Restoration Immigration Legal Aid

What Restoration Immigration Legal Aid does

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid (RILA) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that provides pro bono legal assistance to asylum-seekers and immigrant children in the Northern Virginia region. The organization represents individuals who have fled persecution or are in vulnerable immigration situations, including asylum applicants, Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) petitioners, Afghan refugees, and non-English-speaking immigrants navigating the U.S. immigration system. RILA focuses specifically on the most resource-constrained clients—those recovering from trauma with limited English proficiency and minimal financial means—who would otherwise face the immigration system without legal counsel.

RILA's core service offerings include direct legal representation for asylum cases, work permit applications, and SIJS petitions, delivered through in-person consultations at two Arlington office locations (1815 N. Quincy St. clinic site and 5401 7th Road South appointment-only office) and recurring immigration legal clinics staffed by trained volunteers. The organization operates two capacity-building programs—the Afghan Legal Advocate Fellows Program, launched in partnership with McLean Presbyterian Church in August 2021, and the broader Legal Advocate Fellows Program—which train individuals to become Department of Justice Accredited Representatives, thereby expanding RILA's service capacity. Supporting resources include multilingual Know Your Rights materials, video FAQs on YouTube, court information tools, and family preparedness plans. The underlying technology stack is a Squarespace-hosted website and standard contact infrastructure (phone and WhatsApp), with no proprietary legal-tech platform disclosed.

As a donation- and grant-funded nonprofit, RILA operates on a freemium-style model in which all client legal services are provided free of charge. Revenue derives from individual donations (processed via Givebutter), grants, and faith-based institutional partnerships—notably a funding relationship with McLean Presbyterian Church, which underwrote the Afghan Legal Advocate Fellows Program beginning in August 2021. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: RILA recruits volunteers through faith-based networks, hosts volunteer orientations and training sessions, and converts awareness into service delivery through scheduled clinics and appointments. The organization has received a GuideStar Transparency Seal and the 2025 Spurling Local Award, and reports outcomes of 775+ work permits secured for clients since inception.

Name

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid

Legal name

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid

Website

https://restorationimmigration.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid (RILA) is a nonprofit providing pro bono legal representation to asylum-seekers and immigrant children in Northern Virginia. It delivers asylum case work, work permits, and SIJS petitions via in-person clinics, faith-based partnerships, and DOJ Accredited Representative training programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAHAE

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

SECONDARYBPAGAEAI

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAHAAAL

Immigration Law

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Legal Services

SECONDARYBPAIAFAC

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Justice System (Courts, Prosecution & Corrections)

SECONDARYEDAAADAB

Immigration Law Literacy & Rights Education

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Citizenship & Immigrant Integration Education

SECONDARYTHACAKAH

Immigration Support Services (Translations, Certified Copies, Biometrics, Medicals)

Travel & Hospitality/Business Travel & Corporate Travel Management/Visa, Immigration & Work Permit Services

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Pro bono legal aid
• Asylum case representation
• Special immigrant juvenile status
• Humanitarian legal aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Pro Bono Legal Services: RILA provides free legal assistance to vulnerable immigrants and asylum seekers. The organization is funded through donations and grants rather than client fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid is a nonprofit legal aid organization that provides pro bono immigration legal services to vulnerable populations in the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC metropolitan area. Its core work consists of attorney-supervised legal representation in asylum cases, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) petitions, and work permit applications, with services delivered directly to individual clients rather than to organizations. Operations are supported by a network of trained volunteers, law students, and community partnerships.

Product overview

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid (RILA) is a non-profit legal aid organization that provides a unified suite of pro bono immigration legal services focused on asylum-seekers and immigrant children in the Northern Virginia area. The core offerings include direct legal representation services, asylum application assistance, and work permit support. RILA operates several training programs including the Afghan Legal Advocate Fellows Program and the Legal Advocate Fellows Program, both designed to develop Accredited Representatives through the Department of Justice. The organization also provides extensive client resources including Know Your Rights materials, video FAQs, and court information tools, supplemented by volunteer opportunities that enable community members to participate in client meetings, interpretation, and clinic operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asylum Application Legal Representation
• Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Petitions
• Work Permit Applications
• Pro Bono Legal Clinics Periodic legal clinics providing brief consultations, intake screenings, and pro se support to community members seeking immigration assistance. Targeted at immigrants in the Northern Virginia/DC region connected through partner organizations and community referrals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 775+ individuals obtained work permits through RILA assistance
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HIAS: Jewish nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, asylum legal assistance, and integration services. Comparable as a faith-rooted, grant-funded legal aid organization serving asylum-seekers across multiple U.S. offices.
• Tahirih Justice Center: National nonprofit providing immigration legal services and social support to immigrant women and girls fleeing violence. Comparable in trauma-informed, pro bono service model and donor/grant funding.
• Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC): Network of Catholic-affiliated immigration legal programs that train Accredited Representatives and provide direct representation — directly comparable to RILA's Accredited Representative training and asylum/SIJS work.
• Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES): Texas-based nonprofit providing free and low-cost immigration legal services to refugees and immigrants, including asylum and SIJS representation. Closest direct peer in mission, funding model (grants + donations), and service mix.
• Human Rights First: Human rights organization running a pro bono asylum representation program for detained and non-detained asylum-seekers. Closely comparable legal aid program structure and volunteer-attorney model.
• Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON): Faith-based network of volunteer immigration attorneys providing free legal services to low-income immigrants. Highly comparable faith-rooted, volunteer-driven, pro bono legal aid model.
• National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC): Chicago-based nonprofit providing immigration legal services, including asylum and detention representation. Comparable in pro bono model, vulnerable-population focus, and policy advocacy integration.
• International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP): Nonprofit providing legal aid to refugees and displaced people seeking admission to the U.S. and other countries. Comparable mission, volunteer lawyer mobilization, and asylum/resettlement focus.
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): National nonprofit dedicated to legal representation of unaccompanied immigrant children, including SIJS cases — a core service line RILA also operates. Highly comparable mission and pro bono attorney-driven model.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA — Immigration Services: Large nationwide network providing immigration legal services across many local agencies, including BIA-accredited programs. Comparable in service mix (asylum, family-based, naturalization) but operates at much broader scale with established federal funding streams.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/restorationimmigration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Restoration Immigration Legal Aid