Immigration Lead

Who we are: BAL is a team of brilliant people who change lives through elite immigration work and collaborative innovation. We pursue the exceptional in all that we do, but never at the expense of our values. There’s no denying our work is demanding, both in volume and pace, but we’re up for the challenge. We love the balance of hard work and fun – so, you’ll see us in jeans as we shatter glass ceilings and conventional stereotypes. BAL employees feel valued, rewarded, and respected. We seek opportunities to be of service to others and our communities. We are committed to your growth and development, and want to set you up for success here at BAL and beyond.

Who you are: You are looking for work that has a purpose. You aren’t afraid to roll up your sleeves and get stuff done. You learn quickly. You move fast. You embrace challenge and detail as well as creative thinking. You believe you have something unique to contribute and you aren’t afraid to raise your hand. You understand that powering human achievement is ultimately about impacting a real person. You are looking for a place to grow and an environment where everyone has a spot and is genuinely welcome.

We’re better together: A bright, driven person like you and an industry-leading powerhouse like BAL? It’s a perfect combination! We truly want to see you succeed here and become an integral part of our mission to provide an experience that makes a positive difference in people’s lives. Come be a part of something special, where you can have an impact and be valued just for being you!

In addition to competitive pay, a discretionary annual bonus, and a supportive, team oriented culture, we offer an outstanding benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, sick time, unlimited vacation, and 401(k) with company match.

OVERVIEW: The Immigration Lead is an experienced legal delivery professional responsible for supporting program implementation, coordinating daily operations across assigned immigration programs, and developing team capabilities. Reporting to an Immigration Manager, this role focuses on driving workflow efficiency, supporting program visibility and reporting, and reinforcing delivery standards across teams. The Lead serves as a tactical liaison between clients, HR partners, and internal legal teams while providing mentorship, quality support, and operational problem‑solving. This role requires strong judgment, subject matter mastery, and the ability to support both program performance and team development.

Time is broadly allocated for Operational Coordination, Reporting & Program Management (60%), Team Support, Mentorship & Quality Review (30%), and Process Improvement & Firmwide Knowledge Sharing (10%). Success in the role is demonstrated through effective operational coordination, strong program and client support, proactive issue identification, and the ability to mentor team members to improve overall delivery quality.

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PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supports the execution of day‑to‑day immigration program activities by monitoring case queues, adjusting task assignments, and ensuring work progresses according to team workload and timelines.
• Identifies workflow slowdowns at the case or team level and recommends immediate adjustments to maintain consistency and meet service expectations.
• Applies established workflows, templates, and client‑specific procedures to ensure cases are handled consistently and in line with firm standards.
• Provides feedback to the Manager on recurring issues, potential process improvements, and needed updates to tools or instructions.
• Handles routine client and HR partner communications regarding case status, required documents, and next steps, escalating more complex or sensitive matters to the Manager or attorney as appropriate.
• Supports preparation for client touchpoints by gathering updates, metrics, or case summaries as requested by the Manager.
• Provides foundational coaching to Immigration Consultants by reviewing work for accuracy, offering guidance on case preparation, and reinforcing team and client expectations.
• Flags recurring quality issues, training gaps, or workflow confusion to the Manager or Partner to support broader team development efforts.
• Identifies case‑level problems, missing information, or timeline risks early and communicates them promptly to attorneys or leadership for resolution.
• Distinguishes which issues can be solved at the team level and which require escalation, exercising appropriate judgment in determining next steps.
• Utilizes strong subject‑matter knowledge of core immigration products (H‑1B, TN, L‑1, PERM, I‑140, AOS, and common RFE and writing intensive projects) to guide Immigration Consultants work quality and ensure accurate case handling.
• Recognizes when less common or more complex case types require attorney involvement or higher‑level review.
• Contributes observations and suggestions to help refine workflows, SOPs, or tools based on front‑line experience.
• Participates in piloting new processes or tools before they are rolled out to the team.

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QUALIFICATIONS:

Skills and Abilities:

• Workflow & Operational Oversight: Adjusts timelines, tasks, and team workload to support delivery consistency and quality.
• Client Program Coordination: Facilitates client‑specific processes and ensures alignment across internal legal delivery teams.
• Coaching & Quality Support: Provides real‑time feedback, guidance, and supports Immigration Consultants team members to reinforce legal and service standards.
• Issue Identification & Escalation: Recognizes recurring problems and communicates solutions proactively to attorneys and legal support leadership.
• Subject Matter Mastery: Demonstrates strong knowledge of primary immigration product areas, including H‑1B, TN, L‑1, I‑140, AOS, PERM, and complex writing and RFEs, with foundational knowledge of NIW, O‑1, and other lower‑volume case types.
• Operational Judgement: Exercises discretion in identifying workflow exceptions and determining when escalation is required.
• Team Collaboration: Works effectively with cross‑functional teams to enhance delivery efficiency and support program outcomes.
• Process Adherence & Improvement: Upholds firm processes while contributing to workflow optimization and operational consistency.
• Client Communication: Communicates clearly, professionally, and proactively with clients and internal partners.

Minimum Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree; OR
• 7–9 years of business immigration experience; OR
• A combination of education and experience that together demonstrates readiness for the role.

Candidates may qualify through various pathways. A bachelor’s degree paired with fewer than 7–9 years of experience may be sufficient, as may extensive, relevant business immigration experience in lieu of a degree. An appropriate combination of education and experience is also acceptable, provided the candidate can demonstrate mastery of the required skills, responsibilities, and product/practice areas.

Note: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with this job.

Berry Appleman & Leiden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of BAL to ensure an equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, alienage or citizenship status, marital status, creed, genetic predisposition or carrier status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law. BAL prohibits and will not tolerate any such discrimination or harassment.

BAL does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. BAL is under no obligation to pay any referral compensation or recruiter fee in the absence of a current executed Recruitment Services Agreement. In the event a recruiter or agency submits an unsolicited resume or candidate without an agreement, BAL reserves the right to pursue and hire said candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, shall be deemed the property of BAL. If your agency would like to be considered as a potential recruiting partner, please forward your contact information to Recruitment@BAL.com.