Immigration Paralegal
Pittsburgh, PA (Oakland)
Salary Commensurate with Experience
We are seeking an immigration paralegal to join a dynamic team of attorneys and other paralegals who handle a wide variety of business and family immigration matters. As a paralegal you will assist in preparing and filing petitions and applications with a heavy focus on employment-based cases for submission to USCIS, DOL, and DOS. The position requires meticulous document preparation and constant communication with colleagues, clients, and government agencies. This position calls for an individual possessing a keen attention to detail, a proactive problem-solving “team player” attitude, and an eagerness to manage a wide range of responsibilities. This position is pivotal to the firm’s daily productivity, and requires meticulous document preparation and recordkeeping, and constant communication with colleagues, clients, and agencies. The firm is highly collaborative, and all members are expected to not only execute their assigned tasks with efficiency and accuracy but must also understand how their role fits into the broader picture of individual cases, client relationships, and the practice of law.
The group is highly collaborative, and all are expected to productively engage in our professional community that encourages cooperation, creativity, and mutual learning and respect.
Principal (Essential) Duties:
- Draft forms and letters for visa applications and petitions, applications for permanent residence, labor certification applications, and other immigrant and non-immigrant related filings
- Analyze and review case details and determine future actions
- Assist with DOL online applications (PERM and FLAG), DS-160 online visa applications, and consular processing of immigrant petitions through NVC
- Liaise with relevant government agencies including USCIS, CBP, DOS, & DOL
- Analyze, review and organize documents and data from materials produced
- Draft job descriptions
- Gather and organize appropriate evidence to support immigration filings
- Assemble application and petition packages and files with USCIS or other appropriate agency
- Conduct quality assurance review of immigration filings
- Coordinate translation of foreign documents, equivalency and evaluations of foreign degrees and work experience, and expert opinions
- Communicate timely, compassionately, and professionally with both corporate and individual clients on matters associated with immigration filings
- Maintain computer databases and monitor reports related to caseload management of immigration matters
- Address client case status inquiries, including steps in process remaining, processing times, and consular appointment issues.
- Monitor immigration related publications and web sites for news and trends and communicate findings to the practice group keeping important items in electronic files
- Draft client advisories related to significant developments in immigration law and practice
- Setup new cases in system and prepare engagement letters
- Work as a team to assist with administrative coverage needs and perform other related administrative functions as assigned
Secondary Duties:
- Work as part of a team and assist coworkers and clients, as needed.
- Demonstrate an interest in learning about law firm management and business immigration law practices.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to interact with diverse client base in a professional and service-oriented manner.
- Advanced computer skills and comfortable learning new software programs. Experienced user of Microsoft Office Suite, QuickBooks, and databases.
- Comfortable wearing different hats, assuming different responsibilities and assisting others as the need arises.
- Strong organizational skills and detail-oriented approach to work.
- Ability to prioritize workload and deal with stress in a fast-paced work environment. Effective under pressure and high-volume situations with multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- High level of confidentiality.
Requirements
- Minimum of 2 years of immigration law office experience.
- Law firm or professional services environment experience or familiarity with the USCIS processes considered a plus.
- Experience using QuickBooks and Microsoft Office Suite required. Knowledge of Paylocity or other payroll software considered a plus.
- Undergraduate degree in a related discipline. Legal training or paralegal education considered a plus.
- Cultural awareness training, experience working with people from outside the U.S. and/or foreign language skills considered a plus.
We are an EOE.
