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Business Immigration

Business Immigration Attorneys in New Jersey

In today's global economy, the success of your business depends largely upon the superior abilities, diversity and creativity of your staff. Businesses of all sizes find that they can significantly improve their competitiveness in the marketplace by employing talented individuals from around the globe, including foreign graduates from U.S. colleges and universities.

Our immigration practice has a special emphasis on business immigration law. Whether your business is seeking to recruit entry-level talent or advanced degree professionals, our business immigration attorneys can assist your business in sponsoring your foreign national employees for the most suitable temporary work visas. In that connection, we will work with you to formulate a long-term plan to secure a green card and permanent residency for your employees (including green cards through PERM).

We provide business immigration counsel to businesses of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to smaller businesses such as specialty restaurants. We also work with international entrepreneurs and investors seeking indefinite working visas under Treaty Trader (E-1) or Treaty Investor (E-2) categories, who wish to start companies in the U.S. Even small investors and entrepreneurs can apply for visas under these categories.

The New Jersey immigration law attorneys at Meyner and Landis LLP help businesses achieve their staffing goals by facilitating the immigration and naturalization process. Our attorneys represent business professionals of all types before the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Consulates abroad, providing legal counsel, document services, and litigation and defense services to secure temporary, non-immigrant work visas and permanent immigrant visas (green cards).

View some of our Recent Successes in Business Immigration Law.

The following information provides a basic overview of the current employment-based immigration system. Please review the extensive information on immigration that we have provided on this Web site and contact our office to speak with an experienced business and corporate immigration lawyer.

Non-immigrant (Temporary) Visas for Business

  • There are more than 20 different kinds of non-immigrant visa types. Some of these visas can be used for employment.
  • Foreign nationals are allowed to enter the United States for specifically defined periods of time, but in most cases must show intent to return to their home country. Exceptions include H-1B specialty workers, E-1 Treaty Traders and E-2 Treaty Investors. Such foreign nationals are permitted to have "dual intent" and pursue permanent residency in the U.S.
  • Non-immigrants seeking permission to work in the United States are either sponsored by a U.S. employer based on a specific job offer (and must work only for that employer), or have work permission for specific objectives (trader or investor visas, for example, or international students).
  • Most foreign nationals undergo at least two screening processes. The State Department Consular Officer decides whether the individual's purpose in coming matches one of the approved categories and whether the person meets the eligibility criteria for admission. Upon arrival, the USCIS reconfirms the person's qualification for admission to determine the appropriate non-immigrant classification and to authorize a specific length of stay. Some employer-sponsored non-immigrants must have USCIS approve their petition before they can even apply for their work visa (e.g., H-1B specialty workers).
  • Some work-authorized categories are limited by annual levels (e.g., H-1B specialty workers and H-2B temporary or seasonal workers).
  • The H-3 category is limited to trainees
  • Other categories are limited to citizens of certain countries

More specific information about temporary work visas (non-immigrant visas) can be found by following the links below:

Immigrant (Permanent Residence) Visas for Business

  • There are five basic types of business immigrant visas, ranked in order of priority of need by U.S. employers and the economy. All categories are limited by annual levels and per-country levels.
  • Immigrants gain permanent residency - and the right to live and work in the United States indefinitely as long as they do not commit any offense that would render them deportable.
  • Some business immigrants may self-petition for residency if they meet statutory criteria for "extraordinary ability" in their field, or if their entry would be in the "national interest." Most business immigrants, however, require Department of Labor certification (i.e., green cards through a PERM process in which DOL certifies that no U.S. workers are able, qualified, or willing to take the position offered to the foreign national and that admitting the immigrant won't negatively impact the wages and working conditions of similarly situated U.S. workers). Generally, the only categories exempt from this requirement are those for individuals who are extraordinary in their field or whose presence are in the national interest, who are outstanding researchers or professors, or who are "multi-national intracompany" executives or managers.

Learn more about obtaining permanent residence status through employment-based immigrant visas (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4, EB-5).

Our immigration attorneys can help with every aspect of your business immigration case. For a free evaluation and estimate of your case, or if you would like to speak to a knowledgeable business employment immigration law attorney at Meyner and Landis LLP, please complete our Immigration Intake Form.

With offices in Newark, New Jersey, the Immigration Law Group of Meyner and Landis LLP conveniently provides immigration services for businesses and individuals throughout the state of New Jersey. The firm's immigration practice, however, is national in scope, encompassing the representation of multi-national Fortune 500 employers, businesses and individuals throughout the United States.