Anna is an Assistant Managing Attorney and a Member of Murthy Law Firm. She represents companies and individuals before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of State (DOS), and other government agencies with regard to both immigrant and nonimmigrant employment- and family-based applications and petitions. More specifically, Anna handles administrative motions and appeals of denial decisions in complex employment- and family-based petitions and applications; representation of corporate clients with regard to investigations conducted by various government agencies; company audits of their internal documentation and procedures to assure compliance with immigration law; analysis of criminal records to determine their effect on clients’ eligibility for immigration benefits; immigrant and nonimmigrant waivers of inadmissibility submitted at U.S. consulates abroad and at the USCIS from within the United States; immigrant petitions for people with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and those whose work is in the national interest of the U.S.; nunc pro tunc petitions and applications requesting waivers of the late filing; and other miscellaneous matters including F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitor visas.
In her capacity as an Assistant Managing Attorney, Anna works with and assists the Murthy Law Firm’s leadership team with various aspects within its governance, while focusing on internal legal processes, to assure continued excellence in providing cutting-edge legal services to clients.
Prior to joining the Murthy Law Firm, Anna was a founding partner of an immigration law firm in Iowa, where she handled a range of immigration matters, including employment- and family-based cases, asylum, and naturalization applications.
Representative Experience
- Participates in planning and recording of podcasts on various immigration law topics posted on MurthyDotCom & iTunes
- Worked as a designated school official (DSO) and alternate responsible officer (ARO) at a major university handling a variety of student and exchange visitor matters
- Participates in planning and conducting teleconferences on many immigration issues, including eligibility criteria for immigration benefits, current adjudication trends, and changes in law, policy, and practice
- Author of numerous articles on immigration law topics published on MurthyDotCom
Education and Admissions
- Juris Doctorate, University of Iowa College of Law
- Master of Arts, Linguistics, University of Iowa
- Bachelor of Arts, Russian Language and Literature, University of Iowa
- Professional Diploma, Music, Kaliningrad Music College, Russia
- Admitted to the Bar of the District of Columbia
Memberships & Professional Accomplishments
- Best Lawyers® in America 2023, 2024
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
- District of Columbia Bar Association
Publications and Public Appearances
- Lost in a Maze of USCIS Policy on Child Immigration Status by Jeffrey Galkin & Anna Stepanova, for Law360 (30.Oct.2023)
- F-1 Visas and Employment Options for Students, Webinar, Ohio Attorney General Monthly Webinar Series (14.Apr.2023)
- Student Issues : An Overview of F-1 Visas, Webinar, AILA DC / Maryland Chapter (12.Apr.2023)
- National Interest Waiver Options for New Graduates, Western Illinois University, Webinar Speaker (28.Mar.2023)
- National Interest Waiver Best Practices: Reality Check, AILA Practice Advisory (October 2022)
- National Interest Waiver Best Practices: Reality Check, Webinar, AILA (27,Oct.2022)
- EADs and Delays in Work Authorization for Your Family – and Employment-Based Clients, AILA Practice Advisory (June 2021)
- EADs and Delays in Work Authorization for Your Family – and Employment-Based Clients, Webinar, AILA (22,June.2021)
- Supreme Court Upholds DACA to Help Dreamers in the U.S. Decision Shields Hundreds of Thousands from Deportation by Sheela Murthy & Anna Stepanova, I95 Business (04.Jul.2020)
- FDNS Investigations and Site Visits, ITServe Alliance Philadelphia Chapter, Speaker (2 May, 2019)
- F-1 Foreign Students: How to Avoid Unlawful Presence, Audio Seminar, AILA (10.Jan.2019)
- Unlawful Presence Policy Memo for F-1 Foreign Students, AILA Practice Advisory (January 2019)
- The “Bridging” Dilemma in Applications for Change to F-1 Status, Maryland State Bar Association Newsletter (15.Aug.2018)
- OPT-ing for OPT: 24-Month OPT STEM Extensions, AILA D.C. Chapter Fall Conference Panelist, Continuing Legal Education Course (16.Nov.2016)
- Grace Periods of F-1 Status, First Author, Maryland State Bar Association Newsletter (15.Aug.2015)
- Review and Analysis of the Current Status of Selected Executive Actions Proposed by President Obama on November 20, 2014, Maryland State Bar Association 2015 Spring Conference (21.May.2015)
- SEVP Broadcast Message Appears to Restrict Employment Authorization for F-1 Students, AILA’s VOICE Article (April 2015)
- “Die Hard” NOIDS, NOIRS and RFE Responses in Employment-Based Cases, AILA D.C. Chapter Fall Conference Panelist, Continuing Legal Education Course (13.Nov.2013)
- Common F-1 and H1B Status Issues in the Context of Requests for Extension, Change, and Adjustment of Status, AILA D.C. Chapter Fall Conference Handbook Article (13.Nov.2013)
- Enjoying the Fruits of One’s Labor: Navigating F-1 Status, AILA’s VOICE Cover Article (Jul/Aug 2013)
- F-1 Students at Troubled Schools, AILA Practice Advisory (March 2013)
- F-1 Students at Troubled Schools, Audio Seminar, AILA (19.Mar.2013)
- Immigration Law Seminar, Nepalese Summer Fest, Washington D.C. (27.May.2012)
- Implications of Criminal Acts on Immigration Status, Bridge the Gap Annual Seminar, the Iowa State Bar Association (Spring 2007)
- Crossing the Line? Examining Current U.S. Immigration & Border Policy, 10th Annual Symposium of the University of Iowa College of Law’s Journal of Gender, Race & Justice (Fall 2005)
Foreign Languages
- Fluent in Russian
MurthyBlog: Extended Profile – Anna Stepanova, Attorney