CHANDLER LAW FIRM, LLC, DENVER, COLORADO - A premier immigration and nationality law firm representing companies and individuals with strength, compassion and zeal.

The firm, located in downtown Denver, concentrates its practice on business-related and family immigration matters. These matters typically involve representing clients in the process of obtaining permanent residency or "green cards" and various types of nonimmigrant visas.

Firm personnel are familiar with law and regulations relating to both immigrant (persons moving permanently to the United States) and nonimmigrant (persons coming temporarily to the United States) procedures.  The process of becoming a lawful permanent resident (“green card holder”) may require getting a labor certification using the relatively new PERM process.  Many groups, however, are exempt from labor certification, including investors, persons of extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers and multi-national executives and managers.  Work authorization and travel permission are important to our clients, and we assist with securing those benefits for our clients pursuing permanent residency.

There are nearly as many nonimmigrant visas as there are letters in the alphabet.  We have worked successfully with almost all of them, including B visitors, F, M, and J students and exchange visitors, H-1Bs, H-2Bs, H-3s, K fiancés, L intra-company transferees, O persons of extraordinary ability, P performers, R religious workers and Q cultural visas.  We are also called upon for assistance with TNs, as provided for by the North American Trade Agreement.

Family-related immigration issues, involving non-U.S. citizens brought into a family unit, as in a marriage or an adoption, are also handled by our firm, as is naturalization.  We see many clients from the time they enter as visitors until, years later, they are sworn-in as naturalized United States citizens.

The firm has worked with persons and employees from all over the world, thereby developing expertise and knowledge specific to persons from certain countries, including Canadians and Mexicans, who may be eligible for "TN" status pursuant to the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Whether a client is overseas and considering alternative methods of coming to the United States for the first time or has lived as a lawful permanent resident in the United States for years and is considering the possibility of naturalization, Chandler Law Firm, LLC can help. We enjoy the process of getting to know our clients, developing an immigration plan for them and then working to ensure that the plan becomes a reality.

NEWS

H-lB Cap for Fiscal Year 2014 Reached in 5 Days!

The annual cap on H-lB's of 65,000 was reached on April 5,2013. That is only five days after the window for applying opened on April 2,2013. Current law provides that if the cap is reached within five days, a lottery involving all who submitted H-lB applications within that period of time will be conducted and the H-lB "winners" randomly chosen.

Last year, the H-lB cap was not reached until June, so this year's demand for foreign workers is significantly greater than last year's, perhaps signaling an improving economy.

THE DREAM ACT AND DEFERRED ACTION

On June 15, 2012, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano issued a memorandum allowing certain young people to apply for deferred action, which is protection from deportation, for a period of two years. To qualify, one must meet the following criteria:

• Must have entered the United States when under the age of sixteen;
• Must have resided continuously in the United States for at least five years preceding June 15, 2012 and been physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012;
• Must currently be in school, obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or be an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
• Must not have been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety; and
• Not be older than thirty years of age.

Note that approval for deferred action does not mean a grant of lawful status, permanent residency or citizenship.

H-1B CAP REACHED

The H-1B annual cap for fiscal year 2013 was reached June 11, 2012, much earlier than in previous years. The good news is that the greater demand for H-1B foreign workers may signal an improving economy; the bad news is that companies needing H-1B workers must wait until April, 2013 to apply and until October 1, 2013 for new H-1B workers to actually begin working.