Job Description

Role Value Proposition: 

We are seeking an experienced immigration paralegal to join our Legal Services Team and support MetLife’s Legal Affairs department. This paralegal will support attorneys and professionals across the Law Department and primarily manage certain immigration workflows the department handles for the company.  This ideal candidate will have diverse experience in the preparation of nonimmigrant visa petitions and employment-based applications for permanent residence.  The successful candidate will possess excellent written and organizational skills with strong attention to detail, excellent client service skills, display legal acumen and good judgment. The paralegal will work closely on all aspects of case preparation for temporary and permanent visa petitions and applications. 

Key Responsibilities:

Lead communication and coordinate with attorneys on the full case lifecycle, including initial review and analysis of immigrant and non-immigrant visa petitions. 
Act as a main point-of-contact for outside counsel and internal clients
Perform case intake, including matter openings, initial fact-gathering, and document review once assigned, provide status updates
Serve as initial client point of contact for assigned case matters by communicating with Foreign national, managers HRBPs, external counsel, and other leaders on the immigration team regarding required documentation, and case status
Learn procedural and processing requirements for various types of non-immigrant and immigrant visa petitions and applications.
Oversee status of cases through utilization of case management and billing systems.  Familiarity and experience in drafting and preparing responses to USCIS Requests for Evidence (RFE)
Perform administrative duties, data entry, managing case files and case management database, etc.,
Initiate case with outside counsel to coordinate activities and review bills.
Help employees, managers, and HR enhance their understanding of immigration regulations and ensure compliance.
Continually update immigration resources (FAQs, intranet content, communications) to promote self-service
Identify opportunities for continuous process improvements to ensure scalability; devise creative methods for handling work intake tracking and reporting.
Provide regular reports and updates to lead immigration attorneys, employment law unit and lead attorneys, along with status updates to management and financial departments.
Train others on immigration practice and procedures, review work, and prepare training documents

Essential Business Experience and Technical Skills:

Required:

BA/BS is required.
At least 5+ years of immigration experience preferably for US-based companies
Must have experience with: Nonimmigrant visas (H-1B, H-1B1, B-1, E-3, F-1, J-1, L-1 and O-1 visas); PERM labor certifications; Immigrant visas (employment-based and family-based);
Demonstrated ability to multitask and work within a fast-paced, high-volume practice while meeting deadlines and maintaining a high level of productivity.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent organization and time management skills; strong attention to detail, proven history of managing projects, meetings deadlines and producing excellent deliverables
Unquestionable ethical and professional judgment as well as the ability to work with confidential documents and information.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work effectively with others, as well as independently with minimal supervision.
Ability to perform in a fast-paced environment and prioritize multiple assignments.
Proficiency in Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Workshare Compare, SharePoint, Westlaw and Nexis.