Suzan Kern

Suzan’s practice focuses exclusively on US immigration and nationality law. Suzan represents businesses and individuals in administrative proceedings before the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, US Customs and Border Protection, US Department of Labor, and US Department of State, in providing timely and current advice on temporary and permanent employment authorization, travel issues, and immigration compliance.

• Develops and implements optimal strategies to ensure that employers in all industry sectors obtain and maintain employment authorization for key foreign-national employees.
• Helps US businesses hire and retain highly skilled work-authorized employees for H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 specialty occupations; L-1 intra-company transfers; O-1 extraordinary ability roles; TN professional roles; and under E-1 and E-2 trade and investment treaties.
• Helps individuals and their dependents obtain nonimmigrant status as business visitors and tourists (B‑1/B‑2), interns and trainees (J-1, H-3).
• Assists companies to sponsor employees for U.S. permanent residence as EB-3 skilled workers and professionals, EB-2 advanced-degree professionals, and EB-1 multinational managers, outstanding researchers, and aliens of extraordinary ability.
• Prepares and files complex applications at consular posts to register foreign parent companies as Treaty Trader and Treaty Investor enterprises under US bilateral treaties.
• Establishes and updates company blanket L programs to streamline intra-company transfers of executives, managers, and specialized knowledge professionals to the US.
• Counsels foreign-national employees and their family members on maintaining valid nonimmigrant status in the US and renewing visas at US embassies and consulates worldwide.
• Advises employers on developing immigration policies and practices to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, including I-9 compliance.
• Assists US citizens and permanent residents in sponsoring relatives for permanent residence through both adjustment of status and consular processing of immigrant visas.
• Represents individuals in applying for naturalization as US citizens and in proving claims to derivative and acquired US citizenship.
• Represents pro bono clients in obtaining lawful status through humanitarian relief, such as permanent residence under the Violence Against Women Act, Temporary Protected Status, and US status for crime victims.

• Recommended for Immigration, Legal 500 United States, 2020-2025
• 2017 Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award, American Immigration Lawyers Association, for service as an “Airport Lawyer” at Dulles International Airport, providing legal assistance to travelers caught in the “Travel Ban”
• Beacon of Justice Award, National Legal Aid & Defender Association, recognizing firm’s contributions in expanding legal services to the underserved, 2015
• Pro Bono Champion Award, American Immigration Lawyers Association, annually since 2007
• State Bar of Texas Pro Bono College, annually since 2012
• Pro Bono Award, The National Law Journal, recognizing advocacy on behalf of Haitian immigrants following the 2010 earthquake, 2011
• Herbert S. Garten Public Citizen Award, Maryland Legal Services Corporation, recognizing partnership with the Montgomery County Family Justice Center in Rockville, 2010
• Beacon of Justice Award, National Legal Aid & Defender Association, recognizing firm’s contributions in immigration law, 2010
• E. Randolph Williams Award, for contributing 100+ pro bono hours per year to legal services, annually since 2002

• Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2002-present