Houston Corporate Immigration Lawyer

A Houston corporate immigration lawyer helps you and your employer move through the employment-based visa system together. At Kamal Law Firm Family Law and Immigration Lawyers, we counsel workers, families, and companies on H-1B petitions, employment-based green cards, and investor options from our Houston, Texas, office. You should not have to guess about your status while you are trying to build a career here.

Our team explains which categories may fit your background, what your employer needs to file, and what each stage of the process usually involves. Every case is different, and the right path depends on your education, your job offer, and your country of birth. Call (713) 524-4529 to schedule a case evaluation with a Houston corporate immigration lawyer.

Why Choose Kamal Law Firm, PLLC for Corporate Immigration in Houston?

We have served the local community for over 10 years in family law and immigration, and we work from an office at 6464 Savoy Drive in Houston. Our founding attorney is a member of the State Bar of Texas and serves on the State Bar of Texas Diversity Committee.

Language access matters in employment-based cases, because much of the evidence comes from outside the country. She is fluent in Spanish, Urdu, and Hindi, which allows us to review foreign degrees, employment letters, and corporate records with clients in their own language.

Communication matters just as much. Our team makes it a point to respond to clients within 24 hours, so you are not left wondering whether a filing window has closed. Because we counsel both companies and individual workers, we can explain how a petition looks from each side of the sponsorship relationship.

What to Know About Employment-Based Immigration in Texas

Immigration law is federal, so Texas does not run its own work visa program. The same rules apply in Houston as anywhere else. Your case still turns on local facts, though, including your employer, your job duties, and the wage set for your position in this area.

Two broad paths exist. Temporary work visas allow you to live and work here for a limited period, tied to a sponsoring employer. Permanent residence, usually called a green card, lets you stay indefinitely.

Roughly 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas are available each year across five preference categories, and each category carries its own annual limit. Demand in several categories exceeds those limits, which is why the wait is measured in years for some applicants and months for others.

Temporary categories have their own ceilings. The H-1B specialty occupation category is capped at 65,000 visas per fiscal year, with an additional 20,000 reserved for beneficiaries holding a U.S. master’s degree or higher. Certain H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025 must also include an additional $100,000 payment as a condition of eligibility.

Corporate Immigration Services We Handle in Houston

H-1B Employment Visas

Specialty occupation roles generally call for a bachelor’s degree or higher in a specific field. Your employer files a labor condition application with the Department of Labor first, then submits a petition to USCIS. We assemble the supporting evidence and track registration and filing windows so nothing is missed.

Business Visas

Multinational companies often move managers, executives, and specialized knowledge staff into a related U.S. office. These L-1 transfers require a qualifying corporate relationship and 12 continuous months of employment abroad within the previous 3 years. We help document that relationship and the role waiting here.

Employment-Based Green Cards

Most permanent residence cases in the second and third preference categories begin with a permanent job offer and a labor certification. Our attorneys evaluate whether your degree, experience, and role align with EB-2 or EB-3 eligibility, and then build the petition record with your employer.

EB-5 Investor Green Cards

Investors may qualify for permanent residence by investing in a U.S. commercial enterprise and creating or preserving 10 permanent full-time jobs for qualified workers. Our attorneys review source-of-funds documentation and the project structure before capital is committed, and we explain what the conditional residence period requires afterward.

Employer Compliance

Sponsoring a worker creates ongoing obligations, including wage commitments, recordkeeping, and documentation for each sponsored position. Our team reviews your existing files, identifies gaps, and helps your company prepare for a government audit or a site visit before one is scheduled rather than after.

Waivers and Appeals

A request for evidence, a denial, or a finding of inadmissibility does not always end a case. We read the record closely, identify what the agency questioned, and explain the remaining options, which may include a motion, an appeal, or a waiver request.

How the Employment-Based Green Card Process Works

Most employment-based green card cases follow the same sequence, even though timelines vary widely.

Labor Certification

For most second and third preference cases, your employer must first obtain a labor certification from the Department of Labor. That step tests the local job market and confirms the wage offered for the position. Under the third preference requirements, the employer runs this stage, not the worker.

The Immigrant Petition

After certification, your employer files an immigrant petition with USCIS on your behalf. Approval confirms that the position and your qualifications meet the requirements of the category. The filing date generally sets your priority date, which determines your place in line.

Waiting for a Visa Number

Each month, the Department of State publishes cutoff dates indicating which priority dates have been reached, and USCIS designates the chart that governs filing for that month. Those dates shift from month to month. We monitor the chart for your category so you know when your priority date is approaching.

The Final Step

When a visa number is available, and you are already in the United States in a valid status, you may be eligible to apply for adjustment of status instead of traveling abroad for consular processing. Travel during this period takes planning, so talk with us before booking anything.

Problems That Slow Down Employment-Based Cases

Most delays trace back to evidence rather than eligibility. Foreign degrees may need an evaluation showing U.S. equivalency, and employment letters from overseas often lack the detail an adjudicator expects.

Timing causes trouble as well. A change of employer, a promotion, or a layoff partway through a green card case can affect which filings remain valid, and dependent family members have their own deadlines to track.

None of these issues is unusual, and most can be addressed when they surface early. Our attorneys identify them at the start of a case and flag what your employer needs to gather before a filing goes out.

Frequently Asked Questions About Houston Corporate Immigration

Do I need a job offer to apply for an employment-based green card?

Usually, yes. Second- and third-preference cases are based on a permanent job offer from a U.S. employer. In the second-preference category, though, a petition may request a national-interest waiver of the job-offer and labor-certification requirements. Whether that option fits depends on your work and its importance to the country.

What is the difference between a work visa and an employment-based green card?

A work visa is temporary. It authorizes employment for a set period, usually with one sponsoring employer, and it ends unless you extend or change your status. Permanent residence is not limited to a single job, and it can open a path to citizenship eligibility later.

How long does the employment-based green card process take?

There is no single answer. Labor certification, petition processing, and visa availability each add time, and the total depends heavily on your preference category and country of birth. Applicants from countries with high demand often wait years after their petition is approved, while others move much faster.

Can I apply for a green card while I am already in the United States?

Often, yes. If you hold a valid status and a visa number is available in your category, you may be eligible to adjust status without leaving the country. Timing matters here, because a gap in status or an unplanned trip abroad can complicate an otherwise straightforward case.

Does my employer have to prove that no U.S. workers are available?

For most second- and third-preference cases, the employer goes through labor certification, which tests whether qualified U.S. workers are available at the required wage. The employer must also show that hiring a foreign worker will not harm the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.

How much does a corporate immigration case cost?

Costs depend on the category, the number of filings involved, and whether your employer covers part of them. Government filing fees are separate from attorney fees. During your case evaluation, we review the filings your situation is likely to require and what each one involves, so you can plan before anything is submitted.

Contact a Houston Corporate Immigration Lawyer Today

Employment-based immigration rewards early planning. The sooner you know which category fits your background, the sooner your employer can begin the filings that shape your timeline. Attorney Farah Kamal and the team at Kamal Law Firm, PLLC counsel workers and companies throughout Houston on H-1B petitions, intracompany transfers, employment-based green cards, investor cases, and employer compliance.

Bring your degree records, your job offer, and any prior filings to the first meeting. Our attorneys will review the status of your case and outline the options available to you.

Call our Houston corporate immigration lawyers at (713) 524-4529, or reach us through our contact page to schedule a case evaluation.