Immigration Attorney - Waiver Services

At Ellis Porter, our goal is to improve the immigration experience for employers and individuals so they can thrive in a smaller world. To do this, we've built a team of dedicated immigration professionals (we call ourselves Porters) who believe passionately in the economic and cultural benefits that immigration provides to America, and who excel at providing our clients with refreshingly clear guidance, uniquely creative strategies, and remarkably responsive service, all with genuine empathy and a personal touch.

Immigration law is very complex and full of constant challenges, but the Ellis Porter team loves what we do, and who we do it with, and we find great satisfaction in knowing that our work positively, and intimately, impacts our clients’ lives and companies.

Our Culture:

We're also immensely proud of (and protective of) our culture at Ellis Porter. It's not what you would expect from a typical law firm, because we're not a typical law firm. We take our work seriously, but not ourselves. We don't tolerate drama, and jerks are not allowed. And we’ve built a wonderfully diverse team of Porters who reflect the diversity of the clients we serve.

As our team continues to grow, we’ve remained committed to cultivating an inspiring, authentic, comfortable, and flexible work environment where you are respected, encouraged to bring your whole self to work, and challenged to continue your growth as a professional in the legal immigration field.

The Position: 

As an Immigration Attorney on our Waiver Services team, you will be part of a team of Attorneys and Case Managers that help our clients navigate the complex immigration process and overcome obstacles to obtaining permanent resident status in the United States. You will work with clients in a variety of industries, including technology, engineering, bioscience, and other emerging industries, to help them seize exciting opportunities in today’s evolving economy - it's truly rewarding work.

This position can be fully remote from any U.S. location, or based in either our Troy, MI or Ann Arbor, MI office as an in-person or hybrid role. Please note - although this role can be remote, all work must be performed within the United States.

What you’ll do:

• Under the direction of the Waiver Services Senior Attorney, you will work with clients to develop and implement legal strategies to overcome grounds of inadmissibility, including waivers of the two-year foreign residency requirement (particularly INA 212(e), unlawful presence, fraud and misrepresentation, criminal convictions, and prior immigration violations.
• Conduct in-depth conversations with clients to explain the waiver process and coordinate with clients to gather detailed supporting information and evidence.
• Answer questions about the waiver application process, timelines, and costs. 
• Prepare and file waiver applications with the appropriate government offices, in collaboration with fellow Attorneys and Case Managers (paralegals). 
• Prepare responses to Requests for Evidence issued by government agencies. 
• Research legal issues related to waiver applications and stay informed on the latest immigration law developments.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

What skills and experience you’ll bring:

• Possess a Juris Doctor degree & are a member of any US State Bar.
• Fluency in Spanish required.
• 2+ years of legal immigration experience, preferably with waivers of inadmissibility (including I-601, I-601A, I-612 types), and familiarity with the grounds of inadmissibility.
• Prioritize and manage a busy caseload in an efficient manner and consistent with numerous inflexible legal deadlines.
• Collaborate professionally and effectively with team members.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to break down complex legal concepts into language that is easy for clients to understand.
• Patience to conduct frequent, and sometimes repetitive, educational correspondence and/or calls with clients summarizing their application processes and answering their questions.
• Extremely high level of attention to detail.
• Possess an extremely high level of emotional intelligence and empathy.
• Take pride in delivering highly-responsive and proactive client service.
• Must be comfortable discussing the personal details of clients’ lives including, but not limited to, finances, mental health, medical issues, and past harm or mistreatment.

What we'll provide to you:

• An opportunity to do challenging and highly rewarding work at a fast-growing firm with an inspiring mission.
• An opportunity to join intelligent, creative, and dedicated immigration professionals who value respectful, collaborative working relationships.
• Inclusive firm culture celebrating diverse perspectives, backgrounds, identities, and experiences.
• People-centered workplace policies and flexible work schedules, including remote work opportunities.
• Competitive compensation, health/dental/vision/life insurance benefits, a 401(k)-retirement savings plan with employer-matching, and a generous paid-time-off policy.
• Casual attire, plenty of free food, and regular opportunities for exposure to international cuisine and culture.

Does this position, and our culture, seem like a good fit for you? If so, we would love to speak with you about joining the Ellis Porter team!

Ellis Porter provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

NON-SOLICITATION STATEMENT: No agencies please. Ellis Porter (EP) recruits candidates exclusively utilizing our internal Talent Acquisition team. EP does not accept any liability for fees for resumes from recruiters or employment agencies (“Agency”), without a binding, written recruitment agreement between EP and Agency describing the services and specific job openings (“Agreement”). EP may consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume and explicitly reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the Agency, unless an Agreement is in place. Any email or verbal contacts with any person within EP is inadequate to create a binding agreement. Agencies without an Agreement are requested not to contact any employees of EP with recruiting inquiries or resumes.