Biography
Joshua Mirer serves as co-chair of the firm’s Immigration Practice Group and has more than 20 years of experience counseling multinational Fortune 100 and Global 500 companies on all their corporate immigration-related legal needs. Josh serves as primary outside counsel concerning U.S. immigration matters for global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and for Raytheon Technologies Corporation and all of its business units operating in the United States.
Corporate U.S. Immigration
The majority of Josh’s work involves advising businesses on nonimmigrant and immigrant visas for their employees and preparing visa petitions for submission to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. He counsels clients through an assessment of temporary and permanent options, and issues involving timing and cost. He also provides advice regarding employee pay and benefits, promotion, relocation, travel, and termination related to employees requiring sponsorship. Josh has developed best practices for employers regarding U.S. immigration sponsorship.
Preparation and Filing of U.S. Immigration Cases
Josh prepares visa petitions and business immigration cases for submission to government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the U.S. Department of State. These cases include, but are not limited to, petitions and applications for temporary business visitors, temporary employment visas, and exchange visitors, as well as Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) applications and employment-based immigrant petitions, including outstanding researchers and extraordinary ability cases. As a Six Sigma Green Belt, Josh has overseen the strategic filing of thousands of successful cases. His efforts have enabled pharmaceutical, biotech and manufacturing companies, educational institutions, and hospitals to recruit and retain talented professionals.
Employment Eligibility – Verification and Compliance
Josh counsels employers on the Immigration Reform and Control Act and related issues, including I-9 and worksite enforcement issues. He provides training to employers on their I-9 obligations, and responds to government audits and site visits regarding sponsored employees. He also has provided immigration compliance training to human resources professionals, recruiters, executives and managers, business owners, and in-house counsel for a variety of clients and business organizations, including one of the world's largest chemical and pharmaceutical companies.
Pro Bono
Josh frequently provides pro bono representation to those needing immigration assistance. He secured an O-1 extraordinary ability non-immigrant visa for a world renowned ballet dancer from Bolivia to join a U.S. ballet company. His work on behalf of the Center for Children’s Advocacy’s immigrant clients prompted the organization to name him as a “Pro Bono Legal Champion.” In another case, Josh assisted with an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to help an individual who is appealing removal from the United States under Convention Against Torture (CAT) protections.
Josh regularly writes on employment and immigration-related matters. He co-authored a chapter concerning worksite compliance in a Matthew Bender publication on labor and employment law. He also served as a peer editor for the treatise Business Immigration Law & Practice, published by the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and is mentioned in the publication's acknowledgements. In addition, Josh contributes to the firm's Health Law Diagnosis blog.
Josh also co-authored an article in Worldwide ERC’s MOBILITY magazine entitled “Hiring a Foreign National Worker: What U.S. Employers Need to Know,” which discusses the most widely used work authorized categories for U.S. employers who would like to hire foreign nationals, as well as issues for U.S. employers to consider. The article also describes the actions that must be taken by U.S. employers when a foreign national worker is employed in the U.S.
Josh has served as a faculty member for Sterling Educational Services' immigration series. He has presented to the Danbury Chamber of Commerce, Connecticut Business & Industry Association and the Connecticut Bar Association on business immigration and related topics.