Overview
Elise Fialkowski has practiced immigration law for over twenty-five years and she handles all aspects of employment-based immigration. Her clients run the gamut from multinational corporations and their employees to universities, startups, entrepreneurs, and private individuals.
In addition to employment-based immigration work, Elise has particular experience in working with venture capital and startup companies through all phases of growth. She has obtained all types of visas for startup clients including for example, J-1 visas, temporary work visas, and immigrant visas/green cards for startup clients. She also regularly presents at conferences and other forums regarding effective immigration options and programs for startups and entrepreneurs.
Elise also has a particular expertise in worksite enforcement and leads our worksite compliance group. Elise regularly counsels clients regarding I-9 compliance, E-Verify and H-1B Labor Condition Application (LCA) compliance. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Fialkowski’s practice also included advising employers in traditional employment and labor law matters, including litigation as well as advice regarding proactive action to avoid and minimize claims. With her immigration clients, she has provided counseling, training and policy development services to employers in a diversity of industries including, for example, pharmaceutical, financial, university, food and beverage, manufacturing, healthcare, e commerce, and technology.
Her practice focuses on:
- The representation of multinational and domestic corporations, their employees and private individuals in business immigration matters before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the U.S. Department of Labor, and at U.S. Consulates.
- Assisting individuals of extraordinary ability, academic researchers, professors, international medical graduates and physicians, as well as individuals whose immigration is in the national interest in obtaining immigration benefits.
- Immigration advice and assistance to entrepreneurs, investors, and startups.
- Advice to employers regarding the Immigration Reform and Control Act including I-9 employment eligibility verification and worksite enforcement issues.
- Development of proactive compliance programs and immigration policies.
- Assistance with internal audits and training to ensure I-9, H-1B LCA, E‑Verify and Social Security no-match compliance.
- Representation of companies facing I-9 and H-1B LCA audits and investigations.
- Matters involving: Adjustment of Status, Exchange Visitors, Treaty Trader and Investors, Immigrant Visas, Temporary Work Visas and Naturalization.
- Representation of universities and research centers as well as students and faculty.
Elise has long been active in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and currently serves on AILA’s National Online Course Committee, AILA’s 2023 Annual Conference Committee, AILA’s 2021 Annual Conference Committee, AILA’s Verification and Documentation Liaison Committee, the Philadelphia Customs and Border Protection Liaison Committee, Nationalities Service Center’s Nominating and Governance Committee, Women Owned Law Steering Committee, and is a Board Member of John F. Peto Studio Museum. She has served on many other committees at the local and national levels.
Elise was named 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America©, has been listed in Best Lawyers in America© since 2018, included annually in The International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers and the International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, and named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyer list in 2010.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, (B.A.1987), she received her law degree from the Villanova University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1991).
