San Francisco, CA immigration attorney Mary Jane Weaver shares the most common piece of advice that she gives to clients and discusses her background & experience. She frequently offers two key pieces of advice to her clients. For foreign national clients, she emphasizes the importance of listening carefully to the questions being asked and responding succinctly and truthfully. Many applicants tend to provide unnecessary details, which can inadvertently complicate their case. This guidance is relevant whether a client is attending a visa interview at an American embassy, meeting with a local immigration office, or entering the United States through Customs and Border Protection.

For corporate clients navigating the sponsorship process for foreign nationals, she advises that immigration is a marathon, not a sprint. The system is complex, has not undergone significant reform in many years, and includes procedures that can seem daunting or “otherworldly.” Successfully sponsoring a visa requires patience, a clear understanding of the process, and careful planning, with full awareness of the complexities involved.

She attributes much of her perspective and approach to her parents, who instilled in her and her siblings a curiosity about people from other cultures and a willingness to embrace diversity. Her father grew up in Miller, South Dakota, a town of about 3,000, while her mother came from a smaller farming community. Both emphasized the value of meeting new people, trying new foods, and exploring new places.

Her formative years in Minneapolis, Minnesota, further reinforced this worldview. Attending diverse public schools during the 1960s and 1970s, she studied alongside peers from a wide range of racial and cultural backgrounds, including a majority of students of color and Native American students. These experiences exposed her to multiple perspectives, fostering an appreciation for diversity that has informed her entire legal career and her commitment to working with clients from varied backgrounds.