Our Services

At KPL, we work closely with businesses large and small, across myriad industries to address their specific immigration needs. From advising on visa eligibility for international employees or recently hired employees in the U.S. that require employment work authorization to an impending corporate restructure impacting visa holders, we are on hand every step of the way. We are happy to advise on all matters related to maintaining valid work authorization for your employees, in addition to reviewing potential business decisions from an immigration perspective and outlining any impacts to your company in the short and long term. Regardless of the industry, we will work to understand the individual needs of your business and develop detailed strategies best suited to the way you operate.

Nonimmigrant Visas

Should you wish to transfer an employee from an international office for a short-term project or to hire an individual for a full-time role, there are a number of temporary work categories available that may fit the employee’s qualifications or the offered position. We work hand in hand with individuals and employers to gauge which visa process would be best suited. When evaluating a potential case, we understand there are many additional considerations to keep in mind that work best for your company and the individual employee. Perhaps the potential employee has a spouse who wishes to work in the U.S. or there is a need for frequent international travel, there are different recommendations to be made for one process over another. At KPL, we will guide you through the process and explain what is needed to meet the requirements, making it as painless as possible.

We have a wealth of experience securing approvals for various temporary worker visas that include the following:

• B-1, Temporary Business Visitor

• E-2, Employees of Treaty Investors

• E-3, Specialty Occupation Workers from Australia

• H-1B, Specialty Occupation Workers

• J-1, Exchange Visitor Visa (Students, interns, professional trainees)

• L-1A, Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager

• L-1B, Intracompany Transferee Specialized Knowledge

• O-1, Individuals with Extraordinary Ability

Consular Processing

We provide a full-service offering to best prepare your employee for their visa appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. Beyond preparing and assembling the required documentation, we thoroughly prepare each applicant for their interview and what questions to expect. KPL knows the importance of preparing the application documentation, but after meeting with many Consular Officers, we have come to appreciate how critical the face-to-face interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate is to the success of the visa application. Our goal is to provide visa applicants with a sense of confidence and comfort going into their visa appointment as to obtain the best possible outcome.

Our experience in preparing applicants for visa interviews includes developing a strategy for those with past visa denials and/or minor criminal or civil offenses. We will review such incidents to determine any potential impacts to their legal eligibility. Then, we will guide our clients on how to present these past incidents in the best light and successfully demonstrate to the officer that their visa eligibility should not hinge on past lapses in judgement that do not reflect their full character.

Family Members

When a new employee joins your company there will inevitably be a period of transition and culture shock, this is amplified when an individual has just moved to the U.S. and is getting their bearings in a new city. For employees with immediate family members, navigating both an international move and the immigration process can often be very overwhelming. KPL understands this and always offers to work with family members of employees to provide guidance and support through the immigration process and getting settled in the U.S. For partners, spouses, and children under 21, there are dependent visas available for most employment-based visa categories. In certain cases, spouses can obtain work authorization, social security number and work in the U.S. without restriction.

We take pride in working with entrepreneurs and business owners that are looking to expand internationally or start a new business in the U.S. The U.S. government strongly encourages international investments into the U.S. through the E-2, Treaty Investor program. KPL has broad experience working with investors and entrepreneurs very early in the process of establishing their U.S. business and providing critical guidance on their business development plans from an immigration perspective.

To potentially qualify for the E-2, Treaty Investor visa classification, an applicant must be a citizen of a country with which the U.S. maintains a treaty of commerce and the U.S. enterprise must show at least 50% ownership or operational control of the country of nationality.

As of December 2022, the following countries maintain a treaty of commerce with the United States and are eligible for the E-2, Treaty Investor program:

• Albania; Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Cameroon; Canada; Chile; Colombia; Congo (Brazzaville); Congo (Kinshasa); Costa Rica; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Ecuador; Egypt; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Grenada; Honduras; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kosovo; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Liberia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia; Mexico; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Panama; Paraguay; Philippines; Poland; Romania; Senegal; Serbia; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia; South Korea; Spain; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Sweden; Switzerland; Taiwan; Thailand; Togo; Trinidad & Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; Ukraine and the United Kingdom

At KPL, it is our pleasure to assist individuals and their families who would like to become legal permanent residents of the U.S. We personally know what it means and how it feels to make a home and a life in the U.S. and finally reach the point of no longer worrying about expiry dates or preparing extension applications. Applicants may be eligible for legal permanent residence based on their employment, investment, or through a relative or spouse that is a U.S. citizen or green card holder.

Through employment, applicants can apply for permanent residence through their current employment or a prospective position. We will review an individual’s professional history and the employment opportunity to determine which green card category is best suited for them. It is advantageous for individuals working in the U.S. to begin thinking about their plans for the adjustment of status process early. Processing times for employment-based petitions can be upwards of one and a half years, and some visa classifications are limited by the maximum amount of time an individual can spend in the U.S.

We help companies and individuals through every step of the petitioning process and closely monitor government processing times to provide accurate updates to help ease the stress of the lengthy process. We advise applicants on the best strategies for maintaining work and travel authorization that are most beneficial for an individual and their employer.

Certain individuals may be eligible for an employment based green card for being notable in their particular professional field and may even be able to self-petition, rather than depending on an employer to sponsor their green card. We have extensive experience working on extraordinary ability petitions for individuals in non-traditional professional fields and are well placed to provide guidance on using innovative approaches to meet the criteria. We would be happy to discuss your field of work and potential qualifications for an extraordinary ability green card or one of the other avenues towards obtaining legal permanent residency.

The majority of petitions for legal permanent residence are made by U.S. citizens or green card holders petitioning for a relative or spouse. KPL is pleased to work with families and couples through the adjustment of status and sponsorship process to ensure that it is straightforward and manageable. We offer practical and individualized advice on the documentation that is most beneficial and work with you to find alternative documentation as necessary. Family situations come in all financial situations and personal circumstances, we help you with the legal requirements to show how you can meet them, supporting you and your loved ones to make the process as stress and worry free as possible.

As your dedicated immigration partner, KPL will provide updates and be available to you from the date we start working together to the day we can celebrate you receiving the green card.

Individuals who have possessed a green card for five years, or three years for spouses of U.S. citizens, may be eligible for U.S. citizenship. We prepare applications for citizenship and will assist you and your family with the necessary documentation and information required to meet the often-complicated requirements. KPL will monitor the progress of your application and prepare you for each step, including the interview, civics test and the scheduling of your oath ceremony.