Services & Industries
Education
J.D., Lewis & Clark Law School
Editor in Chief, Environmental Law
B.A., Reed College
Bar & Court Admissions
Oregon State Bar
Turid has practiced immigration law since 1988. She founded the firm’s Immigration Practice Group in 1999 and served as its chair for more than 18 years. Turid advises clients on employment-related immigration and other immigration matters. Her diverse client base includes both startups and international companies, as well as individuals.
Turid currently serves as a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Business Section Steering Committee, which responds to AILA members’ questions about business immigration questions through a listserve and provides roundtables on pressing immigration questions to attorneys nationally. She also currently serves as co-liaison to Custom and Border Protection for the Oregon Chapter of AILA. She previously served as chair of AILA’s Business Immigration Response Team, as a member of the USCIS HQ Benefits Committee, and as AILA’s liaison to the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office. She is a past member of AILA’s Service Center Operations Committee, a past member of AILA’s Ombudsman Liaison Committee, a past chair of AILA’s USCIS Nebraska Service Center Liaison Committee, and a past chair of the Oregon Chapter of AILA. She is a speaker at AILA conferences both nationally and regionally.
Turid has been active in the local bar throughout her career. She served as a mentor for young lawyers through the Multnomah Bar Association Mentor Program, a program she helped launch in 1993. Turid is a past member of the Executive Committee of the International Law Section of the Oregon State Bar, a past chair of the Multnomah Bar Association’s Professionalism Committee, and a past president of the Young Lawyers Section of the Multnomah Bar Association.
In the community, Turid previously served on the Board of Directors of Portland Center Stage, on the Board of Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest, and before that as Director of Mentors for Minds Matter of Portland, Inc. Turid also served as legal advisor for more than 10 years to Friendly House, a neighborhood social services agency for senior citizens and families in transition.
Turid is married to E. Walter Van Valkenburg and is the mother of two children. Her interests include spending time with family and friends, reading, golfing, traveling internationally, and walking.
Turid is fascinated by people and cultures and loves to travel and visit the countries from which her clients emigrate. She attributes her affinity for people to her parents, who immigrated to the U.S. from Norway and encouraged her to be inquisitive of other cultures.
Community Involvement & Activities
American Immigration Lawyers Association
2004-Present, Liaison on various AILA committees, currently serving as a Member of the Business Section Steering Committee
1991-Present, Member
AILA Oregon Chapter
1991-Present, Member
2018-Present, Customs and Border Protection Co-Liaison
2001-2002, Chapter Chair
Portland Center Stage @ The Armory
2018-2021, Member, Board of Directors
Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest
2012-2018, Member, Board of Directors
Marathon Education Partners
2007-2017, Partner
Women Presidents’ Organization
2009-2012, Member, Board of Directors
Minds Matter of Portland, Inc.
2006-2010, Director of Mentors
Chapman Elementary School Site Council
2000-2002 and 2003-2005, Parent Member
Reed College Women’s Committee
1990-2006, Member
1991-1992, Chair
Professional Memberships
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Multnomah Bar Association
The Best Lawyers in America
2005-2024, Immigration Law
Who's Who Legal
2015-2021, Corporate Immigration
American Immigration Lawyers Association
2007 – Presidential Award for Outstanding Leadership in Liaison
American Immigration Lawyers Association, Oregon Chapter
2011 – Gerald H. Robinson Excellence in Advocacy Award
Recent News
Best Lawyers in America® Includes 49 Tonkon Torp Attorneys on 2024 List
Forty-nine Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 36 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024. All of the attorneys have been previously named to the peer-review list, and most have been listed for more than 10 years.
Chambers USA 2023 Ranks 26 Tonkon Torp Attorneys
Chambers USA has recognized 26 Tonkon Torp attorneys in eight practice areas in its Chambers USA 2023 Guide.
Business Immigration Group Hosts Annual Immigration Update
Tonkon Torp business immigration lawyers Alan Perkins, Turid Owren, Melina LaMorticella, and Melany Savitt hosted their Annual Immigration Update for employers.
Tonkon Torp Immigration Attorneys Speak at AILA NW Regional Conference
Attorneys from Tonkon Torp’s Immigration Practice spoke on panels at the September, 2022 AILA NW Regional Conference.
Best Lawyers in America® Includes 53 Tonkon Torp Attorneys on 2023 List
Fifty-three Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 37 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2023. Nearly all the attorneys have been previously named to the peer-review list, and most have been listed for more than 10 years.
Recent Publications
FY2025 H-1B Cap Registration – What You Need to Know
By Melina LaMorticella, Turid Owren, Alan Perkins, and Melany Savitt – Now is the time for employers to review H-1B needs for the FY2025 cap season. Registrations will be submitted electronically to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in March 2024. We expect USCIS to designate the specific two-week registration period soon. USCIS previously charged a $10 fee per registration and is expected to increase the fee this year.
New Form I-9 & Remote Document Review Starting August 1, 2023
By Melany Savitt, Alan Perkins, Melina LaMorticella, and Turid Owren – On August 1, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published for immediate use a new edition of Form I-9, which will become mandatory on November 1, 2023.
COVID-19 Temporary Flexibilities for Form I-9 Ending
By Melina LaMorticella, Turid Owren, Alan Perkins, and Melany Savitt – The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that its COVID-19 temporary flexibility policies for Form I-9 will end on July 31, 2023. Employers relying on the COVID-19 temporary flexibilities for Form I-9 should plan ahead to ensure that all required in-person physical inspection of Form I-9 documentation is completed by August 30, 2023.
FY2024 H-1B Cap Registration – What You Need to Know
By Melina LaMorticella, Turid Owren, Alan Perkins, and Melany Savitt – Registrations for the FY2024 H-1B quota must be submitted electronically to USCIS in March 2023. We expect USCIS to designate a two-week registration period shortly. Last year USCIS charged a $10 fee per registration.
2024 DV Lottery Registration Open Oct. 5 to Nov. 8
By Alan Perkins, Melina LaMorticella, Turid Owren, and Melany Savitt – Online registration for the 2024 Diversity Visa Lottery (DV2024) opened Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022 at 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and closes Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 at 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5).
Publications & Presentations
“COVID-19 Temporary Flexibilities for Form I-9 Ending,” Tonkon Torp Legal Update, May 2023
“Annual Immigration Update,” Jan. 2023
“FY2024 H-1B Cap Registration – What You Need to Know,” Tonkon Torp Legal Update, Jan. 2023
“What You Need to Know About FY2023 H-1B Cap Registration,” Tonkon Torp Legal Update, Jan. 2022
“Annual Immigration Update,” Nov. 2021
“U.S. Employment Options Post-Graduation for International Students,” Reed College, Feb. 2020
“H-1B Cap Season 2020,” Feb. 2020
“Worksite Enforcement Business Immigration Briefing,” Sept. 2019
“Business Immigration Review and 2019 Forecast Briefing,” Dec. 2018
“Practice Pointer: Overcoming H-1B Computer Programmer RFEs (Lessons Learned from 2017),” American Immigration Lawyers Association, June 2018