Nassau & Suffolk Counties
Long Island's thriving healthcare, biotech, financial services, and technology sectors employ thousands of foreign national professionals who rely on H-1B and other work visas. Mandi Law Group provides experienced H-1B, O-1, TN, and employment-based green card counsel to Nassau and Suffolk County professionals and employers. Call (518) 698-0347 for a consultation.
Long Island is a major employment center in the New York metropolitan area. Northwell Health — the state's largest employer — has dozens of facilities across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Stony Brook University and its affiliated teaching hospital employ hundreds of foreign researchers and physicians. The Island's biotech corridor, financial services firms, and technology companies also sponsor H-1B professionals in significant numbers.
Mandi Law Group's employment immigration attorneys serve both the professionals who hold these visas and the employers who sponsor them. We handle everything from initial H-1B petitions and lottery registrations to extensions, transfers, and the green card sponsorship process — including PERM labor certifications and self-petition strategies for qualifying individuals.
For Long Island professionals born in India, the EB-2 NIW or EB-1A self-petition routes deserve particular attention as a way to avoid decade-long employment preference backlogs. Call (518) 698-0347 to discuss your options.
We handle all aspects of employment-based immigration for Long Island professionals and employers, from visa petitions to green card sponsorship.
We prepare complete H-1B cap-subject petitions for Long Island employers filing for the annual lottery, including specialty occupation support letters, LCA compliance, wage determinations, and supporting documentation to maximize approval odds.
Long Island hospitals affiliated with research universities, nonprofit research organizations, and higher education institutions can file cap-exempt H-1B petitions at any time of year. Key cap-exempt Long Island employers include Stony Brook University Hospital (SUNY), Northwell Health research affiliates, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
We handle H-1B extensions beyond the standard 6-year limit (AC21 portability when an I-140 is approved), employer transfers (H-1B portability), and concurrent employment petitions for Long Island professionals changing or adding jobs.
Long Island has a significant concentration of researchers, physicians, scientists, and technology professionals who may qualify for O-1 visas based on extraordinary ability. We prepare O-1A petitions (sciences, business, education) and O-1B petitions (arts, entertainment, athletics).
Canadian professionals working on Long Island qualify for TN visa status under the USMCA in over 60 professional categories. Australian professionals may qualify for the E-3 visa. Both are renewable indefinitely and offer a faster path to work authorization than H-1B.
Many Long Island H-1B holders — particularly in biotech, medicine, and research — qualify for self-sponsored green cards through the EB-2 National Interest Waiver or EB-1A extraordinary ability categories. Both avoid per-country backlogs for applicants born in India or China.
Yes. Long Island has several cap-exempt H-1B employers. Stony Brook University Hospital (part of the State University of New York system) and its affiliated research institutes can file cap-exempt H-1B petitions year-round. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a world-renowned nonprofit research institution, is also cap-exempt. Certain Northwell Health departments affiliated with research or higher education may qualify. We analyze whether your specific Long Island employer qualifies as cap-exempt before advising on strategy.
Indian nationals face severe per-country backlogs in the EB-2 and EB-3 employment preference categories — current priority dates can reflect waits of 10–20+ years. However, the EB-1A extraordinary ability and EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) categories have no per-country backlog and can move significantly faster. Many Long Island researchers and medical professionals qualify for EB-1A or EB-2 NIW self-petitions. We strongly recommend exploring these self-petition options to bypass the employment preference backlogs.
Yes. Under H-1B portability (AC21), once you have a valid H-1B and your new employer files an H-1B transfer petition, you can begin working for the new employer immediately — even before USCIS approves the new petition. You remain in valid H-1B status throughout. If you are pursuing a green card and your priority date is current, you may be able to port your I-140 to the new employer after 180 days on an approved I-140. We manage H-1B transfers for Long Island professionals changing employers throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
The H-1B requires a bachelor's degree equivalent in a specialty occupation and is subject to the annual lottery (unless cap-exempt). The O-1A requires demonstrating extraordinary ability through criteria like major awards, published work, critical role in distinguished organizations, or high salary. O-1 has no lottery, no annual cap, and no per-country restrictions. For Long Island researchers, physicians, academics, and tech professionals who can document extraordinary achievement, O-1 is often a better and faster option than waiting for an H-1B lottery selection.
Yes. H-1B holders may have their employers sponsor them for employment-based green cards through the PERM labor certification process (EB-3) or through an EB-2 with PERM. Once an I-140 immigrant petition is approved, you may extend your H-1B beyond the standard 6-year limit in one-year or three-year increments until your priority date is current. We work with Long Island employers of all sizes to structure green card sponsorship strategies alongside H-1B maintenance.
Whether you are a professional seeking work authorization or a Long Island employer sponsoring foreign talent, Mandi Law Group delivers strategic, results-focused employment immigration counsel. Call us today.