The United States continues for many reasons to be a cherished destination for citizens of the world.  Many individuals seek visas to enter the United States, either temporarily or to immigrate.  American employers frequently need to hire foreign nationals.  Foreign entrepreneurs desire to invest in the United States and create jobs.  American citizens want to marry a foreign national.  American citizens or permanent residents want to bring their relatives to join in the benefits of living in America.  Despite the ever increasing complexities and challenges created by new and restrictive requirements imposed by national security concerns, we help employers and individuals pursue those goals.

An individual’s worth as a worker or investor in today’s global skill-based economy depends not in which country the individual is born, but on the desire and skills the individual possesses.  Both large and small employers in the United States often need to fill positions with qualified foreign nationals for a variety of reasons:  firms in high-tech industries cannot find enough Americans with the requisite skills; multinational employers bring managers or specialists from factories and offices abroad; universities and research and development centers seek to hire the best researchers; or artistic companies bring unique and diversified talents to display the world’s artistic skills.  In other instances, investors and entrepreneurs want to bring their money and talent to begin a new business.

At other times, the interest is personal, not business.  Families wish to be reunited and live together in America.  A U.S. citizen wants to marry a foreign-born individual and live in the U.S.  Permanent residents wish to become naturalized U.S. citizens. 

K&L Gates assists employers and individuals to achieve their goals by providing experienced and efficient immigration services to an ever-expanding roster of clients in the United States and worldwide.  K&L Gates leads businesses and individuals through the alphabet of B, E, F, H, I, J, K, L, O, P, Q, R and TN visas and through labor certification and the full range of employment immigrant visa options, including visas for multinational managers and executives, outstanding researchers, extraordinary ability individuals, EB-2 and EB-3 priority workers, and individuals seeking national interest waivers.  We provide guidance to employers on compliance with laws governing the employment of foreign nationals, and in complying with the I-9 verification procedures and audits. We also provide assistance on diversity visa lottery and family-based permanent resident processing, and on naturalization processing.  Experienced and skilled lawyers and legal assistants using sophisticated software provide these services on a cost-efficient and rapid response basis.

In addition to assisting clients with United States immigration matters, we can also provide advice and assistance on outbound visa processing matters.  With offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, we are on the ground to assist as necessary.

Examples of matters handled include:

• Processing multiple H-1B petitions for employers in a variety of industries and for employees with a variety of disciplines;
  
  
• Obtaining O visas and subsequent extraordinary ability EB-1 immigrant visas for internationally renowned figure skaters and coaches, classical ballet lampoonists, virtuoso violinists, opera singers, and documentary film makers;
  
  
• Processing outstanding researcher petitions for major multinational corporations;
  
  
• Obtaining TN visas for Canadian and Mexican management consultants, scientific technicians, and a variety of other positions;
  
  
• Obtaining waiver of a J visa 2 year foreign residency requirement for a Chinese physicist, a Brazilian environmental researcher, a Canadian physician, an Indian internist and a Filipino surgeon;
  
  
• Processing PERM labor certification applications, including drafting of job descriptions and recruiting advice, for a variety of employers;
  
  
• Defending clients in Department of Labor enforcement proceedings;
  
  
• Assisting both start-up and mature companies in many industries to obtain L-1 intra-company transferee or E treaty trader/investor visas for key personnel;
  
  
• Obtaining R visas and special worker immigrant visas for clergy, seminary professors, and other religious workers;
  
  
• Obtaining K visas for Americans and processing their spouses for permanent residence;
  
  
• Preparing permanent resident, adjustment of status, and consular processing documents;
  
  
• Guiding individuals through the naturalization process;
  
  
• Providing advice to employers on complying with I-9 employment verification processes, conducting I 9 audits, and responding to raids, investigations, and audits by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Labor (DOL).