Heather Frayre

Practice Areas

Heather's immigration practice primarily involves matters tied to the recruitment, hire, transfer, and retention of international workers. She counsels corporate and individual clients on a range of immigration matters including non-immigrant visas, permanent residency, citizenship, and worksite compliance. She routinely handles matters with a number of different government agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of State.

Heather has extensive experience with a wide range of non-immigrant classifications, such as H-1B, H-2B, L-1, TN, J-1, E, O, and P. She is well-versed in issues relating to employment-based and merit-based petitions, including PERM labor certifications, multinational manager petitions, extraordinary ability and outstanding professor and researcher petitions, and national interest waivers. In addition, Heather has experience with family-based petitions, removal, and special immigration programs such as TPS and VAWA, and has worked in both the non-profit and law firm settings. Heather’s corporate immigration experience spans a wide array of industries, including technology, athletics, manufacturing, construction, education and international trade.

Professional Memberships

American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA); AILA Texas Service Center Liaison Committee, 2015-2016; AILA Department of Labor Liaison Committee, 2019-2020.

Publications

Editor, “EV Newsletter Vol. 2 No. 3," Dickinson Wright EV Newsletter, March 2024; Author, "USCIS Fee Hikes Effective April 1 – 4 Key Takeaways for Employers,” Dickinson Wright Immigration Blog, February 2024; Author, "3 Tips for a Successful National Interest Waiver Petition for the STEM Worker," Dickinson Wright Immigration Insights and Issues blog, September 2023; Author, "USCIS Updates Guidance for "Compelling Circumstances" EADs - Key Takeaways and a Call for Reform,” Dickinson Wright Immigration Insights and Issues Blog, June 2023; Author, "State Pay Transparency Laws: 5 Questions Employers Must Ask Before Starting a PERM Recruitment Campaign,” Immigration Insights and Issues Blog, March 2023; Author, “EV Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3," Dickinson Wright Client Alert, March 2023; Author, "New Public Charge Questions Add More Challenges for Adjustment of Status Applicants," Dickinson Wright Immigration Insights and Issues, December 2022; Author, “Attracting and Retaining Foreign Talent in STEM Fields – Overview of STEM Initiatives,” Dickinson Wright Immigration Insights and Issues Blog, August 2022; Co-Author, "Overview of the Temporary Entry Provisions in Chapter 16 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement," American Immigration Lawyers Association USMCA Toolbox 2022 edition, April 2022; "Corporate Immigration Compliance: Dealing with Document Retention," Dickinson Wright Immigration Insights and Issues Blog, September 17, 2021; “USCIS Issues New I-9 Guidance for Employees with DACA Work Authorization,” Dickinson Wright Immigration Insights and Issues Blog, May 2021; “Surviving the H-2B Obstacle Course (DOL, SWA, USCIS, and DOS),” AILA PERM/H-2B Practice Conference, Seattle, WA, August 18-19, 2017; “Ls, Es, and the Multinational Manager,” AILA Texas Chapter Spring Conference, Austin, Texas, April 16, 2016; “The Extraordinary Ability Challenge for the Athlete Turned Coach,” October 2016, AILA Insight; “Can a History of Extraordinary Athletic Ability Help Sports Coaches Work in the USA?” September 21, 2016, LawInSport; “K-S-Y and The Athlete-Turned-Coach Immigration Challenge,” August 17, 2016, Law360 (republished in Benders Immigration Bulletin).

Education

Awards