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Overview
Alan is Chair of Tonkon Torp’s Business Immigration Practice Group and focuses his practice on employment-based immigration and counseling on employment law matters relating to foreign nationals. He represents clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Labor.
Alan’s practice focuses on assisting large and small companies with the hiring and retention of foreign national employees. This primarily includes filing petitions with the government, both for temporary and permanent resident status, for executive, managerial, and specialized knowledge transferees of multinational corporations, professionals, individuals of extraordinary ability, and outstanding researchers.
He also advises clients on continuing employment issues involving foreign nationals in the United States, mergers and acquisitions involving foreign national employees, recruiting, reductions in force, and Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification and E-Verify.
Prior to joining Tonkon Torp in 2007, Alan practiced immigration law for several years in San Francisco with large national firms.
Alan’s practice focuses on assisting large and small companies with the hiring and retention of foreign national employees. This primarily includes filing petitions with the government, both for temporary and permanent resident status, for executive, managerial, and specialized knowledge transferees of multinational corporations, professionals, individuals of extraordinary ability, and outstanding researchers.
He also advises clients on continuing employment issues involving foreign nationals in the United States, mergers and acquisitions involving foreign national employees, recruiting, reductions in force, and Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification and E-Verify.
Prior to joining Tonkon Torp in 2007, Alan practiced immigration law for several years in San Francisco with large national firms.
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Featured Work
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Community Involvement & Activities
Oregon State Bar International Law Section Executive Committee
Secretary
Past Chair
Past Treasurer
Society of Human Resource Management
Member
AILA / USCIS California Service Center Liaison Committee
Past Member
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Professional Memberships
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Multnomah Bar Association
Portland Human Resource Management Association
Multnomah Bar Association
Portland Human Resource Management Association
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Awards & Recognition
The Best Lawyers in America
2018-2019, Immigration Law
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers
2010-2019, Labor & Employment: Immigration
Super Lawyers
2010, Oregon Rising Star – Immigration
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Recent News
4.29.2019
Chambers USA Names 23 Tonkon Torp Attorneys in 2019 Ranking
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business has recognized 23 Tonkon Torp attorneys in seven practice areas in its 2019 USA Guide.
1.8.2019
Business Immigration Attorneys Host Annual Employer Briefing
On December 7, Tonkon Torp Business Immigration lawyers Alan Perkins, Turid Owren, Melina LaMorticella, and Melany Savitt hosted their annual year-end briefing for employers to review business immigration changes in 2018 and forecasts for 2019.
11.21.2018
November Tonkon Talk Focuses on Business Immigration for Startups
At the November 7 Tonkon Talk, attorneys from the firm’s Business Immigration Practice Group introduced business immigration issues that impact entrepreneurs, startups, and technology companies.
9.20.2018
Tonkon Torp Hosts Employers for Business Immigration Briefing
On September 14, Tonkon Torp immigration lawyers Alan Perkins, Turid Owren, Melina LaMorticella, and Melany Savitt, along with labor and employment attorney Blerina Kotori, hosted an in-depth business immigration briefing for employers. The program…
8.17.2018
Best Lawyers in America® Names 51 Tonkon Torp Attorneys to 2019 List
Fifty-one Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 41 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019. Nearly all attorneys have been named to the list in past years, and have been recognized for more than five years
7.20.2018
Alan Perkins Provides Immigration Update at Global Mobility Seminar
On June 19, Tonkon Torp immigration attorney Alan Perkins spoke at a seminar focusing on various aspects of global mobility for businesses including international tax, immigration, and tax reform. The event was co-presented by Tonkon Torp LLP at the…
6.5.2018
Annual Labor & Employment Law Seminar Showcases HR Superpowers
On May 10, attorneys from the Tonkon Torp Labor & Employment and Business Immigration practice groups hosted their annual Employment Law Seminar at the Oregon Zoo for nearly 200 human resource professionals and other business leaders. The 2018…
6.4.2018
Chambers USA Names 20 Tonkon Torp Attorneys as Leaders in Their Field
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business has named 20 Tonkon Torp attorneys in seven practice areas as leaders in their field for 2018. The annual reference directory ranks Oregon’s leading lawyers based on interviews with clients and…
12.8.2017
Tonkon Torp Previews 2018 Immigration Landscape for Employers
Turid Owren, Alan Perkins, Melina LaMorticella, and Melany Savitt hosted an immigration law breakfast briefing for employers on December 7. The group gave a preview of the 2018 immigration landscape under the Trump Administration, discussing the…
8.25.2017
Tonkon Torp Hosts Encore of Popular Immigration Briefing
Due to popular demand, Tonkon Torp Business Immigration lawyers Turid Owren, Alan Perkins, Melina LaMorticella, and Melany Savitt, along with Labor & Employment attorney Kristin Bremer Moore, hosted an encore immigration briefing for employers…
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Recent Alerts
1.29.2019
New (Cap) H-1B Filings: April 1-5 Deadline
H-1B season is underway! U.S. employers can file for new H-1B visas on behalf of prospective or existing employees beginning April 1, 2019. The anticipated window for filing new H-1B petitions under the USCIS H-1B quota for FY2020 is April 1 through…
10.30.2018
2020 DV Lottery Registration Deadline is Nov. 6
There is still time to register for the 2020 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Lottery). Online registration for the DV Lottery began Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and will end Tuesday, November 6…
8.29.2018
USCIS Further Limits H-1B Premium Processing
On August 28, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will extend its current suspension of Premium Processing for cap subject H-1B petitions. Effective September 11, 2018, USCIS is also expanding the Premium…
4.6.2018
USCIS Announces FY2019 H-1B Cap Reached
On April 6, 2018, USCIS announced that the H-1B cap for FY2019 was reached within the five business day filing window running from April 2-6, 2018. This includes both the U.S. advanced degree cap preference limit of 20,000 visas and the regular cap…
3.22.2018
USCIS Temporarily Suspends Premium Processing of H-1B Cap Petitions Filed April 2-6, 2018
Yesterday, USCIS announced it will suspend Premium Processing of all H-1B cap-subject petitions received by USCIS April 2-6, 2018. The suspension is expected to last until September 10, 2018. At present, all other H-1B petition filings not subject…
2.7.2018
New (Cap) H-1B Filings - April 2-6 Deadline
H-1B season is underway! U.S. employers can file for new H-1B visas on behalf of prospective or existing employees beginning April 2, 2018. The anticipated window for filing new H-1B petitions under the USCIS H-1B quota for FY2019 is April 2 through…
9.22.2017
Diversity Visa Lottery 2019 Open October 3 to November 7
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced registration dates for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program 2019 (DV Lottery). Online registration for the DV Lottery opens Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4…
9.21.2017
Premium Processing Resumes for H-1B Cap Cases
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has resumed premium processing for all H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 cap.
8.31.2017
USCIS to Require In-Person Interviews for Employment-Based Permanent Residence Applicants
On August 28, 2017, USCIS announced that it will be phasing in interviews for employment-based applicants for adjustment of status to permanent residence. The phase-in will begin October 1, and requires employees in temporary nonimmigrant status who…
6.26.2017
U.S. Supreme Court Allows Travel Ban to Go Into Effect, With Limitations
On June 26, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court (Court) permitted the "Travel Ban" set forth in the second Executive Order issued by President Trump on March 6, 2017 (EO-2) to temporarily go into effect, with constraints. EO-2 provided for a 90-day ban on U…
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Publications & Presentations
"Business Immigration for Startups," November 2018
"Global Mobility Reform Considerations in 2018," University Club of Portland, June 2018
"Practice Pointer: Overcoming H-1B Computer Programmer RFEs (Lessons Learned from 2017)," American Immigration Lawyers Association, June 2018
"Worksite Enforcement, Compliance Best Practices & Forms I-9," June 2017
"The New USCIS Computer Programmer Memo and 'Specialty Occupation'," American Immigration Lawyers Association National Seminar, June 2017
"Business Immigration 2017," Annual Northwest Regional Immigration Law Conference, March 2017
"H-1B Cap Season 2017 and Trump Administration Executive Orders," February 2017
"Business Immigration 2017," February 2017
"Employment Based Immigration and Foreign National Tax 2015 Update," Oregon State Bar International Law Section, February 2015
"The Role of the Human Resource Department in Facilitating International Assignments," Global Special Interest Group of PHRMA, February 2015
"Selected Issues Affecting H-1B Petitions," Annual Northwest Regional Immigration Law Conference, March 2012
"L-1's: Substantive Requirements and Practical Tips," Annual Northwest Regional Immigration Law Conference, February 2009