Media Room

What happens to the student visas for Bosnian basketball player Dusan Neskovic, his three other foreign-born Dartmouth teammates, and thousands of other international NCAA athletes if they are deemed employees? “It is going to be a disaster,” said Ksenia Maiorova, Partner at Green and Spiegel. U.S. Practice Director, Jonathan Grode, adds, “If you are remaking them as employees, there is not a lot of optionality available for foreign athletes. It creates a challenging juxtaposition, and this is already playing out within the NIL scenario with no resolution.”

Jonathan Grode, an immigration attorney with export controls expertise who serves as managing partner at the firm Green and Spiegel, said that companies like SpaceX are not in fact barred from hiring foreign nationals at all. But companies do have to seek certain visas for foreign nationals or obtain government approval when it comes to ITAR restrictions, and SpaceX is within its rights to decide not to pursue that path. Learn more.

Florida State University swimmer, Izaak Bastian was excited to learn student-athletes can profit from Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. His excitement died when the 2021 Olympian realized his Bahamian citizenship would get in the way. Ksenia Maiorova, a sports immigration lawyer based in Orlando, Florida, said it is almost impossible to find a NIL deal that falls under the F-1 visa requirements.

Clubs earn their reputation and increase their memberships by maintaining flawless grounds. Learn more about seasonal workers hired through the H-2B visa program from Yelena G. Vilk in the May/June Digital Magazine of The Board Room on pages 42 and 104.

On this episode of the Immigration Lawyers Toolbox, hear from special guest, Jonathan Grode. He talks about National Interest Waivers and a special opportunity to file these cases approved based on less documentation because an updated internal policy and more.

People who need legal representation while navigating immigration courts are struggling to find it. In this segment, Jonathan Grode from Green and Spiegel in Philadelphia explains the shortage of legal aid is part of a national trend and lack of funding for free or low cost legal services.

UConn’s Adama Sanogo and Miami’s Norchad Omier will meet on the court Saturday night, both of them key players who have helped clear their teams’ path to the Final Four in Houston. But despite their growing popularity, both big men are part of a group of college athletes who face complicated obstacles making it harder for them to cash in on their starring roles on one of the biggest, most lucrative stages in college sports. Ksenia Maiorova explains how she’s helped college athletes seek alternative visa options to be able to make money while in the United States.

Amid mass layoffs, tech workers in the U.S. on H-1B visas are scrambling to find new roles. Jonathan Grode explains how the industry is shedding jobs and how hard it is to get rehired within 60 days.

The designation honors cities which have demonstrated high levels of immigrant inclusion and support. Peter Gonzales, who is of counsel to the firm, hopes that the honor sparks collaboration across the city.