About Anna Ignatenko McLean

Who I Am

I am a first-generation U.S. immigrant, originally from Kazakhstan. I came to the United States as a teenager through the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

I speak English, Russian, and Spanish, and I conduct consultations and represent clients directly in all three languages.

I founded the AIM Immigration Law Firm (formerly knowns as AIM Immigration Law Firm) in San Francisco, California to focus exclusively on U.S. immigration law. I represent individuals, families, and businesses across the United States and abroad.

What I Do

My practice covers the full range of U.S. immigration matters:

  • Asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture protection

  • Removal (deportation) defense in immigration court (non-detained only)

  • Family-based immigration, fiancé visas, and adjustment of status

  • U.S. citizenship and naturalization, including derivative and acquired citizenship

  • Waivers of inadmissibility (I-601, I-601A, I-212, 212(h))

  • Medical N-400 waivers

  • Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and humanitarian parole, including Uniting for Ukraine (U4U)

  • U-visas, T-visas, VAWA self-petitions, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status

  • Appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and petitions for review to the Ninth Circuit

  • Contract drafting, brief writing, and in-person special appearances for other attorneys

  • Certified document translation (Russian, Ukrainian, and Spanish to English)

Credentials

  • Doctor of Law (J.D.) — University of Kentucky College of Law

  • Courses in LL.M. — Instituto de Empresa, Madrid, Spain (Private International Legal Practice)

  • Bachelor of Business Administration, summa cum laude — University of Pikeville, Kentucky

  • Bachelor of Business Administration, courses — American University in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan

  • Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program — U.S. Department of State

Bar admission: Kentucky Bar Association. Authorized to practice U.S. immigration law nationwide and advise clients abroad.

Federal court admissions: Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Languages: English, Russian, Spanish.

Professional Recognition

Attorney Advisor to the Consulate General of Guatemala in San Francisco (2017–2024). Selected by the Consulate to provide immigration legal advice and free consultations to Guatemalan nationals — a role given only to attorneys the Consulate independently vetted.

Professional memberships:

  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

  • American Bar Association

  • Kentucky Bar Association

Why I Do This Work

I am an immigrant. I understand what it is to leave one country for another, to navigate a foreign legal system, and to wait — sometimes for years — for a status that determines where your family lives and what you can build. I treat every client's case with the seriousness and care I would want for my own family. I tell the truth about what is possible. And when a case is winnable, I do the work to win it.

How I Work With Clients

You work with me, personally, from start to finish. I am a solo practitioner. The attorney you hire is the attorney who reviews your file, drafts your filings, and appears at your interview, hearing, or court date. Your case will not be reassigned to an associate you have never met. For many clients, that continuity is the difference between a good immigration experience and a frustrating one.

If you have an immigration question and want to know your options, I am happy to talk. Call or WhatsApp (415) 212-9009, email contact@aimimmigration.com, or schedule online.