TAMPA, FL – The law firm of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is pleased to announce that Maria del Carmen Ramos, partner in the Tampa office, was invited by the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) to speak to a delegation of distinguished visitors from Russia as part of the Labor Migration and Migrant Adaptation Program.  The IVLP, known as the “crown jewel” of United States public diplomacy, selects visitors from a unique high-level network of global leaders to come to the United States to learn about our country and how Americans live, work, learn, and play. The Labor Migration Program was designed to educate the Russian visitors about the United States’ approach to immigration; our immigration policy and current debates over reforming it; the role of labor migrants in our economy; illegal immigration; and human trafficking prevention activities.

Maria devotes a substantial portion of her practice to counseling clients on immigration and related employment issues. In particular, Maria has extensive experience helping employers obtain H-1B and E visas, as well employment-based green cards, on behalf of foreign workers employed in specialty occupations. She also helps companies that have global operations obtain L-1 visas on behalf of their foreign-based employees so they can transfer to the United States. In addition to helping employers obtain visas for foreign workers, Maria routinely conducts audits for clients to ensure they are complying with their obligation to verify their employees’ eligibility to work in the United States.

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Founded in 1925, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is a full service business law firm with more than 240 attorneys practicing in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio; Tampa and Sarasota, Florida; and Charlotte, North Carolina.