Joel H. Paget

Bio
Articles
Credentials
Hobbies & Interests

Assisting businesses with legally employing the best and brightest people and helping everyone in achieving their dreams of living in America.

Joel takes great pride in helping “bring the best and brightest into the United States.” His immigration practice includes assisting immigrants to obtain employment visas, permanent residence, citizenship and naturalization in the United States. Joel also is available to discuss the opportunities that will be available under the comprehensive immigration reform proposals.

Immigration Services

Ability to pay
Adjustment of status
B-1 (business visitor)
B-2 (pleasure visitor)
Change of status
Chile Free Trade Agreement
Citizenship (including dual)
Consular processing/appointment
U.S. Consulate at Vancouver, B.C.
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)
Diversity Lottery
E-1 (treaty traders)
E-2 (treaty investors)
E-3 (Australia)
EB-1 (executives and managers)
EB-5 (investors)
E-verification
ESTA
Expedited naturalization for spouses of U.S. citizens working overseas (Section 319(b))
Fiancé visa (K1/K3)
Following to join
Freedom of Information Act Requests
H-1B
H-1B1 (Chile and Singapore)
H-3 (trainee)
I-140 Petitions
L-1 (intra-company transfers)
L-1 (blanket)
Labor Certification Application
Labor Condition Application
Liability to pay
NAFTA
Naturalization
NEXUS
NSEERS
Nurses
O-1 classifications
Passports
R-1
Re-entry permits
Relative petition (I-130)
Religious workers (I-360)
Requests for further evidence
SSA No match letters
U.S. Passport Office
U.S. Visit
USCIS
Visa numbers/waivers

Joel works with immigrants to obtain temporary and permanent positions as executives, managers or specialists. He also advises on treaty rights and obligations for payment or non-payment of taxes. Joel has been recognized for his contribution to the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s 2013 publication, Immigration Forms Toolbox. Joel was a co-author of “Third Country National Consular Processing of Nonimmigrant Visa Applications in Canada and Mexico” in AILA’s Consular Handbook, 4th edition in 2019.

Note: Joel does not handle cases involving deportation and removal, asylum, refugees, or immigration related criminal issues.

Joel’s estate planning and probate practice includes supervising everything from simple to complex probates and the preparation of federal estate tax returns.

ESTATE PLANNING SERVICES

Asset protection planning
Charitable trusts
Durable powers of attorney
Life insurance planning
Life insurance trusts
Lifetime gifting programs
Living wills or directive to physicians
Living trusts
Private foundation and supporting organizations
Simple and complex wills
Special needs trusts
Succession planning

Honors & Awards

Listed in Best Lawyers in America® (1991-present)
Rated 10/10 on Avvo.com
Martindale Hubbell AV® Preeminent 5.0 out of 5
Awarded America’s Most Honored Lawyers by The American Registry (2023)
Named to Washington Super Lawyers® list
Listed in Marquis Who’s Who in America® (2006-present)
Chambers USA – Ranked #1 in Immigration International (2008)
Listed in Who’s Who Legal – Thought Leaders USA 2024
Listed in Marquis International Who’s Who-Corporate Immigration Lawyers (2008-present)

Professional & Community Activities

Board of Directors, Japan-America Society of the State of Washington
Past President of Canada-America Society of Washington
Member, Seattle Rotary Club #4
Significant participation in American Immigration Lawyers Association at national and regional levels
Emeritus Trustee, Seattle Pacific University
Former Director and Secretary, Seattle Pacific Foundation

Publications & Speaking Engagements

Speaker, “Immigration Law 101”, Japan-American Society (2022)
Speaker, “Strategies for Working with Consular Backlogs and Overcoming Consular Denials”, AILA NW Regional Conference (2022)
Speaker, “Employment Based Immigration: Building a Successful Employment Based Practice”, Washington AILA Chapter CLE (2021)
Moderator and speaker, “U.S. Consular Practice”, AILA National Virtual Annual Conference (2020)
Speaker, “Nonimmigrant Visa Consular Processing 101,” AILA Annual Conference (2020)
Speaker, “Navigating the Reduction of Workforce Stemming From COVID-19,” TAGLaw Virtual International Conference (2020)
Co-author, Third Country National Consular Processing of Nonimmigrant Visa Applications in Canada and Mexico, AILA’s Consular Handbook, 4th Ed. (2019)
Author, Post Information and Tips: Vancouver, B.C., Canada, U.S. Consulate General, AILA’s Consular Handbook, 4th Ed. (2019)
Author, The First E-2 Visa Issued out of U.S. Embassy in New Zealand goes to Ryan Swanson Client (2019)
Author, Income and Estate Tax Planning on a Linear Basis for the Inbound and Outbound Resident (2019)
Speaker, AILA Conference at Seattle University (February, 2019)
Author, “Diversity Lottery” (September, 2018)
Speaker, “How to Be Successful in the Current Immigration Climate” Ryan Swanson’s Annual Employment Law Seminar (September, 2018)
Co-author, Department of Homeland Security Considers Policy Change That Would Prevent H-1B Extensions (January, 2018)
Co-author, Supreme Court Upholds Travel Ban (December, 2017)
Co-author, Policy Change Regarding Advance Parole for Adjustment of Status (AOS) Applicants (August, 2017)
Co-author, 5 Things You Should Know About the President’s Executive Order on Immigration (March, 2017)
Speaker, Pacific NW American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Continuing Legal Education Conference, Portland, OR (March, 2017)
Co-author, Workplace Site Visits – What You Can Do To Prepare (February, 2017)
Co-author, Seattle Federal Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction Extending Nationwide Block of President’s Executive Order on Immigration (February, 2017)
Co-author, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds TRO on Travel Ban (February, 2017)
Co-author, President’s Immigration Ban Temporarily Suspended (February, 2017)
Co-author, Immigration Alert: Impact of Proposed White House Executive Order on Employment-Based Immigration (February, 2017)
Co-author, Employers Advised to File H-1B Petitions for Employees in TN Status (February, 2017)
Co-author, President’s Executive Order Suspends Entry Into U.S. for Foreign Nationals from Seven Countries and Impacts Visa Processing (January, 2017)
Co-author, President’s Executive Order Expected to Suspend Entry into U.S. for Foreign Nationals from Seven Countries (January, 2017)
Speaker, How to Prepare for the 2017 H-1B Lottery (January, 2017)
Co-author, Immigration Update: Significantly Reduced Visa Wait Times at U.S. Consulates in India (October, 2016)
Author, Domestic Travel Identification Requirements to Change in Early 2016
Speaker, Your Next Step: Crossing the Border, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (2015)
Guest, Immigration with Tahmina Watson, Desi 1250AM Radio, (3:34 mark) Joel discussed how he helped change law that allowed women to pass on US citizenship to their children (2015)
Author, American Immigration Lawyers Association “Immigration Forms Toolbox,” 2nd Edition (2015)
Author, The Moving Executive: Preserving Residency for Naturalization a/k/a “Perma-Shaving Naturalization” (2015)
Author, Naturalization and Voting in the United States (2014)
Author, Guidelines for Preparing and Presenting TN Applications by Prospective Employees of U.S. Employers (2014)
Speaker, 2013 AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law, San Francisco, CA (2013)
Speaker, Income and Estate Planning for the Inbound and Outbound Resident, Swedish Consulate Seminar, Seattle, WA (2013)
Author, Naturalization and Citizenship Requirements (2012)
Author, So You Thought You’re Employee Was Terminated, Guess Again! (2012)
Author, Your Turn for a Form I-9 Audit is Coming – Soon, PSADA Dealer Magazine (Spring 2012)
Speaker, Northwest Regional Immigration Law Conference, Seattle, WA (2012)
Author, Tips for Completing the Form DS-156 (2012)
Author, Our Predictions for the Coming Year: 7 Things Every Employer Should Know, Ryan Swanson Immigration Update (October, 2011)
Speaker, Northwest Regional Immigration Law Conference, Seattle, WA (2010)
Speaker, Practice Roundtable: “Know When to Hold’Em and Know When to Fold’Em – Corporate Changes: Immigration Status and Options,” AILA, Las Vegas, NV (2009)
Speaker, Panel on “Advanced Issues in Naturalization,” AILA, Vancouver, B.C., Canada (2008)
Speaker, Department of State Panel, AILA, Washington D.C. (2007)
Speaker, Pacific Northwest AILA Regional CLE, Portland, OR (2007)
Author, National Visa Center–Dos and Don’ts for Attorneys, AILA Visa Processing Guide and Consular Posts Handbook (2007-2008 Edition)

Articles

USCIS Starts Online Registration for Diversity Visa (DV) Program for FY-2023 (October, 2021)
USCIS Fee Increase for Filing Petitions and Applications (June, 2020)
President Trump Announces Plan to Sign Executive Order Temporarily Suspending Immigration into the United States (April, 2020)
Canada Cancels All Routine Nonimmigrant Visa Appointments and Restricts International Travel (March, 2020)
Income and Estate Tax Planning on a Linear Basis for the Inbound and Outbound Resident (May, 2019)
REAL ID Driver's Licenses - Apply Now and Beat the Rush (October, 2018)
Diversity Lottery (October, 2018)
USCIS and SSA Working Together (October, 2017)
Is Your Business Prepared for an I-9 Audit? (September, 2017)
New Version of Form I-9 Released Today, July 17 (July, 2017)
President's Immigration Ban Temporarily Suspended (February, 2017)
Impact of Proposed White House Executive Order on Employment-Based Immigration (February, 2017)

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Credentials

Education

University of Washington School of Law (J.D.)
Seattle Pacific University (B.A., cum laude)

Admitted to Practice

Washington (1970)
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Tax Court
United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Hobbies & Interests

Joel enjoys meeting with people, finding out what their legal problems are and providing options on how he can help them. His clients are pleased with the breadth and depth of Joel’s legal expertise. “When people ask me what I do as an immigration lawyer, I tell them I help the best and the brightest from other countries come to the United States,” he says.