Master Class Agenda

7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m.
Breakfast and Registration

Immigration: Historical, Constitutional and Policy Perspectives
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
It’s been observed that immigration law is even more complicated than the federal tax code, a maze that intimidates and baffles even the most intrepid employers. That’s why we’ll open this master class with an overview of the basics, to give everyone a comfortable understanding and common vocabulary.
Key concepts for understanding immigration law

• Immigration terms and common acronyms
• Maintaining legal status
• Immigrant visa preference categories
• Obtaining visas at U.S. consulates abroad
• Security checks

Non-immigrant Visas: What Is Non-immigrant Intent and How to Show It
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Often the best way to get that key contributor working for you is the non-immigrant visa route. You’ll learn all the pluses and minuses of this option, including its application to engineering, IT, medicine, finance, and more.

• Tourists and business visitors
• Student visa issues
• Working visas H and L
• H and L visas in Congress and in the media
• Other visa options: TN, E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B1, H-3, H-2B, H-2A, O, P

BREAK 10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Employment-Based Immigrant Visas
10:45 a.m. - 12 Noon
How can you navigate a cumbersome regulatory system designed to say “NO!” to almost all immigration? What are the secrets to successfully sponsoring an employee’s visa application? Learn how to make the system work to your advantage in this value-packed session.

• Labor certifications: PERM, Schedule A, handling pre-2005 cases
• Immigrant petitions: advanced degree workers, professionals, skilled workers, “other” workers, religious workers
• Alternatives to labor certification: multinational managers & executives, “outstanding researchers,” individuals with “extraordinary” and “exceptional” ability, national interest waivers
• Maintaining NIV status while waiting for adjustment status
• Changing standards and trends at the service centers

LUNCH
12 Noon - 1 p.m.

Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
There’s more to getting a green card than filing the initial petition. You’ll make smarter decisions when you understand the final steps in the process, and how to spot that “baggage” that can derail your employee’s green card application at the last minute, all before you’ve invested months and years in pushing the process along.

• Adjustment of status vs. consular processing: who can adjust, who must adjust, who can’t adjust
• Eligibility issues
• Consular processing — know your consulate, know your case
• Three — and 10 — year bars
• Concurrent filings
• Priority date and visa bulletin issues
• Travel while adjustment is pending: advance parole and re-entry
• Portability

The Road to Naturalization and Citizenship
2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Learn the steps to full citizenship in this fast-paced, value-packed session. We’ll explain the issues that can pose stumbling blocks and tips for being prepared:

• Eligibility criteria & requirements
• Bars to naturalization
• The process — application, fingerprinting, examination, interview, oath ceremony, & passport
• Derivative and acquired citizenship
• Dual nationality

BREAK
3:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Legislative Update
3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Learn about new immigration legislation, the direction of the debate, the likely outcome, and how your organization can take advantage of new opportunities while sidestepping new pitfalls.

Employment Eligibility Verification Roundtable
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

• Update on Homeland Security enforcement practices
• New state laws & ICE enforcement
• SSA no-match letters and the “Safe Harbor” rules
• Outlook for E-Verify and other online verification systems
• Corporate compliance programs
• The new Form I-9, Electronic completion and storage of I-9s

Faculty for U.S. Employers Immigration Visa Master Class:
Overcoming Regulatory Hurdles to Hire Skilled Non-U.S. Workers

Your Master Class faculty are attorneys with the law firm of Epstein Becker & Green and have years of experience advising employers on Visa issues and helping them hire and retain the best non-native talent.

Seminar Lead
Attorney Robert S. Groban, Jr. is the National Chairperson of Epstein Becker & Green’s Immigration Law Group. He assists multinational corporations, financial institutions, specialty fashion houses and others in navigating this increasingly complex area of the law. An award-winning former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Mr. Groban possesses trial and appellate level experience beneficial to clients facing charges resulting from the new DHS enforcement efforts.

Additional Faculty

Chicago
Hector Chichoni, Partner and Chair of Immigration Practice for EBG’s US South-East Region, has experience:

• Managing large, complex corporate immigration matters exceeding millions of dollars in potential impact
• Advising and defending large national corporate clients during immigration audits from legacy INS
• Helping individuals in matters before immigration trial judges and in filing briefs before the Board of
• Immigration Appeals and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Administrative Appeals Office

Catherine Silie has experience:

• Securing employment-based non-immigrant and immigrant visas for employees of large multinational corporations
• Counseling health care organizations with regard to immigration options for health care professionals
• Providing guidance and counseling to clients with regard to all aspects of the permanent residency process

New York
Parisa Salimi has experience:

• Securing employment-based non-immigrant visas for employers
• Providing guidance and counseling on all aspects of the permanent residency process, including the PERM process with the department of labor and petitions to the USCIS for individuals of extraordinary ability and
  outstanding researchers
• Counseling clients on Form I-9 documentation, the Labor Condition Application and discrimination under IRCA

San Francisco
Jang Im has experience helping employers:

• Secure documentation, visas and permits necessary to facilitate admission of employees in temporary working visa classifications into the United States
• Retain foreign nationals as full-time employees beyond the time limitations of their temporary visa classifications
• Manage IRCA’s sanctions, record-keeping (Form I-9’s) and anti-discrimination provisions