Practice Areas & Industries: Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A.

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Today, business, recruitment and hiring are global. The seamless transfer of international personnel and the hiring of foreign professionals from abroad are essential for employers. Whether you are the human resources manager of a multinational company transferring an executive from abroad, or need to hire a U.S. college graduate who has a student visa, complying with immigration laws can be a daunting task. It is necessary to have skilled counsel who can navigate the complicated procedures, backlogs and constant changes that are commonplace in the politically charged immigration arena.

The Immigration Practice Group at Gunster Yoakley guides corporate human resources managers through the maze of regulatory requirements for the transfer and hire of foreign personnel. In addition to processing all types of business-related visas, we provide customized in-house training programs on the immigration aspects of recruitment of personnel from abroad and compliance with I-9 employment eligibility issues. We also advise international investors on strategies to live or work in the United States while maximizing their business advantages. Our goal is to make the immigration process "user-friendly" and to develop long-term relationships with each client.

Whether recruiting from abroad or applying for employment visas for foreign personnel, the attorneys, paralegals and experienced administrative staff of Gunster Yoakley's Immigration Practice Group will "get you through the system" in a skilled, supportive and efficient manner.

Services Available

• Immigration Strategies
• Nonimmigrant Visas
• Employment-based Immigrant Visas
• I-9 Compliance and Audits
• Counsel on Immigrant-related Discrimination
• Customized Recruitment Materials
• Family-based Immigrant Visas
• Nationality and Citizenship

Representative Matters

• Secured difficult to obtain "Extraordinary Ability" classification for a wide range of clients, including: news anchors of a major Spanish-speaking television network, a Chinese scientist, a French chef and the CEO of a well-known manufacturer.
• Assisted numerous healthcare providers in recruiting foreign registered nurses from abroad by creating customized recruitment materials and processing visas for hundreds of registered nurses.
• Obtained a National Interest Waiver for the Director of Business Development of a major aerospace manufacturer by showing he would create jobs for U.S. workers.
• Trained human resource personnel for a major construction company, major supermarket chain and publicly traded multinational company on I-9 preparation and internal immigration-related compliance audits.
• Assisted foreign high net worth individuals by developing strategies for legal immigration to the United States.
  
  

Clients:
Arvida/JMB Partners, AutoNation, Inc., Bank of America, N.A., Bankrate, Inc., Boca Raton Resort and Club, Capital City Bank Group, Inc., Chiquita International, Inc., Citrix Systems, Inc., Flagler Development Corporation, Florida East Coast Industries, Inc., FTD, Inc., GE Capital, Gill Hotels Company, Inc., Innkeepers Hospitality, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Jupiter Island Club, Lee Munder Capital Group, Levenger Company, Lykes Bros., Inc., Murray Goodman Company, Park Avenue BBQ Restaurants, Pegasus Corporation of America, Pioneer Corporation, Pratt & Whitney, Ranger Construction Industries, Inc., Republic Services, Inc., Rybovich Spencer, SBA Communications Corporation, Seven Springs Golf Club, Smiths Industries PLC, Sonesta Hotels & Resorts, The St. Joe Company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Teva Pharmaceutical, Trump International Golf Club, Trump National Golf Club, U.S. Sugar Corporation, U.S. Trust Company, United Technologies Corporation, WCI Communities, Inc.