Large US corporate immigration firm, working primarily through employers: preparation and submission of visa petitions, program support, compliance. The Russian-language interface has not been confirmed on the official website; customer and employee reviews on third-party sites are mixed.
BAL (Berry Appleman & Leiden) reviews: how to read profile materials
The BAL (Berry Appleman & Leiden) profile collects accessible materials about customer experiences and site evaluations. Read them along with dates, source type, and sampling boundaries. The number of observations does not mean the number of unique customers; the overall score and reviews from site visitors are shown separately.
The main rating is the average of available site cards, taking into account the number of ratings. Sources considered are marked below. Duplicate pages and known mirrors are counted once. The total number of ratings on sites is not equal to the number of unique clients. If complete cards are not available, a historical sample of individual scores is used.
Consider the date and boundaries of the sample. Old observations do not guarantee that the site's rating is the same today.
Facts and data boundaries
Company overview
Direction
US Immigration Services
Service languages
English (official site), French (language switch on the official site)
Data Status
Historical reviews; description verified October 9, 2026. Viewing date: to be confirmed
Updating materials
By source dates
Declared service areas
Employment authorization and work visas
Preparation and filing of visa petitions
Program support and management
Compliance (Form I-9, E-Verify, government site visits, all visa types)
Technology / case management platform
A company's self-description does not constitute independent verification of qualifications or results. Check on the official website.
Specialization and suitable clients
BAL positions itself as an employer-focused corporate immigration law firm. On its official website, the company states that it works with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 and manages large immigration programs (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf).
The company claims 45+ years of experience in corporate immigration, 13 offices in the US and a partner network in 170+ countries (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf). These data are official company statements and have not been independently verified.
Based on customer reviews, it is clear that a significant proportion of users turn to BAL not by choice, but because the company is appointed by their employer. This is important to consider when assessing the applicability of reviews to private clients.
The main profile is corporate immigration through an employer.
Services include visa petition preparation and submission, program support and compliance.
For individuals without a corporate sponsor, applicability has not been confirmed in the sources.
Is BAL suitable for private clients without a sponsoring employer?
The package's sources confirm its focus on corporate clients and employer programs. The possibility of direct appeal from a private individual has not been confirmed - this issue should be clarified directly.
Section sources (2)
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:54.090186+00:00
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:58.035507+00:00
Confirmed services and locations
The official website lists the following areas: employment authorization and work visas; preparation and submission of visa petitions; program support and management; compliance, including Form I-9, E-Verify, government site visits and all types of visas (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf).
The company claims 13 offices in the US and support in 170+ countries, as well as its own technology platform for case management (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf).
Legal address in the footer of the site: Richardson, TX (source: ed5e75ede4808957f2d5).
Visas and work permits.
Preparation and submission of petitions.
Support and management of immigration programs.
Compliance: Form I-9, E-Verify, government visits.
Own technology platform (according to the company).
What types of visas does the company mention?
The official website mentions “all visa types” in the context of compliance and “employment authorization and work visas” as a service area (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf). The specific list of visas in the source is not detailed.
Section sources (2)
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:54.090186+00:00
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:56.729009+00:00
Russian language
On the official BAL website, the language selector only offers English and French (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf). The Russian-language version of the site has not been confirmed in the sources.
There are no Russian-language reviews about BAL in the available materials. Reviews on third-party sites, including Russian-language resources, refer to another service (Migrator) and cannot be transferred to BAL.
Official website: English and French.
Russian-language support has not been confirmed in the sources.
There are no Russian-language reviews about BAL in the available materials.
Does BAL have Russian-language support?
This is not confirmed in the package sources. The official website offers only English and French interface languages (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf).
Section sources (1)
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:54.090186+00:00
Working with the company
According to the official description, BAL works through its own technology platform for case management, providing “real-time visibility into immigration status” (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf).
Based on customer feedback, the typical scenario is that the employer enters into a contract with BAL and the employee interacts with the assigned team. Several authors note that they did not have a choice of company (for example, reviews 0960871accaa681740, 425310231f4b716ca7, ab7094048a69f8b862).
One of the authors positively noted the ability to upload documents through the site and track status (review 6e44f1681a8f8c31f3).
Fact: the company claims to have its own case management platform.
Fact: Some clients come through their employer.
Question for clarification: who will be the personal contact person for the case.
Question for clarification: how is communication organized and response time frames.
Question for clarification: how documents are transferred and status is tracked.
Is it possible to track the status of a case online?
The company claims a platform with real-time status visibility (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf). One of the review authors confirms the ability to download documents and view status (review 6e44f1681a8f8c31f3).
Section sources (2)
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:54.090186+00:00
There is no confirmed data on prices, tariffs or terms of the BAL agreement in the sources reviewed. The official website does not contain a public price list (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf).
One of the review authors mentions that there are cheaper options on the market (review 6e44f1681a8f8c31f3), but specific amounts are not given.
Because BAL often works through an employer, pay and contract issues may be resolved at the client company level rather than the individual employee.
Public prices have not been confirmed by sources.
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed in the sources.
Question for clarification: who pays for the services - the employer or the employee.
Question for clarification: what stages are included in the basic cost.
How much do BAL services cost?
There is no confirmed cost data in the sources studied. The official website does not publish a price list (source: ff5cf02c8f7b609f7cdf).
Section sources (2)
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:54.090186+00:00
Reviews of BAL in the studied sources were collected from several sites: Birdeye (Google review mirror), Unilocal (UK), as well as historical ratings from Lawyers.com, Avvo and Martindale. The data is a historical snapshot and is not a current ranking.
Historical ratings vary widely across sites, with Birdeye ranging from 1.6 to 5.0 stars depending on the page, Lawyers.com 4.0 out of 5, Avvo 6.4 out of 10. This may reflect both differences in samples and incomplete collection coverage.
An important limitation: the selected sample with exceptions is not a comprehensive independent ranking. Some reviews may have been filtered or not collected.
Employee reviews (Glassdoor, Indeed) are present as links in the sources studied, but their content is not disclosed in the data provided.
Can the BAL rating on Birdeye be considered current?
No. The data in the studied sources is a historical snapshot recorded on a specific date. Current rating may vary.
Section sources (1)
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:54.090186+00:00
Strengths mentioned in reviews
Some authors note professionalism and knowledge of the matter. One of the reviews describes a positive experience with the H-1B and green card, including the transfer of the priority date (review 3549bf73bca294f1c5).
Another reviewer notes good communication and clear instructions (review adde4c76d394d40d16).
Another review mentions that the firm helped with immigration status during COVID-19 and held Zoom meetings for updates (review 0de512819a9882dcc6).
One of the authors, generally critical, admits that some lawyers and paralegals are “wonderful” (review c3db0df3874c6c4fc1).
Positive reviews mention knowledge and professionalism.
Help with transferring the priority date is noted.
Good communication is mentioned on occasion.
Some of the reviews are positive, despite the general critical background.
Are there any positive reviews about BAL?
Yes, in the sources studied there are several positive reviews, noting professionalism, communication and assistance with specific cases (reviews 3549bf73bca294f1c5, adde4c76d394d40d16, 0de512819a9882dcc6).
Complaints in the sources studied relate mainly to slowness, quality of communication and errors in cases. Below are specific examples with the source indicated.
Review 1f825a822e413dbc8d (Birdeye, “a year ago”): The author claims that the lawyers do not read the case, do not know the immigration process, and give the wrong advice; notes slowness.
Review e41f38577b46fb7c04 (Unilocal): The author claims the firm “lied about the requirements” and delayed the process for months.
Review 0960871accaa681740 (Unilocal): Author describes experience with EB-2, mentions PERM phase of over a year, many errors on forms, and switching to family petition with another attorney.
Review 6e44f1681a8f8c31f3 (Unilocal): the author notes reorganizations, slow responses (3 months and 8 letters for a simple question), 4 months to compile a job description.
Review 425310231f4b716ca7 (Unilocal): The author claims that PERM took more than 8 months, the audit response was filed late, the appeal was rejected, the case went to BALCA; the author lost almost 4 years.
Review ab7094048a69f8b862 (Unilocal): the author complains about the slowness - a 150-word job description took 2 months.
Review 434170128256a7239b (Birdeye, “2 years ago”): The author claims that documents for H4 EAD have been submitted, but the process has been delayed since December.
Review 7e8b814df142921e7b (Birdeye, “2 months ago”): The author notes low efficiency and delays in status transfer.
The company's responses to these reviews are not included in the data provided.
The company's responses to these reviews are not included in the data provided.
Complaints about slowness: reviews 1f825a822e413dbc8d, e41f38577b46fb7c04, 6e44f1681a8f8c31f3, ab7094048a69f8b862, 7e8b814df142921e7b.
Complaints about errors in cases: reviews 0960871accaa681740, 425310231f4b716ca7.
Communication complaints: reviews 6e44f1681a8f8c31f3, 2d741d2d5f4d973a02, 33706734f898d09205.
The company's responses are not recorded in the sources.
Does the company respond to negative reviews?
The company's responses to reviews are not recorded in the sources provided.
The website lists Susan Wehrer as General Counsel. The specific lead lawyer for your case will be specified during the consultation. It is recommended to check his license with the state registry.
How is communication with clients organized?
The company claims a platform with real-time status visibility. The reviews mention both positive and negative examples of communication. Please check directly for specific response times.
What documents are needed for the initial assessment?
The official website does not provide a complete list. The company claims a document uploading platform. Check the list of documents directly with the company.
How is the attorney-client relationship established?
BAL often works through the employer, so the contract can be concluded at the client company level. Please check with the firm directly for the procedure for establishing a lawyer-client relationship.
Does the firm work with private clients without a sponsoring employer?
The studied sources confirmed the focus on corporate clients and employer programs. The possibility of direct contact from a private individual has not been confirmed - please check directly.
Section sources (3)
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:54.090186+00:00
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:56.729009+00:00
bal.com ↗Source of information · 2026-10-08T23:54:58.035507+00:00
What clients say
The summaries below describe available accounts with attribution. A reviewer's statements are not established facts about the company.
Positive experience
Professionalism and knowledge of the matter
Some authors note professionalism, knowledge of the immigration process and assistance with specific cases, including the transfer of priority dates.
Examples in the available selection: 3View evidence
The client notes the professionalism, answers to questions and assistance with transferring the priority date on the green card.
Extraordinary ability and NIWBusiness and employment
Migrator is an immigration company that, according to its own statement, works with licensed US attorneys and supports cases for O-1, EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, E-2, EB-5 and L-1 visas. The available materials present the official…
4.92/ 5
142 ratings on platforms Platform average weighted by rating count
Extraordinary ability and NIWBusiness and employmentAsylum and defense
Ace Immigration is the immigration practice of Russian-speaking lawyer Anna Tsibel with offices in Westlake Village (California) and Boca Raton (Florida). According to the official website, the company claims to work in all 50 states, conduct business in Russian...
4.90/ 5
142 ratings on platforms Platform average weighted by rating count
Extraordinary ability and NIWBusiness and employmentAsylum and defense
An international law firm with offices in the USA, Great Britain, Italy and a number of other countries, specializing in immigration and corporate issues: EB-5 and E-2 investment visas, L-1 intra-corporate transfers, and so on...
4.64/ 5
75 ratings on platforms Platform average weighted by rating count
