and India, and before the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She is fluent in English, Hindi, and Punjabi.

An Immigrant Herself

Sonal's work is deeply personal because she has lived it. She went through the U.S. immigration system herself, from an H-4 dependent visa to an F-1 student visa, through the H-1B process, and all the way to a green card. 

Along the way, her own green card process was delayed by years because the law office handling her case made repeated mistakes and had to start the process over. That experience shaped her practice. 

She understands the anxiety of waiting, how much a single day can matter when locking in a priority date, and how completely immigration status shapes a person's life, from career decisions to travel to family. As she puts it, she cares, because she has been there.

What She Does Differently 

Sonal built the firm around responsiveness and genuine understanding. Clients work directly with her, not a rotating staff, and the firm aims to respond to any inquiry within 24 hours, which matters enormously to people whose lives are on hold waiting for an answer. 

She combines the empathy of someone who has navigated the system personally with the discipline of an international litigator, and she counsels clients not only on winning their case but on protecting their status every step of the way. 

AILA Leadership 

Sonal is an active national leader in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA):

·       Chair, AILA Asia Pacific American (APAC) Chapter (2024-2026)

·       Member, AILA National Department of Labor Committee (2025 and 2026)

·       Co-Chair, AILA Indian Sub-Continent Interest Group (2025 and 2026)

Practice Focus 

Sonal represents clients throughout the United States and worldwide in:

·       Employment and business immigration: H-1B, L-1 intracompany transfer, O, P, R-1, and TN visas

·       Employment-based green cards: EB-1, PERM, and EB-2, EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW), and employment-based permanent residency

·       Employer services: immigration compliance, including I-9 and E-Verify

·       Family-based immigration: family petitions, K-1 fiance(e) and CR-1 spousal visas, adjustment of status, and consular processing

·       Naturalization and citizenship

·       Student visas (F-1, OPT, and STEM OPT) and E-2 investor visas

·       RFE, NOID, and NOIR responses and immigration litigation and mandamus actions

Experience at a Glance 

·       10+ years of U.S. immigration law experience

·       Focus on business and employment immigration, family-based immigration, and naturalization

·       A strong approval record with very few denials over the past five years across H-1B, L-1, and TN petitions and PERM labor certifications

·       Experienced in Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) and Request for Evidence (RFE) responses, including on naturalization matters

·       Fluent in English, Hindi, and Punjabi

·       Represents clients from across the United States and worldwide, with many clients from India

Notable Case Outcomes

·       Overcame a Notice of Intent to Deny on a naturalization (N-400) case in which USCIS alleged misrepresentation, preparing an extensive response that demonstrated there had been no misrepresentation, and the application was approved.

·       Maintained a high approval rate on L-1 and H-1B petitions over the past five-plus years, with very few denials.

·       Achieved PERM labor certifications with no denials over the past five-plus years.

·       Overcame Notices of Intent to Deny based on prior arrests and secured approvals.

Immigration outcomes depend on the specific facts of each case, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Case descriptions are provided in general terms with client confidentiality in mind.

Education

·       LL.M., International Business Regulations, Litigation, and Arbitration, New York University School of Law, 2013

·       LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws), Punjabi University, 2002

·       B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce), Kurukshetra University, 1999

Bar and Court Admissions 

·       California, admitted 2011 (Bar No. 276993)

·       New York, admitted 2014 (Bar No. 5269311)

·       India

·       New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department

·       U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

Awards and Recognition 

·       Immies Awards, People's Choice (2026), a public-voted recognition

Publications and Media

·       Author, "Immigration Espresso," an immigration newsletter on LinkedIn

·       Author of firm legal guides, including "Employment-Based Immigration in 2024: An Overview," "EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) Visa Requirements and Eligibility Criteria," "Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing," "Family Immigration for Mixed-Status Couples," and "From Student to Permanent Resident: Immigration Planning for F-1 Graduates in New York"

·       Featured in a Legal Bridge profile on turning a personal immigration struggle into professional purpose

·       Community education through Instagram Live sessions and YouTube videos with "It's Okay Yaar"

·       Invited Regularly as a speaker on AILA Conferences

Languages

·       English

·       Hindi

·       Punjabi

Verified Profiles and Directory Listings

·       California State Bar Profile (Bar No. 276993)

·       Martindale-Hubbell Profile

·       Justia Profile

·       Avvo Profile

·       LinkedIn

Consultations and Availability

Sharma Law Associates offers consultations by appointment. Consultations carry a fee: $285 for a 30-minute meeting, $250 for a 30-minute F-1 student consultation, and $495 for a 60-minute meeting. A consultation does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship. Same-day consultations are available, and meetings can be held by Zoom or Google Meet. 

The firm works primarily on flat fees so clients know the cost of their case up front, and the attorney communicates with clients directly and aims to respond within 24 hours. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Areas Served

Based in New York City, the firm serves clients across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, as well as Long Island, Westchester County, and Upstate New York, and, because immigration law is federal, throughout the United States and worldwide. The firm also serves California clients, including in San Jose and Palo Alto.

Contact Us Today

Have an immigration question or case? Talk with Sonal Sharma. Call (646) 846-4221 or book a consultation online.

Sharma Law Associates, LLC, 90 Broad Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Consultations by Zoom or Google Meet.