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Maryland Immigration Law
Maryland Business Immigration Attorney
Hiring a foreign worker in Maryland or moving to Maryland on a work visa puts you under federal rules that change often. The paperwork has no margin for error. A Maryland business immigration attorney helps you get the visa or green card approved the first time. Weak petitions cause delays, denials, and lost hires. Movahedi Law Group represents Maryland employers, foreign professionals, and investors in every major business immigration category. That includes H-1B and L-1 work visas, E-2 treaty investor visas, and employment-based green cards.
Attorney Babak Movahedi has practiced law for 35 years and has focused exclusively on immigration since 2018. He is admitted to the Maryland bar, the District of Columbia bar, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. His firm serves clients in Baltimore, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Frederick, and throughout Montgomery County and Prince George’s County.
Business immigration cases move on strict federal timelines. H-1B registration opens once a year. PERM labor certifications can stall for months at the Department of Labor. A missed deadline or a weak petition can cost your company its hire or cost a foreign professional the job entirely. Acting early gives your case the best chance of approval. Call (202) 255-3355 now to schedule a free consultation and get a clear plan for your Maryland business immigration matter.
Business immigration covers every visa and green card tied to work, investment, or company transfers. A Maryland business immigration attorney helps three groups. The first is Maryland employers who want to hire foreign talent. The second is foreign professionals with a job offer in Maryland. The third is investors and entrepreneurs starting or buying a Maryland business. Movahedi Law Group handles all three.
Each case type follows its own rules. An H-1B petition for a biotech company in the I-270 corridor looks nothing like an E-2 investor visa for a restaurant owner in Annapolis. A Maryland business immigration attorney matches the right visa to the facts. The wrong category wastes filing fees and months. Movahedi Law Group reviews every case at the start and tells you plainly whether the petition is likely to succeed.
Maryland employers who hire foreign workers must prove that the job qualifies and that the worker has the right background. Movahedi Law Group prepares H-1B petitions, L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 visas for workers with extraordinary ability, and employment-based green cards through the PERM labor certification process. The firm also handles Labor Condition Applications with the Department of Labor and responds to Requests for Evidence from USCIS.
Federal contractors, biotech firms, hospitals, tech companies, and universities across Maryland sponsor foreign workers every year. Each sponsorship carries wage obligations, recordkeeping duties, and public access file rules. Movahedi Law Group guides Maryland employers through those duties so the sponsorship holds up under a Department of Labor audit. The firm also advises on timing around the H-1B cap season and on how to structure roles to meet specialty occupation standards.
Small and mid-size Maryland businesses often skip business immigration because they assume only large companies can sponsor. That is not true. A Maryland employer with one foreign hire has the same access to H-1B, L-1, and PERM as a company with hundreds. Movahedi Law Group works with small Maryland businesses to make sponsorship practical and affordable.
Foreign professionals who land a job in Maryland face a different set of hurdles. You need to qualify personally for the visa, maintain lawful status during the transition, and plan ahead for your spouse and children. Movahedi Law Group represents engineers, doctors, researchers, IT professionals, and executives coming to Maryland on H-1B, L-1, O-1, and E-2 visas.
The firm also helps foreign professionals change employers, extend their status, and move from a non-immigrant work visa to a green card. Each step has filing windows and status rules that can trip up even experienced workers. One missed extension can cost you years of progress toward a green card. Movahedi Law Group tracks every deadline, so your status stays clean.
Investors and entrepreneurs have their own set of visa options. The E-2 treaty investor visa lets nationals of treaty countries run a business they own in Maryland. The EB-5 immigrant investor green card requires a larger investment but leads to permanent residence. Each option has different capital, job creation, and ownership rules.
Movahedi Law Group reviews your business plan, investment documentation, and source of funds before filing. Many investor cases fail because the paperwork does not show how the money was earned lawfully or because the business plan lacks the required job projections. The firm prepares the full package, so your Maryland investment stands up to USCIS review. If you already own a Maryland business and want to bring in foreign managers or transferees, Movahedi Law Group handles that side too.
The H-1B visa is the most common work visa used by Maryland employers. It covers specialty occupation jobs that require at least a bachelor’s degree in a specific field. Software engineers, biomedical researchers, accountants, architects, and doctors all qualify under the H-1B rules. Maryland sees heavy H-1B demand from biotech companies along I-270, federal contractors near Fort Meade, and health systems across Baltimore and Montgomery County.
Movahedi Law Group prepares H-1B petitions for Maryland employers of every size. The firm handles the full filing, from the Labor Condition Application through the final USCIS decision. If USCIS issues a Request for Evidence, Movahedi Law Group drafts the response and defends the specialty occupation claim. Attorney Babak Movahedi has filed H-1B petitions in every major industry represented in Maryland, including pharma, defense, finance, and higher education.
H-1B qualification has two parts. The job must qualify, and the worker must qualify. The job must require a bachelor’s degree or higher in a specific field as a minimum entry requirement. The worker must hold that degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Both sides must line up before USCIS will approve the petition.
Maryland employers sometimes assume a generic college degree qualifies any worker for any position. It does not. The degree field must match the job duties. A chemistry graduate hired into a software engineering role will not qualify on a bachelor’s degree alone. Movahedi Law Group reviews the job description, the worker’s credentials, and the connection between them before filing.
USCIS defines a specialty occupation as one that requires theoretical and practical application of highly specialized knowledge. The position must require at least a bachelor’s degree in a specific field. Maryland employers must document why the role requires that degree and why the worker holds the right background. A weak specialty occupation argument is the top reason H-1B petitions get denied.
Recent USCIS rulemaking has tightened the specialty occupation test. Petitions now need stronger evidence linking the degree field to the job duties. Movahedi Law Group writes the petition cover letter to address the current standard directly. The firm also pulls supporting evidence from Department of Labor occupational data, industry hiring norms, and company-specific job analyses.
Many H-1B candidates earned their degrees outside the United States. USCIS accepts foreign degrees if a credential evaluation confirms the equivalency. The evaluation must come from an accepted evaluator and must match the U.S. degree standard for the role. Movahedi Law Group arranges credential evaluations as part of the H-1B package.
Workers without a formal degree can sometimes qualify through the three-for-one rule. Three years of progressive work experience can substitute for one year of college. Movahedi Law Group documents the experience through employer letters, pay records, and project descriptions. That evidence must be specific and verifiable, not generic.
The H-1B visa has a hard annual cap. USCIS issues 65,000 regular H-1B visas plus 20,000 more for workers with U.S. master’s degrees or higher. Registration opens once a year in March. USCIS runs a random lottery because demand far exceeds supply. Last fiscal year, USCIS received roughly 480,000 registrations for 85,000 slots.
Maryland employers who miss the March registration window wait a full year for the next lottery. That timing matters. If your company needs the hire in place by fall, you must register by the deadline the prior spring. Movahedi Law Group handles the registration, the lottery selection, and the full petition once USCIS selects your worker.
USCIS selects registrations at random. A worker selected in the regular cap lottery moves forward with a standard H-1B petition. A worker with a U.S. master’s degree or higher gets two chances at selection. First in the master’s cap pool, then in the regular pool if not picked. That double entry improves the odds for Maryland professionals who hold advanced degrees from schools like Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland, or Georgetown.
Registration fees are small, but selection is not guaranteed. Many Maryland employers register several candidates in the same season to improve overall odds. Movahedi Law Group advises on which candidates to register and how to document the employment offer at the registration stage.
Some Maryland employers do not face the H-1B cap at all. Universities, nonprofit research organizations affiliated with universities, and government research institutions are cap-exempt. A worker hired by a cap-exempt employer can file an H-1B petition at any time of year with no lottery. Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland, and NIH-affiliated institutions are common examples.
Cap-exempt status also extends to certain joint hires. A worker employed partly at a cap-exempt institution and partly at a private company can sometimes use the cap-exempt pathway. The structure must meet strict USCIS rules. Movahedi Law Group reviews the employment arrangement and advises Maryland employers on whether a cap-exempt filing is available.
Before an H-1B petition reaches USCIS, the employer must certify a Labor Condition Application with the Department of Labor. The LCA commits the employer to four things. Pay the prevailing wage for the role. Maintain working conditions for U.S. workers. Post notice of the filing. Confirm there is no strike or lockout at the worksite.
Maryland prevailing wages come from Department of Labor surveys for the specific occupation and geographic area. The wage level depends on the worker’s experience and the job duties. A Maryland employer who underpays an H-1B worker faces back wages, fines, and debarment from sponsoring future H-1B workers. Movahedi Law Group sets the correct wage level at the LCA stage to avoid those consequences.
Every H-1B employer must maintain a public access file for each sponsored worker. The file includes the LCA, wage documentation, the actual wage paid, and proof of the required notice posting. The file must be available for inspection within one working day of a Department of Labor request. Missing files trigger fines during a DOL audit.
Maryland employers often set up public access files incorrectly. Common mistakes include incomplete wage records, missing notice postings, and files stored only in electronic form without backup. Movahedi Law Group provides Maryland employers with a compliance checklist and file template at the start of every H-1B sponsorship.
H-1B workers can change employers through a process called H-1B portability. The new Maryland employer files a fresh H-1B petition. The worker can start the new job as soon as USCIS receives the petition, even before approval. That rule gives Maryland workers real mobility during their H-1B years.
Portability has rules. The worker must be in lawful H-1B status at the time of filing. The new petition must be filed before the current status ends. If the worker’s status lapses before the filing, portability is lost. Movahedi Law Group files portability petitions quickly and confirms status history before the transfer.
H-1B status runs for an initial three years and can extend to six. After six years, most workers must leave the United States for a year before filing again. The big exception is for workers with a green card process already underway. A pending PERM labor certification or approved I-140 can unlock extensions past the six-year cap in one-year or three-year increments.
Maryland employers who plan to keep a worker long-term should start the green card process early. Starting PERM in year four of H-1B status leaves time to file the I-140 and preserve extensions past year six. Starting late forces a gap and can cost the company the hire. Movahedi Law Group builds an H-1B extension and green card timeline at the start of sponsorship so the sequence lines up.
USCIS offers premium processing on most H-1B petitions. The service guarantees a decision within 15 business days in exchange for a filing fee. Maryland employers use premium processing for urgent start dates, cap petitions with fall deadlines, and portability filings where the worker needs fast confirmation. Movahedi Law Group recommends premium processing on a case-by-case basis based on timing and cost.
The L-1 visa lets a multinational company move a foreign employee to a U.S. office. The worker must have been employed abroad by a related company for at least one year in the last three. That related company can be a parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate of the Maryland employer. L-1 is a strong option when the H-1B cap is closed or when a company needs to move an executive quickly.
Movahedi Law Group represents Maryland companies moving employees from offices in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The firm prepares the petition, documents the corporate relationship, and proves the worker’s qualifying role abroad. Attorney Babak Movahedi draws on his international background and his years of international business practice to handle complex corporate structures. Companies in the I-270 corridor, downtown Baltimore, and the BWI area use L-1 regularly to bring in managers and specialists.
The L-1A visa covers executives and managers. An executive directs the management of the company or a major function. A manager supervises professional employees or manages an essential function of the business. Either role must be more than day-to-day operations. USCIS looks for real authority over people, budgets, or strategic direction.
L-1A workers can stay in the United States for up to seven years. The visa also opens a direct path to an EB-1C green card for multinational executives and managers. EB-1C is one of the fastest employment-based green card categories because it does not require PERM labor certification. Maryland companies that plan to keep an executive long term often pair L-1A with an EB-1C filing after the worker has been in the U.S. role for a year.
USCIS denies L-1A petitions when the duties look like hands-on work instead of management. A manager who spends most of the day coding, selling, or serving customers will not qualify. The petition must show how the worker’s time breaks down between management and non-management tasks. Organizational charts, job descriptions, and subordinate employee records all matter.
Movahedi Law Group prepares the organizational evidence before filing. The firm maps reporting lines on both sides of the transfer, documents the worker’s decision-making authority, and ties the role to measurable business functions. That groundwork makes the petition resistant to Requests for Evidence.
The L-1B visa covers employees with specialized knowledge of the company’s products, processes, or procedures. Specialized knowledge means something beyond general industry knowledge. The worker must know something specific to the employer that other workers would take significant time to learn. Examples include proprietary software systems, internal manufacturing processes, and company-specific methodologies.
L-1B status runs for up to five years. The visa is harder to win than the L-1A because USCIS scrutinizes the specialized knowledge claim closely. Generic technical skills do not qualify. Movahedi Law Group builds the specialized knowledge argument with internal training records, product documentation, and evidence of the worker’s unique contributions abroad.
USCIS often denies L-1B petitions that describe the worker as merely skilled or experienced. The petition must show knowledge that is both specialized and proprietary. Another common denial ground is the third-party placement issue. An L-1B worker placed at a client site must be controlled and supervised by the petitioning employer, not the client. Maryland companies that provide consulting services to federal contractors need to structure the placement carefully.
Movahedi Law Group reviews the placement structure before filing. The firm confirms who sets the worker’s daily tasks, who evaluates performance, and who pays wages. Those facts decide whether the L-1B holds up under USCIS review.
A foreign company without an existing U.S. office may still use the L-1 category to launch one. The new office L-1 applies to businesses expanding into the United States for the first time. It follows a different set of requirements than a standard L-1 petition. The company must secure physical office space in Maryland before filing. The petition should also include a business plan that shows how the office is expected to develop during its first year.
New office L-1 approvals run for one year initially. Before the year ends, the company must file an extension and prove the office is up and running. That extension filing is critical. Offices that look like shells, with no revenue or staff, get denied at extension. Movahedi Law Group helps Maryland startups plan hiring, revenue milestones, and office infrastructure before the one-year review.
USCIS looks at concrete proof of operations. A commercial lease for Maryland office space is almost always required. Virtual office addresses rarely hold up. Payroll records for U.S. employees, bank statements showing business activity, and tax filings all help. Marketing materials and client contracts add weight.
Maryland foreign companies opening a first U.S. office should treat the one-year extension like a milestone from day one. Every month of operation builds the evidence file. Movahedi Law Group coordinates with the company’s accountants and HR team so the extension petition has real documentation, not hopeful projections.
Business immigration questions come up at every stage of a case. Maryland employers ask about cost and timing. Foreign professionals ask about visa options and family members. Investors ask about capital requirements and business plans. The answers below cover the questions Movahedi Law Group hears most often from Maryland clients. Each answer is general. Your case may have facts that change the outcome, which is why a free consultation is the right next step.
The rules behind these answers come from federal statutes, USCIS policy, and Department of Labor regulations. Those rules change often. Policies that applied last year may not apply this year. Movahedi Law Group stays current on every change because immigration is the firm’s only practice area. Call (202) 255-3355 if you want an answer tailored to your Maryland business immigration case.
Legal fees for Maryland business immigration cases vary by visa type and complexity. H-1B petitions, L-1 transfers, and E-2 investor visas each carry different fee structures. Movahedi Law Group uses flat fees for most business immigration matters, so you know the cost up front. There are no hourly surprises after the retainer is signed.
Government filing fees are separate from attorney fees. USCIS charges fees for Form I-129, Form I-140, and premium processing. The Department of Labor does not charge for PERM or LCA filings. Maryland employers pay the USCIS fees for H-1B and L-1 petitions. The worker can pay green card fees in many categories. Movahedi Law Group gives every client a written fee breakdown at the consultation so there is no confusion about who pays what.
Yes. Maryland employers can sponsor foreign workers for employment-based green cards. The most common path runs through PERM labor certification and the EB-2 or EB-3 preference category. The employer tests the Maryland labor market, files the PERM with the Department of Labor, and then files Form I-140 with USCIS after PERM approval.
Not every Maryland employer chooses sponsorship for every worker. Green card sponsorship takes years and costs money. Employers usually sponsor workers they plan to keep long-term. Some Maryland companies sponsor every H-1B worker after a probationary period. Others sponsor only senior hires. Movahedi Law Group helps Maryland employers set sponsorship policies that fit the business.
Workers in Maryland who want a green card sometimes have options that do not require employer sponsorship. The EB-2 National Interest Waiver lets qualified workers self-petition based on the national importance of their work. The EB-1A extraordinary ability category also allows self-petition. A Maryland business immigration attorney can tell you whether those self-petition paths are realistic for your background.
H-1B and L-1 both allow foreign workers to work in Maryland, but they apply in different situations. H-1B is for any specialty occupation job with any qualifying U.S. employer. L-1 is only for workers transferring from a related foreign office of the same multinational company. A worker who has never been employed abroad cannot use L-1. A worker who has no U.S. job offer cannot use an H-1 B.
H-1B is subject to the annual cap lottery for most workers. L-1 has no cap and no lottery. A Maryland company that missed the H-1B registration window can still move a qualifying worker on an L-1 at any time of the year. That timing advantage matters when a hire needs to start within weeks rather than months.
H-1B allows dual intent, which means the worker can pursue a green card without losing the visa. L-1 also allows dual intent. Both visas work well as stepping stones to permanent residence. L-1A in particular feeds into the EB-1C multinational executive and manager green card, which bypasses PERM labor certification.
Yes. U.S. immigration law is federal, not state. Attorney Babak Movahedi is licensed to handle immigration matters in all 50 states. The firm’s office is in Washington DC, but the practice serves clients in Maryland, Virginia, and across the country. Business immigration cases for clients in California, Texas, New York, and every other state run through the same federal agencies and the same federal rules.
Movahedi Law Group operates as a virtual firm. Intake is streamlined through a single client questionnaire. Consultations happen by phone or video. Documents are moved by secure electronic transfer. That model works well for busy Maryland employers, foreign professionals juggling time zones, and investors who travel often. You do not need to come to the office to start or finish a case.
The firm keeps a strong focus on the Washington DC metro area, including Maryland and Virginia, because the local immigration courts, USCIS field offices, and consulates matter for scheduling and strategy. If your Maryland case needs in-person appearances at the Baltimore USCIS field office or at the immigration court in Hyattsville, the firm handles those appearances directly.
Business immigration cases move on federal timelines that do not wait. The H-1B registration window closes once a year. PERM labor certification can take months before the green card process even begins. An E-2 investor visa filing depends on capital that must already be committed before USCIS will approve the petition. Waiting to call an attorney costs real time on every one of these cases. Speak with Movahedi Law Group to get a clear plan for your Maryland business immigration matter.
The free consultation covers your options, realistic timelines, and fees. You will talk directly with Attorney Babak Movahedi. He has 35 years of legal experience, has focused exclusively on immigration since 2018, and is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. You will not be handed off to a case manager during the first call. The conversation is honest and specific to your Maryland case.
Movahedi Law Group represents Maryland employers, foreign professionals, and investors throughout Baltimore, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Frederick, and every county in the state. The firm also handles business immigration matters for clients across the country. Call (202) 255-3355 today or book an initial phone call through the firm’s Calendly page. A Maryland business immigration attorney is ready to help you move forward.
Need an immigration attorney? Movahedi Law Group helps clients handle every stage of the U.S. immigration process. With more than 30 years of legal experience, attorney Babak Movahedi works directly with you to resolve your case.
Need an immigration attorney? Movahedi Law Group helps clients handle every stage of the U.S. immigration process. With more than 30 years of legal experience, attorney Babak Movahedi works directly with you to resolve your case.