Business Immigration (visas / PERM)

Service description

Business immigration counsel manages the employer-sponsored visa and green card process for foreign employees — filing H-1B, L-1 or O-1 petitions, preparing PERM labor certification, and handling the I-140 and adjustment-of-status steps that lead to permanent residence. The attorney tracks each worker's status, renewal and filing deadlines, and coordinates with the Department of Labor and USCIS on the employer's behalf.

Common industries

Any employer that recruits specialized talent it can't fill domestically.

ROI

Predictable, largely federal, and well-suited to fixed fees; getting filings right on time is what keeps key talent in seat.

Benefit

Employer-sponsored work visas and permanent residence — H-1B, L, O, PERM/green card — handled end to end.

Why get it

A foreign worker with H-1B, L-1 or other nonimmigrant status can only work for the sponsoring employer on the terms filed with the government; keeping that status current, and moving toward a green card, takes ongoing federal filings most HR teams don't handle in-house.

When you benefit

Recurring — new hires need a visa filing, and existing sponsorships need renewals, extensions, or a green card filing on their own separate timeline.

What it costs

Usually a flat fee per filing — one for the visa petition, a separate one for each green card stage.

When you pay

Typically billed per filing stage — visa petition, labor certification, and green card application each carry their own fee, due when that stage's paperwork is filed rather than as one lump sum.

Other costs

Government filing fees, which are separate from the attorney's fee and vary by visa type, plus optional premium-processing fees to speed up a USCIS decision. A $100,000 supplemental payment applies to some new H-1B petitions for workers currently outside the U.S., under a September 2025 proclamation — it's currently blocked by a federal court order and not being collected, but the proclamation has been extended and the litigation is ongoing, so this should be checked at filing time rather than assumed either way.

Risks to know

A denied or delayed petition can force a worker to stop working or leave the country when status lapses. Missing a renewal deadline, an incomplete PERM recruitment record, or a wage below the required prevailing wage are the most common reasons a filing fails.

When risks arise

Renewal deadlines recur on each visa's own timeline, and a PERM-based green card case can run for years, so the risk is spread across ongoing filing windows rather than concentrated in one event.

The process

Counsel confirms the right visa category, gathers the employer's and worker's supporting documents, and files the petition or labor certification with the relevant agency — USCIS or the Department of Labor. It tracks the case through approval, handles requests for evidence, and advises on renewal or the next green card stage as deadlines approach.

Your commitment

The employer confirms the job's duties, required qualifications, and offered wage, and supplies documentation of the worker's education and experience. It should flag hiring or renewal deadlines early, since labor certification and visa processing both run on fixed government timelines that don't compress under pressure.

Documents to gather

• Job description, required qualifications, and offered wage for the position
• Worker's resume, diplomas or transcripts, and any prior visa approval notices
• Company details needed for the labor condition application or PERM recruitment — business structure, worksite address, and payroll records

Helpful reading

• What we know about the U.S. H-1B visa program — Pew Research Center
• Explainer: PERM Labor Certification Process — National Immigration Forum

Further research

• 8 U.S. Code § 1101(a)(15)(H) — nonimmigrant classifications, including the H-1B specialty-occupation category
• 8 CFR § 214.2(h) — H-1B specialty occupation worker requirements
• 20 CFR Part 656 — Labor Certification Process for Permanent Employment of Aliens (PERM)
• DOL Wage and Hour Division — H-1B Program (Labor Condition Application obligations)
• USCIS — Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers (the $100,000 H-1B supplemental payment, its scope, and current court-ordered block)