PastabanPastabanMary Kostanyan, Esq. is a U.S. immigration attorney based in Los Angeles, California.
A native of Armenia, Mrs. Kostanyan began her legal career at an exceptionally young age. At just 14, she was admitted to the Faculty of Law at Yerevan State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Jurisprudence at age 18—the youngest graduate in the law school’s history. She then completed an LL.M. at the American University of Armenia, followed by a second LL.M. in International and European Law from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium through the Program on International Legal Cooperation (PILC). During her studies, she interned at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and received legal training at the European Commission in Brussels. She also assisted asylum seekers in Belgium on a pro bono basis.
In 2009, Mrs. Kostanyan immigrated to the United States and continued her legal education at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, where she earned her third LL.M.
Mrs. Kostanyan concentrates her practice on removal defense for both detained and non-detained individuals. She has successfully litigated complex asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture (CAT) cases before Immigration Judges across the United States. With a 99% success rate and no government appeals filed against her victories, she is known for her detailed case preparation, well-developed legal arguments, and comprehensive trial briefs. Her litigation portfolio also includes numerous successful outcomes in cancellation of removal, lawful permanent resident (LPR) defense, criminal-immigration cases, bond hearings, and credible fear interviews.
Mrs. Kostanyan has extensive experience representing clients before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She handles all aspects of deportation defense, including cases involving allegations of immigration fraud and criminal convictions. She regularly appears in Immigration Courts and Asylum Offices nationwide and handles adjustment of status and naturalization interviews in all 50 states.
She also oversees immigrant visa processing both within the U.S. and at U.S. Embassies and Consulates across the globe. Additionally, she counsels and represents clients in nonimmigrant and employment-based immigration matters, including F-1, H-1B, J-1 (and waivers), E-2, P, L-1, and O-1 visas, as well as immigrant visa petitions through PERM labor certification, EB-5 investor visas, and Regional Centers.
Fluent in English, Armenian, and Russian, Mrs. Kostanyan remains actively engaged in the Armenian-American community in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. She is married and the proud mother of three sons.
Bar Admissions and Professional Memberships:
Recognitions:
Armenian 
English