Julia L. Stommes, Managing PartnerMaking immigration a smooth journey for businesses and individuals is the Law Office of Julia L. Stommes’s mission. It specializes in helping U.S. companies hire and retain foreign nationals with a hands-on, personalized boutique approach with consistent attorney involvement that sets it apart.
A 100 percent woman-owned and operated immigration law firm, it has a distinguished team of legal professionals with over 30 years of expertise, predominantly in business immigration. It assists start-ups and Fortune 1000 companies in recruiting, hiring, and retaining foreign nationals on a temporary or permanent visa in the U.S.
“We take pride in our diverse team that believes in a holistic boutique approach to immigration, giving full attention to each case from start to finish. We are not an assembly-line practice,” says Julia L. Stommes, Managing Partner.
Stommes, a seasoned business immigration attorney with over 30 years’ experience working for some of the largest traditional and immigration law firms in the world, leads the team of specialists. Her legal assistant, Nathalia Melazi Gaputin, a Brazilian-trained attorney and U.S. Permanent Resident, aids foreign nationals with linguistic and empathetic support, drawing inspiration from her own immigration journey, originally coming to the U.S. as a J-1 Au Pair, and then falling in love and marrying a U.S. citizen.
Another legal assistant, Linda Harrell, has over 30 years of work experience from both the law firm and client side, and brings comprehensive immigration solutions to the firm using her corporate background. Blessing Kyaw, the billing assistant, leverages her personal journey through the U.S. asylum process when she was a child when her entire family emigrated to the U.S. and her multilingual proficiency to streamline the firm’s billing and administrative procedures, also enhances the team’s expertise in foreign student-related immigration matters.
The team’s dedication fosters strong client loyalty, with many repeat clients. High success rates and low rates of receiving Requests for Evidence are testaments to its expertise.
For hiring and retaining foreign nationals, the team conducts assessments, including a global overview, to ensure candidates meet hiring criteria currently and in the future. It guides clients on potential limitations like H-1B time constraints. The firm also assists with work permits, international transfers, and strategic long-term planning for employees.
The team offers consultations to foreign nationals contemplating personal or career shifts and second opinions to their employer’s immigration counsel to strategizing their futures. Also excelling in family-based immigration and naturalization, it supports U.S. citizens with immigration complexities concerning their foreign spouses or partners. It also facilitates outbound immigration for those transitioning from the U.S. to other countries.
The firm handles complex immigration cases like E-2 Treaty Investor visas, Blanket L-1s for multinational companies, and EB-1A and O-1A Extraordinary Ability visas for highly qualified candidates. Clients also receive advice and assistance on filing alternative visas, such E-3, TN, H-1B1, for countries like Australia, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, and Chile, alongside J-1 training visas for those dealing with time constraints or complex visa situations.
We take pride in our diverse team that believes in a holistic boutique approach to immigration, giving full attention to each case from start to finish. We are not an assembly-line practice
This was evident in a challenging case involving an Australian citizen originally on an E-3 visa and owning a minority stake in a U.S. business seeking a Green Card. Due to his ownership interest in his employer, he was ineligible for a PERM. The firm’s team secured EB-2 NIW and EB-1A approvals for him, along with a nonimmigrant back up strategy of an H-1B visa for him while waiting for his Green Card processing. The firm also assisted him with Covid protocols in many countries, as he traveled abroad frequently.
Looking ahead, the firm is expanding its footprint from San Francisco by opening an office in Dallas and diversifying services. The new initiative will offer consultations, templates, and instructional packages, empowering individuals to independently file Green Cards on their own.
The Law Office of Julia L. Stommes has become a beacon of hope and support for companies and individuals embarking on the immigration journey in the U.S. The firm’s global and holistic approach sets it apart as the go-to law firm for U.S. companies seeking to hire and retain skilled foreign talent.
