The H-1B RFEs: Is There Light at the End of the Tunnel?
It seems that RFEs are commonplace in all types of cases; they are no longer the exception, but the rule! While there are many problems associated with receiving an RFE, it is also far from the end of the world. It is also an opportunity to strengthen your case. Panelists will discuss practical tips and strategies to successfully respond to RFEs, and what CIS is REALLY asking for when it requests specific evidence.
Learning Objectives:
Identify emerging RFE trends in non-immigrant and immigrant petitions regarding level 1 wages, specialty occupation and third-party placement RFEs.
Outline strategies for responding to non-immigrant RFEs.
Review tips and strategies to review for initial petition-reduce risk of RFE.
Tahmina Watson
Tahmina Watson is a nationally acclaimed immigration attorney and founder of Watson Immigration Law in Seattle, Washington, USA. Her practice focuses on business and investment immigration matters. She handles all employment-based visas such as L1A, H1B, O1, E2, EB5 etc. Her clients include individuals and businesses from all over the world.
Tahmina was a barrister in London, UK, before immigrating to America herself. A passionate advocate for immigration reform, Tahmina is the author of “The Startup Visa: Key to Job Growth & Economic Prosperity in America”. In addition to regularly publishing articles and appearing in the media including CNN, Forbes, The Telegraph and much more, she is the host of “Tahmina Talks Immigration” a radio show turned podcast available on itunes/Spotify and other podcast applications. Recently, Tahmina founded a non-profit, the Washington Immigrant Defense Network- WIDEN which funds and facilitates legal representation in the immigration courtroom. She is also cofounder of www.airportlawyer.org, a web portal that helps passengers at the airports seek assistance of volunteer lawyers.
Learn more about Tahmina at www.watsonimmigrationlaw.com and can contact her info@watsonimmigrationlaw.com.
Michael F. Hammond
Mike is the founder and managing partner of Hammond Neal Moore. HNM was founded in 1991 and is an immigration boutique firm headquartered in Cincinnati with branch offices in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Portland. The firm handles all types of employment based immigration matters for companies ranging from mom and pop start-ups to Fortune 100 and represents a variety of industries including manufacturing, technology, healthcare, universities, and research to name a few. Mike’s practice focuses on representing corporations in the IT and healthcare sectors. He is the primary contributor to the firm’s Views on Business Immigration blog. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences hosted by TechServe Alliance and Staffing Industry Analysts. He has also been a speaker for AILA and local bar organizations. He has been named to the International Who’sWho of Corporate Immigration Lawyers since 2008.
Alejandra Zapatero
Alejandra Zapatero is a Managing Director with Erickson Immigration Group. Alejandra has been practicing immigration law for 10+ years in Virginia, Washington D.C., and California. Her practice focuses on corporate immigration working with large, medium, small, and startup companies in filing employment-based petitions for foreign workers seeking temporary and permanent employment in the U.S. Her experience includes immigrant and non-immigrant visa petitions. Alejandra advises employers from startups to Fortune 500 companies on establishing and refining immigration programs including strategies for hiring, compliance, and complex immigration matters resulting from corporate restructuring including mergers, acquisitions, and reductions-in-force.
She has counseled clients on workforce compliance including I-9 issues and public access file audits. Alejandra is proficient in the preparation and filing of non-immigrant visas such as E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1, and TN. She is also adept in immigrant visa processes, including the preparation and filing of PERM, I-140 petitions, and I-485 Adjustment of Status applications. She is also well-versed in family immigration law and has represented individuals seeking family-based green cards, deferred action of childhood arrival (DACA) work authorization, and naturalization applications.
Alejandra is a frequent speaker on immigration issues and has presented at various conferences and events including SHRM, Worldwide ERC, Bay Area Mobility Management, British American Business Council, sf.citi, Global HR Business News, and the Council for Global Immigration.
Nandini Nair
Nandini P. Nair is a partner in the Immigration and Naturalization practice group and serves on the Management Committee at Greenspoon Marder. Ms. Nair focuses her practice on analysis and processing of U.S. visas, employment-based and family-based applications, naturalization applications and other immigration benefits, as well as, immigration strategy and corporate policy development, training and I-9 and work site compliance, immigration consequences of mergers, acquisitions and other corporate changes.
Ms. Nair anticipates the needs of clients, and seamlessly adapts services and support to the client’s evolving business. Her interest in immigration law stems from her personal background, having emigrated from India to the United States, from her belief in the essential role immigrants play and the positive contributions they make to American society, and from her desire to help people of all backgrounds achieve their goals. Additionally, Ms. Nair was featured on TV Asia’s weekly series, “Bridge to Immigration”, which she co-wrote.