U.S. Immigration Challenges: When a Visitor Visa Is Not Enough
Travel to the U.S. can be complex and presents significant potential liability for your organization. Entry under an improper visa category such as a B-visa or visa waiver program, unintentional work without authorization, and overstay of permitted entry or total time in country, open you to penalties that can negatively impact your business operations. This session will help you determine if an employee may travel to the U.S. as a business visitor and how to evaluate employees for the need for work authorization in the U.S. Langemeier will also cover what you ask to determine if an H-1B is possible and a viable business decision. The systems you put in place to evaluate travel to the U.S. can make a critical difference to the effective management of these issues.
Avalyn C. Langemeier
Avalyn C. Langemeier, a Partner with Foster LLP's Houston office, graduated cum laude from Harvard University and the University of Texas at Austin Law School. She handles a wide variety of employment and compliance-based immigration matters. Her practice includes assisting public and private employers in the management of immigration processes for key personnel. Ms. Langemeier works closely with employers in the healthcare industry, academia and oil industry to prepare and file the necessary petitions and applications on behalf of physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, professors, researchers, administrators and professionals. She also works with religious workers. Ms. Langemeier assists in filing for work visas and for permanent residence based on PERM labor certification applications (basic, special and hybrid) and petitions based on extraordinary ability, being an outstanding researcher or professor or international manager, and national interest waiver petitions. She provides clients her expertise in connection with Form 1-9 audits, workforce compliance, J-1waivers, and H-1B site visits. Ms. Langemeier is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the State Bar of California, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and the Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Ninth Circuits. Ms. Langemeier is also a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, serves on the AILA Health Care Professionals Committee, and continues to serve and has served as liaison for the American Immigration Council's Creative Writing Contest for Fifth Graders for several years. She is an invited member of the International Who's Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers and was nominated for Best Lawyer in Immigration Law. Ms. Langemeier is a frequent speaker on immigration matters, including having spoken at conferences hosted by the Texas State Bar, the AILA Texas Chapter and AILA National, the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA), and universities and healthcare organizations.