It is important to have your own lawyer at each stage of the work visa process to avoid conflicts of interest with your employer’s lawyer. For instance, O-1A extraordinary worker visa allows outstanding professionals in the arts, business and sciences to apply for work visa status in the United States. The O visa is a temporary visa. In many cases once a foreign national obtains an O visa, he or she is also eligible to apply for a National Interest Waiver (NIW) and has options to “self-petition” for Permanent Resident Status in the United States.
Seeking legal advice from your employer’s attorney can result in “bad blood” quickly since your employer’s attorney is required to disclose to employer your plans and intent to self petition via National Interest Waiver or EB-1 for U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card Status).
The idea is that one is not not tied to their sponsoring U.S. employer indefinitely, and may leave the company’s employ at anytime. However, to avoid conflict it is essential to have your own U.S. Immigration legal counsel who has no ties to your U.S. employer’s immigration lawyer. This gives you the freedom to divulge confidential plans regarding your future immigration intent, and you may then file for U.S. Permanent Resident status separate and apart from U.S. Employer’s knowledge until it is strategic to share.
We are based in the Washington D.C. area with law offices in Fairfax Virginia and Rockville Maryland serving clients nationwide. Work Visas we routinely prepare and represent for our clients include the following: H-1B visas, Speciality Occupation, O-1A, L1A, L1B, employment visas, workers permits, asylum work permits, U visas, Waivers, I-601, Non-immigrant waivers, work visas, National Interest Waivers, EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, Employment Based Green Cards, PERM, Labor Certification & Inadmissibility Waivers.
Our Immigration lawyers are licensed in Maryland, Washington D.C, and Virginia. We also provide legal representation in criminal law, family law, divorce matters, and business law to Permanent Residents, and U.S. Visa holders.
Our attorneys here at ScottVassell & LeeCC Law Firm have over 20 years of experience and are available for an initial twenty (20) minute free screening consultation or you may request our standard consultation with our lawyers.
Contact us today at info@vasselllaw.com to be scheduled. Our contact information is conveniently listed at www.vasselllaw.com.
Members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) | Vassell & LeeRC Law