Melissa K. Allchin

Practice Areas

Melissa Allchin is an Attorney in Baker McKenzie's Employment and Compensation Practice with more than fifteen years of experience in corporate immigration law. She routinely advises multinational and domestic clients on the strategy, requirements, and procedures to secure visas and work and residence permits and satisfy employment eligibility and other immigration-related regulatory requirements for a global workforce. Melissa frequently speaks on global and US immigration and immigration compliance issues at Firm and client events geared towards global mobility, human resources, and legal professionals. She has been a Member of the Firm's Pro Bono and Diversity Committees.

Melissa provides counseling to employers across industries - manufacturing, finance, IT, and consumer goods - to assist with the management of their global and US immigration portfolios. She advises clients on a wide range of immigration and mobility issues, from high-level strategic discussions on company sponsorship policies to day-to-day guidance on immigration rules and requirements in the US and around the world. Melissa approaches the movement of talent holistically, looking beyond immigration issues to spot and address the relevant employment, tax, and data privacy concerns that may impact the management of a global workforce. Melissa also serves as trusted counsel to employers seeking guidance on Form I-9 compliance as a result of internal audits or in response to government inspections by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Professional Memberships

• American Immigration Lawyers Association

• Chicago Bar Association

• American Bar Association

Firm Committee Memberships:

• Pro Bono Committee - Member

• Diversity Committee - Member

Work Highlights

• Managed the US and global immigration portfolios of 10+ multinationals that span more than fifty jurisdictions, advising on all employment-based US nonimmigrant and immigrant visa types, developing strategies to ensure US continuous work authorization, and identifying potential immigration strategies in jurisdictions outside of the United States,

• Advised clients in the IT, service, and manufacturing industries on internal Form I-9 audits, tailored remediation plans to mitigate potential civil exposure, conducted bespoke training sessions for HR professionals, and developed and implemented internal compliance project plans.

• Represented a client in the manufacturing industry in an ICE Form I-9 audit for its more than 150 employees, navigating the complexity of compliance with federal employment eligibility requirements and California state law.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

USA

Languages Spoken

English

Education