The Case for Rare Technical Skills
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Nigel James is an Associate in the firm’s Philadelphia office and navigates intricate immigration laws to streamline employment and family-based immigration matters for corporate and individual clients. Nigel is a member of the firm’s EB-1 team.
Nigel’s interest in immigration law stems from his experiences helping noncitizen farmworkers in law school and family members and friends that immigrated to the United States. These life experiences had a substantial impact on his life and understanding of the difficulties faced by immigrants navigating the U.S. immigration system. His daily dedication to solving the puzzles of immigration law for corporate and individual clients is also influenced by his background and interest in science, in topics such as microbiology and sustainability involving environmental systems and energy technologies. Nigel has significant experience helping skilled professionals through the green card process with petitions for extraordinary ability (EB-1A), outstanding researchers and professors (EB-1B), and national interest waiver (EB-2 NIW) classification, as well as helping corporate clients with O-1 nonimmigrant petitions for individuals of extraordinary ability.
Prior to joining Klasko Immigration Law Partners, Nigel practiced at a boutique immigration law firm in Philadelphia and provided legal advice on family-based and employment-based immigration, including applications for H-1B, L-1, labor certifications, national interest waivers, and complex requests from the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). He also has experience with removal defense matters before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), T visas for victims of labor and sex trafficking, naturalization, and humanitarian matters.
Nigel received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences from Clemson University and received his Juris Doctor from the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. While in law school, he served as Managing Editor of Technology for the Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal, President of the Labor & Employment Law Society, and on the Executive Board for the Villanova Black Law Students Association. He also served as a Certified Legal Intern for Villanova’s Farmworker Legal Aid Clinic (FLAC) assisting noncitizen farmworkers in Southeastern Pennsylvania on matters such as sexual harassment and Special Immigration Juvenile Status (SIJS) and externed at immigration law firms located in Philadelphia. Nigel speaks Spanish and conversational Portuguese.
