Immigration Assistant

Legal Chicago, Illinois


Description

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!  

  

OVERVIEW: The Immigration Assistant is responsible for working with attorneys and case managers in the preparation, filing, and monitoring of various immigration and law matters. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

  • Supports Paralegals, Senior Paralegals, and Attorney in email/phone communications.
  • Provides limited guidance to assignees regarding proprietary systems and case processing.
  • Develop an understanding of client communication procedures and requirements.
  • Input client services rendered and sent to accounting for processing.
  • Begins to learn procedures and documentation requirements for case types (simple and advanced); executes case processing tasks as assigned.
  • Processes basic corporate immigration cases.
  • Relays concerns and proactively escalates to the appropriate BAL team member(s).
  • Utilizes templates and prepared materials when completing documents for attorney review; begins learning BAL best practices.
  • Manages the status of all filed applications and petitions and finalizes documents after attorney review.
  • Utilizes document and data management systems to prepare, monitor, and record all aspects of client casework as per BAL policy.
  • Learns how to prepare internal caseload reports for management.
  • Shares process flow (based on templates) with assignees.
  • Performs research to obtain information such as background on a company or industry, current wages, processing procedures, standard processing times, etc.
  • Initiates contact with government agencies to obtain necessary information; alerts Senior Paralegal and/or attorney regarding potential process delays/problems.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

  • High school diploma or equivalent is required.
  • Bachelor’s degree OR 2 years of related business experience is required.
  • Superb organizational skills.
  • Ability to follow instructions and take actions independently.
  • Ability to manage cases and work within strict timelines.
  • Excellent English language skills, both verbal and written.
  • Ability to proofread and edit one’s own work product.
  • General computer knowledge and typing skills, including word processing, email, and forms software.
  • Professional, respectful attitude towards all coworkers.
  • Ability to receive and analyze information.
  • Ability to share information with office members.
  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
  • MS Office, Scan/Copy; learns to effectively utilize VB and Cobalt.

WORKING CONDITIONS: Able to sit and work at a computer keyboard for extended periods of time. Able to stoop, kneel, bend at the waist and reach on a daily basis. Able to perform general office administrative activities: copying, filing, delivering and using the telephone. Able to lift and move up to 25 pounds occasionally. Regular and on-time attendance. Must be able to prioritized, schedule and complete testing required for multiple applications with overlapping schedules. A certain degree of creativity and flexibility is required. Hours may exceed 40 hours per week. Occasional travel by conventional means including aircraft, motor vehicle and the like within the region and to other locations as required.

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 [email protected].