Higher Education
We represent institutions of higher education with respect to the unique immigration options available to foreign faculty and staff working in private and public colleges and universities. This includes securing temporary, non-immigrant visa status, often H-1B, as well as sponsorship for permanent residency on behalf of Outstanding Professors, Researchers and Aliens of Extraordinary Ability and via Special Handling and Regular Labor Certification.
BGL Introduction: Our Higher Ed Practice
Through our extensive work with colleges and universities, we have developed successful systems in coordination with our clients allowing us to balance inherent (and growing) limitations of U.S. immigration policy against our clients’ academic calendars, limited resources, staffing needs, and tenure-track timelines.
One of the “higher ed-focused” systems that BGL has developed is C.A.M.P.U.S, our service model created to specifically attend to the unique needs, demands, and opportunities facing our college and university clients.
Change Management
We engage higher ed leadership in forward-looking conversations and strategy. For example, we contextualize the potential elimination of OPT/STEP OPT, evaluate the exemption from annual H-1B lottery, and navigate the very different rules of Special Handling versus the regular PERM process.
Immigration policy will continue to change in the years ahead, and we welcome working with clients who want to be prepared for that evolution.
Advancement
Hiring decisions for tenure-eligible faculty are often made far in advance of a start date, which creates both opportunities and challenges. With this lead time, we meet individually with new faculty to confirm sponsorship needs, travel plans, and any immediate questions.
Relative to Special Handling’s 18-month deadlines, it is critical to align early on permanent residency strategy and timing.
Mobility
Conversely, hiring decisions for contract faculty are often made just weeks before classes begin, creating a different set of pressures.
Turning around visa petitions quickly is the easy part – we also work with HR and international offices to identify status issues that could compromise extensions or renewals , and to plan for status maintenance enduring summer months when contracts may not be renewed.
Presence
Our office in Indianapolis allows us to quickly address issues at the BMV, attend USCIS interviews at the Indianapolis Field Office, and host and attend in=person events on campus. While video is useful, there’s no substitute for face-to face for as long as the immigration process remains deeply personal and often frustrating.
Being local lets us monitor immigration-related legislation at the Indiana Statehouse and quickly connect clients with trusted Indiana-based colleagues when other legal issues arise.
Understanding
It is not uncommon for new hires to be unaware of their sponsorship needs or limitations.
We collaborate with campus contacts to clarify immigration strategy, including J-1 home residency requirements, the boundaries of OPT, O-1, or family sponsored programs, and the impact of global travel, sabbaticals, or even driver’s license renewals.
Sector Perspective
Our higher ed clients also benefit from the experience we bring working across industries, from start-ups to Fortune 500s.
This broader perspective helps us identify trends in immigration and hiring, informing the guidance we provide universities in both their sponsorship needs and in advising their foreign students.