This workshop will cover immigration law essentials for entrepreneurs and startups. Presenter Najia Khalid will provide an overview of immigration topics including how to read, navigate, and evaluate financial documents, which are critical to various employment-based immigration cases. Building on her experience regularly counselling entrepreneurs and multinational organizations aspiring to open new entities in the U.S., Najia will focus on the development of good business plans, a cornerstone for many employment-based visas, and highlight sources of funds and financing documents.
This discussion is open to anyone interested in immigration issues. Food and refreshments will be served.
- From the 116th St Entrance of the 1 train at the main gates of Columbia’s Morningside Campus at 116th St and Broadway, walk north to 120th St and turn west towards Riverside Dr.
- The entrance is the arched doorway located after the parking garage on north side of 120th St (between Claremont Ave and Riverside Drive)
- The door is labeled with a bronze plaque which states “The Riverside Church, MLK Wing”
- Security is just inside the door and will guide you to the elevator
- Take the elevator up to the 4th floor, take a left
Columbia University has extensive experience founding and supporting successful commercialization programs to provide promising early‐stage technologies with funding, validation, and prototyping, to transition technology out of the academic lab and into the market at a faster rate. The Columbia Lab-to-Market Accelerator Network (Columbia L2M) currently encompasses five technology commercialization programs across separate industries: medical technologies, clean technology & energy, digital media, and therapeutics. Many of these programs are multi-institutional and involve extensive collaboration with our peer universities and their tech transfer offices. Columbia L2M is committed to supporting the expansion of existing programs and the creation of new initiatives for the future. If you are interested in learning more about the network please contact Jack Steele (js5085@columbia.edu).
Employers often consult Najia to clarify complex business immigration requirements in a dynamic enforcement environment. Najia represents a wide range of organizations in their business immigration and compliance efforts, including national and multinational companies, emerging companies, and franchisors, as well as research, educational, healthcare, and religious institutions. She serves clients in financial services, life sciences, technology, manufacturing, utilities, retail, defense, the arts, and more. Najia has recently helped several clients prove that their desired analysts, executives, marketing experts, and young careerists are essential, uniquely skilled “professionals” qualified for the positions for which they are being recruited.
Described as diligent, thorough, and responsive, Najia has a strong acumen for business immigration strategy, including issues around: the establishment of new companies; immigration sponsorship policies; the review of mergers, acquisitions, and other changes in corporate structure; and the international transfer of students, faculty, and employees. She represents clients in connection with nonimmigrant and immigrant visa petitions, labor certification applications, family-based petitions, adjustment of status and citizenship applications, and immigration interviews. She also regularly counsels employers with respect to I-9 compliance and global immigration procedures. A sought-after speaker on business immigration topics, Najia has been a featured speaker at the American Immigration Lawyers Association annual conference. She has been asked to present client workshops and to participate in student outreach events through PowerBridgeNY and FWD.org and at educational institutions such as New York University and Columbia University. She often speaks to minority law students about challenges in the legal profession and presents at Wiggin and Dana's in-house HR Circle events and its Lunch & Learn Visa Workshop Series.
Najia obtained her law degree from Pace University School of Law. While in law school, Najia devoted significant time to the Immigration Justice Clinic and represented indigent immigrants in complex removal proceedings, including immigration raid detainees, women with claims under the Violence Against Women Act, and asylees seeking immigration relief in the United States. She continues similar work on a pro bono basis. She was also employed by Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP prior to attending and during law school, where she gained significant experience in business immigration matters. Najia obtained her degree from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. She is Co-chair of the firm's Diversity Committee and is fluent in Hindi and Urdu.