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I wanted to get some anecdotal experience about firms that are H1B friendly. Given the political environment, are firms tightening up? Are any firms better than others for visas?

From what I can gather online, I'm not seeing a ton of public record visas for lawyers:
http://h1bdata.us/?em=&job_title=lawyer ... imit=10000

You can find out the number of visa sponsorship made by each firm on this website: http://www.myvisajobs.com. [quote][/quote]

I would say the political environment might be a good thing for international JD graduates. If the minimum salary for H1B visas increases, the number of applicants would drop significantly, which in turn increases the chances for obtaining visas for jobs with biglaw.

Why would the number of applicants drop as salaries increase? I'm assuming because employers would sponsor fewer H1B's as opposed to fewer applicants.

I dont like the myvisajobs site, it looks like it's from the early 2000's. h1bdata.us just seems simpler and easier to search for what I need. Surprisingly Skadden seems to hire a lot of counsel, much more than others:
http://h1bdata.us/?em=skadden&job_title ... imit=10000
http://h1bdata.us/?em=LATHAM%20WATKINS% ... imit=10000

Anonymous User wrote:I would say the political environment might be a good thing for international JD graduates. If the minimum salary for H1B visas increases, the number of applicants would drop significantly, which in turn increases the chances for obtaining visas for jobs with biglaw.

This is correct coz H1B abuse is by tech companies based on cheap labor and the current salary requirement, set in the 90s, is 65-70K/year (I may be off a bit on that figure though.) The proposed requirement is ~130k and if that comes about, tech companies are surely gonna scale back on international IT/tech professionals, thereby significantly reducing the H1B subscription.

Accidental anon; freekick here.

I've been informed that Davis Polk is H1B friendly and Paul Weiss is not

Kasowitz.

Latham is H1B friendly

Secondhand source: Ropes and Debevoise are not.

Wachtell is H1B friendly; as of a few years ago, Cleary was not.

KijiStewart wrote:I've been informed that Davis Polk is H1B friendly and Paul Weiss is not

Paul Weiss is definitely H1B friendly. There is so much wrong info on this thread.

What is "H1B friendly" exactly? Does it mean that they just don't let you through the door at EIP? If so: how would you know. I doubt they would be open. Or would they revoke their offer? Which I've never heard happen.I know plenty of people with H1B needs who have gone to a whole number of firms.

KijiStewart wrote:I've been informed that Davis Polk is H1B friendly and Paul Weiss is not

I know several people who are at PW and would need H1Bs so this can't be right.

I have to imagine that any of the major firms would be open to H1B sponsorship. Especially those with significant international presence.

TheoO wrote:What is "H1B friendly" exactly? Does it mean that they just don't let you through the door at EIP? If so: how would you know. I doubt they would be open. Or would they revoke their offer? Which I've never heard happen.I know plenty of people with H1B needs who have gone to a whole number of firms.

KijiStewart wrote:I've been informed that Davis Polk is H1B friendly and Paul Weiss is not

I know several people who are at PW and would need H1Bs so this can't be right.

I have to imagine that any of the major firms would be open to H1B sponsorship. Especially those with significant international presence.

Sorry. It may be that PW is not friendly for green card sponsorship.

Some of the firms named above do not match one of the links given above: http://www.myvisajobs.com/Lawyers_3-2016OC.htm

Also worth noting that the site lists the number of application filed by the firm, but does not list the number of international applicants the firm has in its pool and the number of international applicants the firm receives in the year.

Anonymous User wrote:Some of the firms named above do not match one of the links given above: http://www.myvisajobs.com/Lawyers_3-2016OC.htm

Also worth noting that the site lists the number of application filed by the firm, but does not list the number of international applicants the firm has in its pool and the number of international applicants the firm receives in the year.

Are you suggesting that firms sponsor some, but not all, of their foreign associates? No halfway decent firm concerned about its reputation would pull something like that.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Some of the firms named above do not match one of the links given above: http://www.myvisajobs.com/Lawyers_3-2016OC.htm

Also worth noting that the site lists the number of application filed by the firm, but does not list the number of international applicants the firm has in its pool and the number of international applicants the firm receives in the year.

Are you suggesting that firms sponsor some, but not all, of their foreign associates? No halfway decent firm concerned about its reputation would pull something like that.

For H-1B, of course. There's no reason to hire someone if you aren't going to sponsor them for H-1B. But this is absolutely what happens for green cards. The H-1B visa lasts for six years, so sponsorship for a green card doesn't happen until associates are in their 6th year. At that point, most firms would only sponsor associates who they are seriously considering for partner.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Some of the firms named above do not match one of the links given above: http://www.myvisajobs.com/Lawyers_3-2016OC.htm

Also worth noting that the site lists the number of application filed by the firm, but does not list the number of international applicants the firm has in its pool and the number of international applicants the firm receives in the year.

Are you suggesting that firms sponsor some, but not all, of their foreign associates? No halfway decent firm concerned about its reputation would pull something like that.

For H-1B, of course. There's no reason to hire someone if you aren't going to sponsor them for H-1B. But this is absolutely what happens for green cards. The H-1B visa lasts for six years, so sponsorship for a green card doesn't happen until associates are in their 6th year. At that point, most firms would only sponsor associates who they are seriously considering for partner.

Oh, right. Yes that's probably true.

H1B friendly? Meaning the firm sponsors your visa twice?
Many top firms, especially the ones with global practice, tend to be H1B friendly.
When I went to a callback interview at PW few years ago, a partner raised my visa issue during an interview. She emphasized how important that issue is and that if I don't get H1B, I would have to leave the country and maybe work in HK or London. She gave me the impression that at that firm, there is no second shot at the H1B lottery.
The H1B policy varies by firm and so it is important that foreigners ask questions about visa policy directly to the firms.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Some of the firms named above do not match one of the links given above: http://www.myvisajobs.com/Lawyers_3-2016OC.htm

Also worth noting that the site lists the number of application filed by the firm, but does not list the number of international applicants the firm has in its pool and the number of international applicants the firm receives in the year.

Are you suggesting that firms sponsor some, but not all, of their foreign associates? No halfway decent firm concerned about its reputation would pull something like that.

For H-1B, of course. There's no reason to hire someone if you aren't going to sponsor them for H-1B. But this is absolutely what happens for green cards. The H-1B visa lasts for six years, so sponsorship for a green card doesn't happen until associates are in their 6th year. At that point, most firms would only sponsor associates who they are seriously considering for partner.

Not necessarily true - know of at least 2 firms (S&C and K&E) who will consider sponsoring for a green card after the first 3-year H-1B period expires.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Some of the firms named above do not match one of the links given above: http://www.myvisajobs.com/Lawyers_3-2016OC.htm

Also worth noting that the site lists the number of application filed by the firm, but does not list the number of international applicants the firm has in its pool and the number of international applicants the firm receives in the year.

Are you suggesting that firms sponsor some, but not all, of their foreign associates? No halfway decent firm concerned about its reputation would pull something like that.

No that's not what i am suggesting. Sorry for being unclear.

I am simply suggesting that the number of H1B sponsored by the firm is not sufficient to tell whether the firm should be considered "international friendly", we also need to consider how many internationals they screened etc.

I'm at PW currently and many associates, including myself, are being sponsored for H1Bs. Additionally, they've also approved me for the green card, and I've just started that process with our outside immigration counsel. The partner in my group told me that PW used to be less green card friendly but that is now changing. I'm guessing the reasons are the political climate and the fact that we're trying to hire more people, especially in the transactional groups.

Anonymous User wrote:I'm at PW currently and many associates, including myself, are being sponsored for H1Bs. Additionally, they've also approved me for the green card, and I've just started that process with our outside immigration counsel. The partner in my group told me that PW used to be less green card friendly but that is now changing. I'm guessing the reasons are the political climate and the fact that we're trying to hire more people, especially in the transactional groups.

Any idea if the H1B sponsorship/green card sponsorship is being made available to Canadians as well? Also, curious how senior you are that they're sponsoring for a green card.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I'm at PW currently and many associates, including myself, are being sponsored for H1Bs. Additionally, they've also approved me for the green card, and I've just started that process with our outside immigration counsel. The partner in my group told me that PW used to be less green card friendly but that is now changing. I'm guessing the reasons are the political climate and the fact that we're trying to hire more people, especially in the transactional groups.

Any idea if the H1B sponsorship/green card sponsorship is being made available to Canadians as well? Also, curious how senior you are that they're sponsoring for a green card.

Not OP but I know a couple of Canadians who were sponsored at Debevoise.

The last person I know who got a green card here was Canadian. He told me though that there's no strict policy on it, and it's on a partner-by-partner basis, i.e., it would help to have a good relationship with a partner who can push for these sorts of things for you. The partner who approved his green card also approved mine. He was a third year when he asked for it and I was a fourth year (last year) when I did (and that partner told me I should've asked for it earlier).

H1B sponsorship is really not an issue at all, just a matter of whether you win the lottery. But I know PW will transfer people who don't get through that lottery to our Toronto office while they try again the following year.

FWIW, recruiters I've talked to have told me this is not a big issue for PW peer firms either.