About

Honolulu-based attorney Sechyi Laiu is an immigration attorney with Zhang & Associates, P.C., who specializes on Consular Processing cases, as well as business development, TN visas, E visas, CBP administrative proceedings (monetary confiscation, deferred inspections), and overseas financial compliance. As a former family law practitioner, Mr. Laiu also handles Hawaii-based divorce cases and family immigration cases (fiance, parents, siblings, children). Zhang & Associates, P.C. was founded in 1996 and handled thousands of various cases in immigration, international and domestic business transactions, contract arbitration, import and export regulation, and trademark and copyright registration. As an immigration law firm, Zhang & Associates, P.C. focuses on clients from the Asia-Pacific region who are interested in working or investing in the United States, as well as family based immigration.Zhang & Associates, P.C. does not handle asylum immigration cases. Prior to joining Zhang & Associates, P.C., Mr. Laiu worked for the U.S. Department of State as a Chinese and Portuguese speaking diplomat. As a consular-coned officer who served in Vancouver (Canada), Shenyang (P.R. China), and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Mr. Laiu processed over 30,000 visa cases and worked in every section of Consular Affairs overseas (Fraud Prevention Unit, Immigrant Visas, Non-Immigrant Visas, and American Citizen Services). Mr. Laiu focused on crisis and emergency management, and managed the U.S. emergency response center in Rio de Janeiro during the 2014 World Cup. While working in the U.S., Mr. Laiu worked with the Remote Processing Unit on visa renewals and technology support, the Visa Office on visa foil accountability from evacuated posts and supporting presidential executive orders, and the J-1 Waiver Review Division on no objection waiver workflow and new legislative proposals. Mr. Laiu also performed overstay and visa validation studies, DNA processing, prepared security advisory opinions, specialized in resolving security “watchlist” cases, handled the diplomatic visas and student visas portfolios, and liaisoned with Department of Homeland Security officials.Mr. Laiu is extremely familiar with all aspects of consular processing. Mr. Laiu was also instrumental in the decision by the Department of State to begin revocation of visas for individuals arrested for Driving Under the Influence while in the United States.Prior to working for the federal government, Mr. Laiu worked in Hawaii for law firms handling commercial (real estate) litigation and family law. Mr. Laiu has also performed pro bono\volunteer work for the Hawaii Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline (predecessor to Domestic Violence Action Center), Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, and California Rural Legal Assistance. 

Practices Areas

Immigration

Language

English Mandarin Portuguese

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