Verrill Dana's Immigration and Global Migration Law Group represents individuals, corporations, hospitals, educational institutions, and other organizations, located throughout the U.S. and globally, in all aspects of Immigration Law. With offices in Portland, Maine, Boston, and Washington, D.C., our Immigration and Global Migration Law Group’s domestic and international immigration experience encompasses clients across multiple industries. A sample of our experience includes the following industry sectors: Energy, Telecommunications, Financial Services, Banking, Consulting Firms, Architecture Firms, Insurance, Information Technology, High Tech Manufacturing (including semiconductors and computer hardware), Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Medical Devices, Healthcare, Hospitality, Footwear and Apparel, Government Agencies, Educational Institutions, Religious Institutions, Retail, Defense Contractors, and Building Materials, among others.
Domestic and international immigration laws are complex and constantly changing. For many individuals seeking to enter the United States or for businesses looking to hire foreign labor, navigating through the U.S. immigration system can be daunting and frustrating. Our Immigration & Global Migration Law Group serves as an important guide throughout the process and works to provide employers and individuals with the most appropriate, cost effective and efficient immigration solutions. The Immigration & Global Migration Law Group offers the specialized knowledge, experience, and resources of a large law firm, while providing the attentiveness and client sensitivity and cost of a smaller firm.
Another unique feature of our team is its in-house experience with immigration. Our team has worked in-house at companies managing immigration internally, interfacing with human resources, management, foreign national employees, and outside counsel. We have an insider’s appreciation for the positive impact expert and prompt immigration counsel can have on a business’s smooth operation, and accordingly we are driven to provide our clients with the highest quality of service.
Our Services
Working with business owners, human resources representatives, and individual clients with diverse backgrounds and nationalities, our Immigration & Global Migration Law Group assists individuals and employers in securing the following Visa types:
Nonimmigrant (temporary) Visas for Employment
- E-1 (Treaty Trader) and E-2 (Treaty Investor)
- E-3 (Australian)
- H-1B (Specialty Workers/Professionals)
- H-2 (Seasonal/Temporary Workers)
- H-3 (Trainees)
- I (Foreign Media Correspondent)
- J-1 (Exchange Visitors)
- L-1 (Intra-Company Transferees)
- O-1 (Persons of Extraordinary Ability)
- P-1, P-2, P-3 (Performers/Athletes)
- R-1 (Religious Workers)
- TN (for Canadian or Mexican Citizens)
- F-1 and M-1 Student Visas
- B-1 (Business) and B-2 (Visitor) Visas
- J-1 Waivers of foreign residence requirement
- K-1 (Fiancé) and K-3 (Spouse) Visas
- Extensions of Stay
- Change of Visa Status
- Work Authorization for Spouses
- Visas for Family of Permanent Residents
Immigrant Visas (Permanent Resident/Green Card)
- Labor Certification Applications
- Multinational Executives and Managers
- National Interest Waivers
- Schedule A (Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists and Foreign Nationals with Exceptional Ability)
- Diversity Visa (Green Card Lottery)
- Extraordinary Ability
- Outstanding Researchers
- Physicians
- Consular Processing
- Family immigration (including Immediate Relative and Preference Petitions)
- Special Immigrants (including VAWA and Religious Workers)
- Asylum
- Reentry Permits
Other US Immigration Needs
- Extensions of Stay
- Change of Visa Status
- Work Authorization for Spouses
- F-1 and M-1 Student Visas
- B-1 (Business) and B-2 (Visitor) Visas
- J-1 Waivers of foreign residence requirement
- K-1 (Fiancé) and K-3 (Spouse) Visas
- Visas for Family of Permanent Residents
- Reentry Permits
- Citizenship and Naturalization
- Asylum
- VAWA
- Tax Planning
Corporate Compliance
Verrill Dana’s attorneys have extensive experience, both as in-house counsel and staff, and as outside counsel, in creating the corporate procedures and processes to assure compliance, including designing compensation and benefits systems. While companies recognize the need for guidance through the Visa process, many companies do not fully appreciate the need for administrative compliance. However, failure to adequately adhere to the range of rules and regulations implementing the immigration laws can result in significant potential liability. Although corporate immigration law compliance can seem daunting, such compliance is essential to any corporation’s credibility before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. consulates abroad. Immigration law compliance also helps corporations maintain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. And of course, corporations that do not comply with the law are easy targets for substantial fines, criminal prosecution and even private lawsuits.
Global Outbound
Verrill Dana’s Global Outbound practice complements our U.S. immigration practice, and provides clients with a “one stop shop” for managing the international transfer and employment of workers around the world. Verrill Dana recognizes the stress and difficulty inherent in sending employees abroad, both for short term and long term assignments. To simplify this process, Verrill Dana offers a comprehensive outbound Visa program that provides outstanding service to our corporate clients, human resources professionals and individual employees to make the transfer process as simple as possible. Verrill Dana navigates our clients through the transfer process by providing information, guidance and assistance on specific country matters for the movement and relocation of employees.
Related Matters Often Implicated in Immigration Cases
Often matters presented by our clients involve not only questions of immigration law, but also are impacted by other laws, such as employment and wage payment laws, tax regulations, H1B Visas, ERISA, and corporate structuring and finance laws. With attorneys having expertise in all these areas, Verrill Dana is prepared to identify and handle the wide variety of legal issues that may arise in the context of a client’s immigration case.
Constantly monitoring changes in the law, our attorneys seek out creative solutions to difficult problems. Contact our Immigration & Global Migration Law Group to discuss how we can help you.