Kyle A. Knapp

Immigration practice focused on employment visas, lawful permanent residence (green cards), employer compliance (I-9), family immigration, and citizenship

I have been helping employers and individuals with a variety of immigration matters for more than 20 years. I worked for a large law firm in Columbus, Ohio for nearly thirteen years and then a small, boutique firm outside Chicago for six years. My clients have ranged from individuals to Fortune 100 companies.

I help organizations to hire individuals who are not U.S. citizens and advise them on the requirements to ensure that all of their employees have authorization to work in the United States. The former sometimes is referred to as “visa processing,” while the latter is referred to as “I-9 compliance.” Additionally, I assist individuals with naturalization applications for U.S. citizenship and with family-based immigration cases to sponsor relatives for lawful permanent resident status.

The U.S. immigration laws have become increasingly complex. I track changes to statutes, regulations and agency guidance and explain to organizations in simple terms what steps they must follow to hire individuals who are not U.S. citizens. My areas of expertise include a wide range of nonimmigrant (i.e. temporary) and immigrant (i.e. green card or permanent resident) visas. In the nonimmigrant category, I have extensive experience with B/Visa Waiver (visitors for business or pleasure), E (treaty traders and investors), F (students), H (specialty occupation workers for individuals with relevant college degrees), J (exchange visitors), L (intracompany transferees from affiliate organizations abroad), O (individuals of extraordinary ability), R (ministers and religious occupations) and TN (professional workers from Canada and Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement).

In the immigrant category, I have helped organizations and individuals apply for green cards through the labor certification process (called PERM), priority worker petitions (extraordinary ability, outstanding researcher/professor, multinational manager), and religious worker petitions. The various occupations have included information technology professionals, scientists, engineers, financial analysts, university professors, nurses, physicians, ministers, social workers, psychologists, and managers and executives.

As part of my I-9 compliance work, I advise human resources professionals on the requirements to document the work authorization of new employees and avoid discriminating against individuals based upon national origin or citizenship status. The I-9 form is deceptively complex, and I help those involved in preparing and maintaining it understand its nuances and comply with regulatory requirements.

Bar Memberships

Supreme Court of Ohio (admitted 1998)

Supreme Court of Florida (admitted 1999)

American Immigration Lawyers Association (1999 – present)

Columbus Bar Association (1998 – 2006)

Education

Capital University Law School, Columbus, OH, J.D.: May 1998, magna cum laude

Law Review: Staff Member, ’96-’97, Executive Articles Editor, ’97-’98

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, B.A.: December 1994, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi

Major: German; Minor: Spanish

’93-’94 University of Hamburg, Germany, Study Abroad Program

Presentations and Publications

Kyle is a regular speaker and writer on immigration topics. If your organization would like to have Kyle speak at an upcoming event, please contact us for details.

“Immigration 101”
Introductory presentation on immigration basics for business and community groups, such as Chambers of Commerce, Accountant and Attorney Professional Associations, Rotary International and others.
Sponsor:  Kyle A. Knapp, Chicagoland, IL, 2012 – 2017

Employment-Based First Preference Immigration as Alternative to PERM Labor Certification
Sponsor:  Chicago Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Chicago, March 2017

Advanced L-1A Visa Strategies
Sponsor:  American Immigration Lawyers Association, Annual Conference, New Orleans, June 2017

“The H-1B nonimmigrant visa – information for college students.”
Sponsor: Kyle A. Knapp
Annual presentations at universities throughout Ohio (2003 – present).

Nolo.com employment immigration articles contributor. (2013 – present)

Kyle A. Knapp, Matter of Kentrox and the Infeasibility-To-Train Exception for PERM Labor Certification, 19 Bender’s Immigration Bulletin 1021 (Sept. 15, 2014).

Immigration law alerts and blog posts for Porter Wright and employerlawreport.com. (1999 – 2011) Ohio Employment Law Letter – quarterly author for immigration topics. (2005 – 2006)
“Hot topics and current trends in employment-based immigration.”
Sponsors: Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur LLP and Human Resources – Collier County, Naples, Florida, February 3, 2006

“Employment based nonimmigrant visas.”
Sponsor: Lorman Education Services, Columbus, Ohio, April 14, 2004

“The H-1B nonimmigrant visa.”
Sponsor: Human Resource Association of Central Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, July 8, 2001

One Cannot Serve Two Masters: Solving the Inherit Conflicts of Interest in Statutory Legal Counsel for Ohio School Boards. Capital University Law Review, vol. 26, no. 1. (1997)

Professional Activities

American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Liaison Committees to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Texas Service Center (2016 – present)
Nebraska Service Center (2013 – 2016)
Vermont Service Center (2010 – 2013)

Pro Bono; Community Service

Pro bono immigration counsel for detained women and children seeking asylum, Dilley, TX. (2016; 2018)

New Americans Initiative (2012 – 2017)

Instituto Del Progreso Latino and World Relief.
Pro bono Spanish language legal screening of U.S lawful permanent residents to evaluate eligibility for U.S.

Citizenship (2012 – present)

Dresden Sister City, Inc. (2000 – 2004)

Columbus, Ohio – Dresden, Germany sister city organization.
Pro bono immigration counsel.
Striezelmarkt (holiday market volunteer)
Guest lecturer; German-English interpreter; volunteer coordinator; vendor liaison.

Languages

German – Fluent in conversational and professional communication.

Spanish – Proficient in conversational and professional communication.

Other Interests and Activities

I am an avid runner and enjoy participating in marathons and triathlons. Since completing the New York Marathon in 2005, I have been on a quest to run all six of the “World Marathon Majors.” In addition to New York, I have run Boston, Chicago and Berlin. The final two are London and Tokyo. I have completed several half ironman triathlons (also called Ironman 70.3) but am yet to be convinced that a full Ironman is a good idea. Kudos to those who can swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles, and then run a marathon (26.2 miles)!

I also officiate high school football and have been involved at all levels of Toastmasters. I competed in several Toastmasters speaking competitions and won awards for both humorous speech and speech evaluation contests.