Our panel of experts will discuss how to advise clients about maintaining legal status during these uncertain times, especially for those impacted by layoffs. They also will offer tips and strategies for providing effective counsel to nonimmigrant (NIV) and intending immigrant clients that fall out of status.

Featured Topics:

• Effects of Layoffs, Furloughs, Benching, Reduction in Hours, and Gaps in Employment of NIVs (Hs, F-1s (OPT, STEM, and CPT), TNs, L-1s, Os, Es, etc.)
• Change of Status and Maintenance of Status
  • B-2 as a Strategy: Important Issues
  • F-1: Can the Beneficiary Start Taking Classes Prior to Approval?
• Issues and Tips When Filing “Bridging” Change of Status or Transfer Petitions—e.g., H to B to H
• Adjustment of Status Filings: What Happens When the Foreign National Fails to Maintain NIV Status?
• Advance Parole Travel vs. Travel on H-1B or L-1 with Pending Adjustment of Status

Free Seminar Recordings with AILA Membership Starting March 2021
Please note, all 2021 seminar recordings are free to AILA members starting in March 2021, as part of a new service provided with AILA membership. Recordings will be available approximately two weeks after the live event and are CLE eligible in most jurisdictions. A CLE administration fee will apply for AILA members interested in obtaining CLE credit. More details available [here].

CLE Credit

This web seminar is CLE eligible.

CLE processing is included with purchase for all nonmembers. Members receiving this recording as a free member benefit may also obtain CLE credit for the program. Detailed information on how to obtain CLE can be found on the AILA Seminar Recordings page.

AILA has filed for MCLE and specialized credit in appropriate jurisdictions. To receive CLE credit, attorneys must record seminar attendance and the CLE code provided via webCLE. Eligible participants can receive up to 1.8 CLE credit hours.

The OnDemand Recording format does not qualify for CLE credit in the following jurisdictions: AR, MO, PR, and TN.

Please note that your jurisdiction may limit OnDemand credit based on the date of the original presentation. Please view the OnDemand Downloadable Expiration Chart for more details. Your jurisdiction may also limit the amount of distance learning credit you can earn. To view details on your jurisdiction's credit restrictions and CLE requirements, please visit the CLE Center. For more information on specific approvals, email cle@aila.org.

About the Faculty

Robert H. Cohen (DL), AILA USCIS HQ (Benefits Policy) Liaison Committee, Columbus, OH
Robert H. Cohen is a partner with Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur LLP, in Columbus, Ohio. His primary practice includes business and family immigration. He received the 2013 Jack Wasserman Award for excellence in litigation in the field of immigration law and has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America® for Immigration Law every year since 1995. Mr. Cohen is a graduate of Miami University and the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

Janora L. Hawkins, AILA Georgia-Alabama Chapter Chair, Atlanta, GA
Janora L. Hawkins is a partner with Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP and Chair for the GA-AL Chapter. Janora has a wide and extensive array of experience in corporate and family-based immigration and focuses her spare time on advocating for immigrant rights.

Tejas N. Shah, Chicago, IL
Tejas Shah is a partner at Barnes and Thornburg in Chicago, IL, where he focuses on immigration law. Mr. Shah is committed to helping employers and individuals comply with the complex requirements of U.S. immigration law, and he has counseled a wide range of private sector, public sector, and educational clients on immigration issues arising under the current administration. He has been practicing in the field of immigration law since 2008, chaired the New Members Division of the AILA Chicago Chapter, and served on various liaison committees. He currently serves on the AILA National Military Assistance Program Committee. He received the Illinois State Bar Association’s Young Lawyer of the Year Award for Cook County in 2015, and the Cornerstone Award from the South Asian Bar Association of North America that year. Mr. Shah is a graduate of Duke University and the George Washington University Law School. He can be contacted at tejas.shah@btlaw.com.

Lisa Helen York, Denver, CO
Lisa Helen Yorkis a partner at Curray York & Associates in Denver, CO. Her practice focuses on business immigration with an emphasis on the energy/renewable energy, construction and IT industries, as well as representing educational institutions. Ms. York currently serves on the USCIS Case Assistance Liaison Committee. Previously, she served as Chair of the AILA Liaison Taskforce, Chair of the Fundamentals Section of the AILA Annual Conference, and Chair of the USCIS Field Operations Liaison Committee.

The speaker's/author's views do not necessarily represent the views of AILA, nor do they constitute legal advice or representation. Practice tips provided are based on the speaker's/author's experiences and the current state of the law. Please be sure to conduct legal research and analysis for your unique situation as the law changes quickly and experiences may differ from your own.