Waller Lansden maintains a national practice in all facets of immigration law. A major emphasis of our practice involves securing visas for foreign executives, managers, IT professionals, traders and investors, researchers, scientists, physicians and healthcare professionals. We assist companies of all types and sizes meet their personnel needs while at the same time ensuring compliance with employment eligibility verification laws in the United States. The key areas in which we provide counsel include:
Inbound Visas and Permanent Residence
- H-1B visas for temporary specialty workers
- L-1A and L-1B visas and Blanket L petitions for intra-company transferees
- E-1 and E-2 treaty investor and treaty trader visas
- O-1 visas for individuals of extraordinary ability
- TN NAFTA for Canadians and Mexicans
- H-2B visas for temporary workers
- Consular processing of nonimmigrant and immigrant visas
- PERM labor certification
- National interest waivers
Immigration Compliance
- Due diligence for immigration aspects of corporate change
- Auditing and government (ICE) inspections / investigations
- I-9 compliance
- Corporate immigration policy development and implementation
- Social Security mis-match counseling
- I-9 Training
Outbound Visa Services
- Experience with key countries around the globe.
Our immigration practice regularly represents manufacturing companies, technology companies, healthcare companies, the music industry and professional athletes in connection with visa applications, day-to-day operational questions and administrative proceedings before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Our immigration practice also draws on the wide-ranging experience of our firm’s tax, corporate and labor/employment attorneys to assist our clients with the many legal issues that often arise when foreign companies establish U.S. affiliates and transfer professionals to the United States.
In order to provide high-quality immigration services that are both efficient and cost-effective, Waller Lansden’s immigration practice also includes highly experienced non-lawyer Immigration Specialists. These individuals have extensive backgrounds in the fields of both immigration, labor and employment and human resources. Our immigration practice utilizes industry-leading software to manage cases and visa applications. To further assist our clients, Waller Lansden offers Immigration Tracker, a case management system that is accessible online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by all authorized users and ensures that we are able to manage client data in the most secure, cost-effective, reliable and efficient manner possible.
Our representative experience includes:
- Assisting an international manufacturer of rubber products whose U.S. headquarters is located in Nashville.
- Assisting technology companies obtain nonimmigrant visas for IT professionals.
- Assisting auto suppliers, publishers and industrialists seeking to invest in the United States.
- Assisting healthcare companies obtain nonimmigrant visas and permanent residency for physicians and other healthcare professionals.
- Assisting a major international bank in New York obtain nonimmigrant visas and permanent resident status for bank executives and key personnel.
- Assisting an oil and gas producer obtain nonimmigrant visas and permanent resident status for onshore and offshore personnel.
- Assisting a DVD manufacturer with an I-9 investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- Assisting a home health care company with an I-9 investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- Representing artists, entertainers and critical support personnel for recording contracts and concert tours.
- Assisting clients manage I-9 subpoenas, audits and investigations
- Assisting clients review, evaluate and develop an I-9 employment verification compliance policy.
- Providing employment-related immigration training to human resource and legal staff of clients.
- Advising clients on national and state legislative activities relating to employers, employer compliance and employer sanction issues.
