Universities, Hospitals, and Research Institutions

Klasko Immigration Law Partners’ immigration attorneys assist world-class institutions to attract, acquire, and retain top international talent through robust immigration programs for universities, hospitals, and research institutions. Every institution strives to build a world-class team comprised of the most extraordinary and outstanding individuals. Klasko Immigration Law Partners’ immigration attorneys facilitate that goal through a team-based approach to providing renowned immigration solutions and advice.

KILP attorneys provide counsel on immigration for hospitals, universities, and research institutions of all sizes across the United States. From Ivy League universities and state-of-the-art teaching hospitals to independent research labs and biomedical startups, KILP’s university, hospital, and research clients are all working to shape a bold new future. KILP’s employment-based immigration attorney team is passionate about supporting the amazing work of these clients and has decades of experience providing counsel on immigration for hospitals, universities, and research institutions with specialized support staff also with decades of healthcare experience.

IMMIGRATION FOR UNIVERSITIES

We provide comprehensive immigration support and counsel to our university clients as one of the largest firms in the country providing counsel on immigration for universities. KILP’s immigration attorney team routinely works with students, postdocs, research associates, and faculty at universities across the country. In addition to answering questions from advisors, assisting with compliance, and regularly conducting seminars on campus and virtually, universities routinely refer their students and scholars to KILP attorneys for individualized immigration advice and representation.

Klasko Immigration Law Partners have an unsurpassed record of commitment to international education and research institutions. KILP has maintained an active role in NAFSA for decades. Our university immigration attorneys have participated in NAFSA-sponsored webinars, presented at local and national NAFSA conferences, as well as held positions on key NAFSA committees.

Litigation is a rare specialty for law firms providing counsel on immigration for universities, however, KILP is a national leader in litigating immigration cases and challenging federal agencies. Ron Klasko co-counseled the successful litigation by colleges and universities challenging the 2019 F, J, and M unlawful presence memorandum [WAS1] resulting in a nationwide injunction against the application of the memorandum.

When your university works with KILP’s experienced immigration attorney team, you receive a wealth of unique immigration for universities services:

• Free consultations for students and staff;
• Annual campus visits, including seminars, training, and consultations;
• Development of institution immigration policy statements to avoid ad hoc decisions;
• Meetings with department heads to explain the immigration process and why certain documents are required and anticipating government delays;
• Initial case assessments or routine questions;
• Response to non-substantive RFEs;
• Premium processing upgrades;
• Rush service;
• Letters to third parties (DMV, Mortgage Companies, etc.);
• Invitation to firm annual immigration seminar; and
• Regular updates regarding immigration developments including:
• Monthly newsletter,
• Timely client alerts and blogs, and
• Regular webinars covering new developments and strategies.  

IMMIGRATION FOR HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE

We assist medical organizations of all sizes across the country with all aspects of recruiting and retaining international medical graduates – residents, fellows, and attending physicians. Immigration for hospitals and healthcare institutions commonly includes H-1B and O-1 petitions, applying for labor certifications, and obtaining waivers of the two-year home country residence requirement through state and federal programs. We also routinely assist hospitals and healthcare institutions in managing their immigration procedures when recruiting nurses, physical therapists, medical technologists, and other allied health professionals. We are one of the very few firms that represent employers not only of immigrant physicians but also of allied healthcare providers, including significant numbers of physical, occupational, and respiratory therapists, as well as medical laboratory technologists and technicians, clinical laboratory scientists, and nurses.

When your healthcare organization works with Klasko’s immigration attorneys, you get a specialized and dedicated client team with decades of experience working with healthcare providers and their unique needs.

In addition to routine visa services, additional immigration services our hospital and healthcare immigration attorneys assist with are:

• Developing immigration policies, including whether post-doctoral fellows should be on J or H visas, whether medical residents should be on J or H visas, and policies on sponsorship of two-year home residence requirement waivers for J-1 scholars
• Enhanced support from our dedicated O-1/EB-1 team, including a staff of technical writers, for staff that may qualify for Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Researchers, or an EB-2 National Interest Waiver
• Initial assessments of options for new hires needing sponsorship and case strategy
• Pre-offer consultations for physicians to enhance the candidate experience
• Consistent client service from a dedicated team assigned to your organization from the only mid-sized law firm chosen for four consecutive years as a “Best Place to Work” by the Philadelphia Business Journal
• On-site seminars, training for professional staff recruiters, and seminars or webinars for the sponsored employee community and hospital leaders

IMMIGRATION FOR RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS

Immigration for research institutions requires a breadth of experience and advice very few law firms can provide. At Klasko, we are one of the largest immigration law firms that work with organizations and individuals applying for O-1 and H-1B visas, Outstanding Researcher petitions, self-sponsored Extraordinary Ability and National Interest Waiver petitions, and waivers of the two-year home residence requirement for J-1 Exchange Visitors. Our clients include the most respected research institutions in the country researching and developing groundbreaking innovations.

When you choose KILP and our team of experienced immigration attorneys, your students, scholars, and staff are supported with:

• Free consultations
• Annual onsite visits for seminars, training, and individual consultations
• Special-purpose services in areas of particular expertise: J-1 waivers, O-1 visas, EB-1 visas, and EB-2 National Interest Waivers

In addition to handling routine immigration matters, we can support your institution with:

• Regular immigration updates: newsletters, client alerts, and webinars
• Annual in-person seminar covering the latest immigration developments
• Unlimited advice and consultation by phone or email
• Developing an institutional immigration policy statement
• Internal audits and compliance training on labor condition applications and I-9s
• Training for new staff members
• Case management, monitoring, and tracking through a secure online system
• Developing institutional “best practices” to avoid immigration violations
• Assistance in overall recruitment of students – including free advice to employers of graduates and reduced-fee visa petitions (H-1Bs and more)
• Legislative advocacy – institutional or individual issues
• Staffing the immigration function at the institution during periods of leave or transition
• Outsourcing permanent residence cases: PERM, Outstanding Researchers/Professors
• Outsourcing all immigration functions

KILP’S CLIENT SERVICE AND REPUTATION

Klasko Immigration Law Partners is known nationally for top-tier representation of universities, hospitals, and research institutions for successfully obtaining immigration status for their skilled personnel in extraordinary ability categories, national interest waiver petitions, O-1 nonimmigrant visas, and waivers of the two-year home country residence requirement. The firm has longstanding client relationships with universities of all sizes, including Ivy League universities, major research institutions, liberal arts colleges, state universities, community colleges, nonprofit and for-profit hospitals, healthcare systems, and biomedical research institutions. KILP immigration attorneys have been invited speakers at ECFMG’s Annual Conference and regular speakers at NAFSA regional and national conferences. KILP immigration attorneys have substantial and successful experience with:

• University international offices and the offices of general counsel
• Hospitals and healthcare systems
• Human resources departments
• Quasi-government agencies
• Self-sponsored researchers, professors, and scientists
• International medical graduates

A hallmark of KILP’s client service is extreme responsiveness and anticipation of client needs. All inquiries are responded to promptly and with great attention. Our client service team sets up efficient and technologically secure processes that align with each organization’s business needs and goals. The best source of information on the quality of our service is our clients. Most of our clients chose us after being represented by other firms. They are our best source of references as to how we do things differently–and better. Please ask us for client references.