Employment Immigration & Work Visas

Whether you are an employer trying to hire someone from abroad or a professional looking to build your career here legally, employment-based immigration involves a lot of moving parts. Gracie Johnson Law handles work visa petitions and employment-based green cards for employers and workers throughout the Los Angeles area.

Non-immigrant work visas allow foreign nationals to live and work temporarily in the US. The H-1B visa is the most well-known, designed for individuals in specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree, it is subject to an annual lottery. The L-1 visa allows multinational companies to transfer executives, managers, and specialized knowledge employees to their US offices. The O-1 visa is for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement in their field. The TN visa is available to Canadian and Mexican professionals under the USMCA (formerly NAFTA) agreement. The E-2 investor visa allows nationals of treaty countries to invest in a US business. Each visa has specific requirements, and we counsel both employees and employers on the best pathway.

Beyond temporary work visas, many individuals and their sponsoring employers seek permanent residency (a Green Card) through employment. The employment-based preference categories include EB-1 (for priority workers, including persons of extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational managers, no labor certification required), EB-2 (for professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability, including National Interest Waivers which allow self-petition), and EB-3 (for skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers, requires PERM labor certification).

The PERM labor certification process, administered by the Department of Labor, requires employers to conduct a rigorous recruitment process and demonstrate that no qualified, willing, and available US workers were found for the position. This is a highly technical process with strict advertising and procedural requirements where small mistakes can result in audits and denials. Our firm meticulously manages every step of the PERM process to avoid common pitfalls.

Employment immigration involves navigating both USCIS and the Department of Labor, managing multiple government agencies, and meeting strict filing deadlines. We manage the full lifecycle, from initial visa petition to permanent residency, so that employers can focus on their business and employees can focus on their careers. If you are considering employment-based immigration, call us for a consultation to discuss the best pathway for your specific situation.