Immigration

Sponsoring foreign workers can be a time-sensitive and complex process. Employers often must navigate several state and federal agencies—each with its own requirements and delays—while balancing critical business deadlines. A minor technical oversight can stall or even derail an otherwise strong case, resulting in wasted resources and costly setbacks.

Our attorneys assist both employers and employees throughout the immigration process, from initial applications to consular processing abroad. We also assist employers and foreign workers in securing employment authorization extensions, revalidating visas, and addressing compliance obligations. Clients include large institutions as well as seasonal employers in industries that rely on specialized or temporary foreign talent. Working closely with human resources professionals, we guide employers through each stage of the sponsorship process, focusing on efficiency and practical problem-solving.

We frequently assist foreign physicians, research professionals, and their employers in obtaining J-1 waivers, H-1B and O-1 status, as well as permanent residency. Our experience advising management on broader employment law matters enables us to anticipate and address the employment issues that often arise in conjunction with immigration sponsorship. We represent clients before the Maine and U.S. Departments of Labor, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as the U.S. Department of State. Given our proximity to Canada, our team frequently collaborates with Canadian professionals and businesses, including those involved in applying for E-2 visas, L-1, and TN status. We also have experience working with colleges and universities that seek to sponsor foreign faculty, researchers, and specialized staff for positions that require employment-based temporary visas, permanent residency, or other forms of work authorization in the United States.

We also regularly advise employers on I-9 compliance, including best practices for completing, retaining, and conducting internal audits of employment eligibility verification forms. Our team supports organizations in developing robust I-9 policies and provides guidance during government audits, helping clients navigate U.S. immigration requirements and minimize associated risks.

In addition to employment-based matters, we also advise on family-based immigration issues, including assisting clients with the green card process and naturalization (citizenship) applications. Depending on client needs, our role may extend from preparing and filing initial petitions to representing individuals at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interviews.