Employment-Based Immigration and Family-Based Immigration
Experienced Immigration Attorney
Attorney Shelly Principe founded Principe Immigration Law to help employers and their international employees obtain work visas in the most effective and cost-efficient manner.
With over a decade of experience in immigration law including working at one of the largest corporate immigration law firms in the world, Shelly knew she could offer a superior immigration processing experience to clients.
By combining big-firm know-how with boutique-firm attention to detail, Principe Immigration Law clients will find Shelly to be a strong advocate who will lead them through the visa approval process via the pathway that makes the most sense for them. Shelly’s clients include universities, faculty members, extraordinary ability individuals, and companies of all sizes from large multinational to entrepreneurial start-ups.
U.S. Immigration Solutions
Employment-Based Immigration
U.S. immigration law gives several pathways for international workers to enter the United States for employment on a temporary or permanent basis. Lawful permanent residency allows a foreign national to work and live lawfully and permanently in the United States. Principe Immigration Law offers clients Shelly’s proven track record of helping companies and individuals facilitate both non-immigrant and immigrant work visa options through creative visa solutions and strategies that lead to successful outcomes.
Family-Based Immigration
Since the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1965, legal immigration to the United States is based on either family ties or the work skills of prospective immigrants. Under current immigration law, the family-based immigration category allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) or “green card” holders to bring certain family members to the United States. There are 480,000 family-based visas available every year. Principe Immigration Law helps family-based immigrants gain entry to the U.S.
Citizenship & Naturalization
Immigrants who acquired lawful permanent resident status through employment may apply for U.S. citizenship after five years; if gained through marriage to a U.S. citizen, citizenship may be gained after three years. Applicants for citizenship must fulfill certain requirements such as residence and physical presence; good moral character; knowledge of the English language, U.S. history and government; and loyalty to the U.S. The greatest benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen include the right to vote and travel throughout the world on a U.S. passport. U.S. citizens are also permitted to petition for their parents, siblings, or married children.
Shelly Principe, Managing Director & Founder
Shelly Principe limits her practice to U.S. immigration law, focusing on corporate immigration law and procedure. She represents individual clients, start-ups, and multinational companies on all aspects of immigrant and nonimmigrant strategy and preparation with a focus on corporate compliance.
Her practice includes employment-based nonimmigrant visas such as the E-1 Treaty Trader, E-2 Treaty Investor, L-1 Intra-Company Transferee, H-1B Specialty Occupation Worker, O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability, permanent residence, and complex citizenship and naturalization matters. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and has recently served on AILA committees that provide legal education programming for immigration attorneys.
Licensed as a U.S. attorney in both Wisconsin and Illinois, she also serves as Of Counsel to a U.S. immigration law firm in London, American Immigration Law Office, Ltd. She has authored AILA publications on visa processing. Early in her career, she worked for the Presiding Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District I, and a litigation law firm. She is a strong advocate, and appellate attorney as well. She believes in challenging the status quo when it does not best serve her clients in their visa adjudications.