Business Immigration Lawyer – Immigration Law
Hollister Legal Services, PLLC’s (“HLS” or “Firm”) business immigration lawyer works with companies and multinational corporations to develop and streamline their immigration programs and help them to secure each foreign national’s legal right to work in the United States of America. The Firm’s business immigration lawyer provides the following three (3) core immigration related services to its client base: (i) non-immigrant visas; (ii) immigrant visas; and (iii) immigration compliance.
Non-immigrant Visas
There many different types of non-immigrant visas allowing foreign nationals to visit the United States on a temporary basis for work or pleasure related endeavors. HLS’ business immigration lawyer regularly advises corporate and individual clients on the requirements of non-immigrant visa options suitable for their particular situation. Frequently used non-immigrant visa categories include the following:
Temporary Business or Pleasure Visas (B-1/B-2)
Temporary Business or Pleasure Visas (B-1/B-2): The Firm’s business immigration lawyer helps foreign citizens generally enter the U.S. for 1 to 6 months period through a B-1 business visa or a B-2 tourist visa. HLS helps U.S. and foreign employers prepare the necessary documentation to qualify foreign citizen travelers for issuance of multiple entry B-1/B-2 visas.
Visa Waiver Program
Visa Waiver Program: HLS’ business immigration lawyer prepares supporting letters and other applicable documents to help foreign citizen business and tourist travelers from qualified countries enter the U.S. for 90 days or less without a B-1/B-2 visa under the “Visa Waiver Program.”
L-1A/L-1B Intracompany Transferee Visas
L-1A/L-1B Intracompany Transferee Visas: HLS attentively helps beneficiaries of this non-immigrant visa prepare the necessary documentation to transfer managers, executives and employees with “specialized knowledge” to the U.S. for up to three years, with the option of extending their L-1 visa in two-year increments (the maximum period of stay is seven years for managers and executives and five years for persons with specialized knowledge). The Firm’s business immigration lawyer also helps clients with over $25 million or more than 1,000 employees to apply for a “blanket L petition,” which saves significant time and expense in transferring personnel from overseas under an L-1 visa.
E-1/E-2 Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor Visas
E-1/E-2 Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor Visas: The Firm’s business immigration lawyer works closely with those clients from qualified countries owning a more than a 50% equity interest of a U.S. subsidiary with which the U.S. has a treaty on international trade and investment on employing foreign citizen workers with the same nationality as the owners of the company to enable the foreign citizen workers to obtain E-1/E-2 visas.
TN-1/TN-2 Visas for Professionals from Canada and Mexico
Visas for Professionals from Canada and Mexico: HLS provides expert advice to U.S. employers hiring Canadian and Mexican professionals using the TN visa category under North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). TN visas are issued for up to one year at a time, and they can be renewed annually.
H-1B Specialty Occupation; H-2B Workers (Seasonal Workers)
H-1B Specialty
H-1B Specialty Occupation; H-2B Workers (Seasonal Workers): The Firm’s attentively advises employers and individuals concerning the requirements for H-1B petitions, including: (i) online filing of the labor condition application with the U.S. Department of Labor; (ii) H-1B portability for individuals already in H-1B status changing employers; (iii) posting H-1B hiring notices at the employment facilities; and (iv) maintaining an H-1B public access file for each H-1B worker. HLS’ business immigration lawyer also works closely with employers and visa beneficiaries in obtaining H-2B visas for seasonal workers.
P Visas for Athletes, Entertainers and Dependents
P Visas for Athletes, Entertainers and Dependents: HLS’ business immigration lawyer is readily available to assist internationally recognized athletes, entertainers and their dependents in obtaining P visas. The 4 types of P visas the Firm can help process are: (i) P-1 visa for an athlete or athletic team member or entertainment group member; (ii) P-2 visa for exchange program artists and entertainers; (iii) P-3 visas for culturally unique artists and entertainers; and (iv) P-4 visas for dependents of athletes and entertainers.
O-1 Extraordinary Ability Individuals
O-1 Extraordinary Ability Individuals: HLS’ business immigration lawyer works closely with O-1 visa applicants possessing extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics by helping the applicant build a case showing the extraordinary ability demonstrated through sustained national or international acclaim.
J-1/F-1 Visas
J-1/F-1 Visas: The Firm counsels prospective J-1/F-1 visa applicants seeking to come to the U.S. in order to attend an academic program as a full time student. HLS also works closely with those F-1 visa holders entitled to engage in practical training in their field of study. There are two common types of practical training: (i) curricular practical training; and (ii) optional practical training.
Other Assorted Non-immigrant Visas
Other Assorted Non-immigrant Visas: The Firm also regularly assists clients on issues relating to other nonimmigrant visas for temporary employment in the United States, such as H-3 visas for foreign trainees coming to the United States to receive training that is not available in their home country.
Business Immigration Lawyer – Immigrant Visas
HLS’ business immigration lawyer works very closely with individual and corporate clients and their employee beneficiaries to help them obtain permanent residency status in the United States through immigrant visas (also known as “green cards”). Many employment-based green card classifications require a “labor certification” from the U.S. Department of Labor to verify that U.S. citizens, existing green card holders or other individuals authorized to work in the United States are not available for the position being advertised.
When a foreign national tries to obtain a green card, it can often be a very time consuming and expensive process. Therefore, it is critical to choose the best option at the outset. HLS has experience obtaining green cards in all of the employment-based categories, as well as family-based green cards for spouses of U.S. citizens and other relatives.
Business Immigration Lawyer
EB-1 Green Card
EB-1 Green Card (Outstanding Researchers, Multinational Executives and Extraordinary Aliens): HLS’ business immigration lawyer works closely with its clients to help qualifying foreign citizens obtain employment-based green cards on the basis of the foreign citizen’s extraordinary ability, being an outstanding professor and researcher, or being a multinational executives.
EB-2 Green Card
EB-2 Green Card (Professionals with Advanced Degrees and Exceptional Ability Persons): The Firm attentively helps prepare documents for foreign citizens with exceptional ability and professional workers who have a master’s or higher degree or a bachelor’s degree plus five years of progressive experience after obtaining their bachelor’s degree.
EB-3 Green Card
EB-3 Green Card (Professionals and Skilled Workers): HLS diligently works with foreign citizens who qualify for EB-3 based green cards. The Firm spends extensive time with prospective EB-3 green card candidates on passing the stringent labor certification requirements imposed by the U.S. Department of Labor. The labor certification process involves advertising the job to U.S. workers over a period of six months in a manner that is normal to the company and its industry.
Immediate Relatives
Immediate Relatives: The Firm assists spouses, children under the age of 21 or even parents of green card holders and U.S. citizens. Applying for a spouse involves extensive paperwork and careful structuring of the petition.
U.S. Citizenship
U.S. Citizenship: HLS works closely with clients who wish to apply for U.S. citizenship. HLS attentively helps its clients build strong cases when the facts enable HLS to do so.
Business Immigration Lawyer – Immigration Compliance
Employers face a host of immigration compliance issues when recruiting and hiring new employees, maintaining public access files for H-1B workers and executing merger and acquisition transactions. HLS’ business immigration lawyer attentively provides its clientele assistance in addressing and resolving these critical pain point issues.
Business Immigration Lawyer
H-1B Public Access Files
H-1B Public Access Files: The Firm’s business immigration lawyer advises employers of H-1B workers on how to post a notice at the time of hiring a foreign citizen as a worker and how to maintain a public access file until one year beyond the validity of the H 1B petition (or one year after termination of employment, if sooner).
I-9 Employment Verification
I-9 Employment Verification: HLS can work closely with clients to design and implement an I-9 employment verification system to verify work eligibility of all workers and to keep related records, including the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form. Failure to fully comply with these regulations can result in employer sanctions.
Immigration Issues Arising From Mergers and Acquisitions
Immigration Issues Arising From Mergers and Acquisitions. The Firm offers clients insights on immigration consequences from mergers and acquisition transactions.