Jeff Thomas has more than 15 years of experience guiding employers, investors, and entrepreneurs through U.S. immigration processes. His practice covers the full range of employment-based immigration: nonimmigrant visas, permanent residence, worksite compliance, government audits and investigations, and immigration due diligence in business transactions. He builds immigration programs that scale to hundreds of foreign national workers, and he streamlines legal services for efficient, high-quality visa petition preparation and filing.
Jeff focuses on high-volume immigration programs for U.S. employers. He designs case intake, employee communications, and case management systems that make petition preparation quick and consistent. He implements innovative solutions to meet unique employer needs and uses the latest technologies and tools to support immigration program processes.
Jeff leads high-volume case management across employment-based green card categories, including PERM labor certification, multinational managers and executives, outstanding professors and researchers, national interest waivers, and individuals of extraordinary ability. On nonimmigrant visas, he handles fast-paced petition preparation and filing in H-1B, L-1, TN, E-1, E-2, E-3, B-1/B-2, H-2A/H-2B, H-3, R-1, J-1, and O-1 matters. With experience managing a full range of fact patterns, he anticipates immigration needs and builds solutions into customized processes.
Jeff conducts internal immigration compliance audits and represents employers in government audits and investigations, including matters before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS), and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER). He represents employers responding to ICE Notices of Inspection and Notices of Intent to Fine in Form I-9 audits, and he supports employers in E-Verify desk reviews. He advises companies of all sizes on internal compliance processes for Form I-9, E-Verify, and employment eligibility verification.
With extensive experience in immigration compliance, Jeff regularly advises private equity and other investors on legal due diligence in mergers and acquisitions. Jeff leads Form I-9, E-Verify, and immigration document review to identify immigration risks and liabilities on planned transactions, and he clearly conveys immigration risks for decision-making prior to close. Jeff started his career drafting orders for immigration judges and has extensive experience in all aspects of U.S. immigration law, including deportation defense, family-based immigration, immigration compliance, and high-volume employment-based programs.
Jeff received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Brigham Young University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School. Outside the office, he enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his five children.
