Vcard
PDFJames B. Wood, Esquire leads the Business Immigration Law Team. Jimmy is a Virginia Beach native, admitted to the Supreme Court of Virginia, who brings relevant prior experience in immigration matters. Jimmy also advises and represents businesses and employers in various aspects of the employment relationship. In addition, he represents property owners and managers in a variety of Fair Housing and Public Accommodation matters.
Jimmy graduated cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Hampden-Sydney College, where he graduated magna cum laude and won the James Madison Award for Distinction in the Government Major.
He previously worked for the U.S. Department of State in The Kingdom of the Netherlands, where he was an intern for the Consulate General and assisted U.S. Consular Officers with adjudications of applications for U.S. visas. While in law school, Jimmy worked in the immigration practice group of a Richmond law firm, where he gained experience with a variety of business immigration matters, including H-1B visas, L-1 visas, and green card cases. He kept clients informed of developments in their immigration cases, and he handled immigration-related communications with government agencies including divisions of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, such as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He also communicated with U.S. Consulate Offices in other countries concerning visa applications.
Through his education and prior experience, Jimmy has acquired knowledge of government operations at the federal, state, and local level. In addition to his work with the U.S. Department of State, Jimmy worked with a variety of federal, state, and local government officials, including the Virginia Beach Sheriff, a Delegate to the Virginia House of Delegates, and the former U.S. Maritime Administrator (who later served as Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia). In 2013, Jimmy won the “Pundit” Award from The Virginia Public Access Project by predicting outcomes for statewide elections and contested General Assembly seats.
As the leader of the Business Immigration Law Team, Jimmy provides a wide array of legal services to employers and foreign employees seeking U.S. immigration benefits. His work includes numerous types of nonimmigrant visa cases, employment-based green card cases, and work before the U.S. Department of Labor in handling applications for permanent labor certification for hard-to-fill job positions. Jimmy communicates directly with clients and helps develop strategies that will meet an employer’s business needs, consistent with the applicable requirements and regulations under U.S. immigration law.
Practice Areas
Experience
- Represent clients in nonimmigrant visa cases, including H-1B, L-1, E, and B-1, before pertinent agencies such as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Consulate offices in other nations.
- Represent employers before the United States Department of Labor in relation to Labor Condition Applications and related obligations for H-1B petitions on behalf of their employees.
- Advises employers concerning compliance with United States Department of Labor requirements in relation to Applications for Permanent Employment Certification (PERM) on behalf of their employees.
- Prepare immigrant petitions for employment-based and family-based green card cases.
- Represent employers facing charges of discrimination before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission involving alleged discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination.
- Represent employers before various agencies including, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, and OSHA.
- Advise employers about legal issues involving employees, including Form I-9 issues and I-9 audits conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- Draft and review employment policies and related documents.
- Represent landlords and property managers in fair housing matters before various federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights.
- Advise landlords and property managers on issues related to fair housing matters.
- Represented a political candidate in an election Recount and the associated recount proceedings.
- Advise clients concerning Applications for Adjustment of Status or Consular Processing in order to obtain Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status.
- Analyze rights and issues under the Child Status Protection Act to assist families with children who would otherwise age out of eligibility for derivative status.
- Represent clients before the United States Coast Guard to obtain Letters of Determination for foreign workers destined to perform services on oil rigs on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and provide advice about related immigration procedures.
- Guide employers concerning compliance with U.S. immigration and employment laws.
- Provide advice to Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) of the United States concerning steps to maintain their LPR status.
- Assist foreign nationals seeking to become U.S. citizens through applications for naturalization.
- Advise foreign students about maintenance of their F-1 status in the United States and advise employers about employing foreign students in OPT and STEM extension status.
- Assist dependent family members in maintaining their lawful nonimmigrant status by filing I-539 applications to extend H-4, L-2, or other types of derivative status.
- Provide guidance to travelers eligible for expedited security processing through the TSA Pre-Check Program and expedited customs and immigration clearance through the CBP Global Entry “Trusted Traveler” Program (also called Known Travelers).