Partner
Chad Blocker
Country / Territory
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Languages
- English
Contact information
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP
444 South Flower Street, Suite 500
Los Angeles CA 90071
United States
Leading Fragomen's Los Angeles office, Chad counsels on a broad array of immigration matters for a diverse client base including organizations in the following industries: financial services (investment banking, corporate banking, wealth management, private equity), technology, consulting, insurance and risk management, resort/hospitality, media, and energy, among others.
His practice includes all aspects of corporate immigration including nonimmigrant visas, permanent residence, naturalization, Form I-9 and Labor Condition Application compliance as well as corporate restructuring matters. He also consults with individual clients on naturalization matters and family-based petitions as well as EB-5 immigration investor petitions, including Form I-526 and Form I-829 issues as well as EB-5 adjudication trends and results.
From 1996 to 1998, Chad served as a Law Clerk to federal Administrative Law Judge John C. Holmes of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) in Washington, D.C. where he assisted Judge Holmes in writing more than 50 appellate decisions.
Education
- Tulane University School of Law, J.D., Cum Laude , 1996
- University of Colorado, Boulder, B.A., 1993
More from Chad
Admissions
Bar Admissions: Colorado, Texas (Inactive)
Practice Limited to Federal Immigration & Nationality Law
Awards
Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2023-2025
Professional accomplishments
Board of Governors, University of Southern California Gould School of Law, Institute for Corporate Counsel
Board of Governors, University of Southern California Gould Continuing Legal Education (CLE), Institute for Corporate Counsel
Member, Advisory Board, University of Southern California Gould School of Law, Institute for Corporate Counsel
Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association
Former Law Clerk, Federal Administrative Law Judge John C. Holmes of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) in Washington, D.C. (1996–1998)
Experience
Advised on the immigration ramifications of the merger of two investment managers, forming one of the largest asset management firms in the world, with assets exceeding $1 trillion.
Counseled on the immigration consequences of a financial services firm’s divestiture of a middle-market commercial finance business.
Advised a large multinational technology consulting firm on establishing a large-scale compliance-focused permanent residence program.
Publications and lectures
Speaker, “Immigration Breakfast Briefing.” Fragomen, Los Angeles, CA, 5 March 2025.
Panelist, Global Mobility Executive Virtual Leaders Exchange | USA West, Webinar, 5 December 2023.
Speaker, “Are H-2 Visas Really a Viable Option for My Agricultural and Seasonal Employers?” 36th Annual AILA California Chapters Conference and Webcast, San Francisco, CA, 28 October 2023.
Speaker, “EB-5 Green Card Options for International Students.” Interstride, Webinar, 1 March 2023.
Quoted, “Outgoing Trump Administration Rule Limited H-1B Visas.” San Francisco Chronicle, 20 January 2021.
Quoted, “H-1B lottery change may drive increase in visa applicants.” Tech Target, 12 December 2019.
Moderator, “Indian Investors Roundtable: What They Look for in a Project & Why They Continue to Seek EB-5.” Invest in the USA EB-5 Industry Forum, Seattle, Washington, 29-30 October, 2019.
Quoted, “Immigrant Investors to Pay at Least $900,000 for Green Cards.” Bloomberg, 23 July 2019.
Speaker, “The Latest News: EB-5 Regulations and USCIS Policy Analysis.” EB-5 Investors Magazine Los Angeles Exposition, Los Angeles, CA, July 19, 2019.
Quoted, “Reform Needed for Lasting H-2B Shortage Relief, Attys Say.” Law360, 5 March 2019.
Quoted, “End Of Spouse Work Authorization Could Drive Away H-1Bs.” Law360, 12 Feb. 2019.
Quoted, “Trump’s Supreme Court Picks Could Trip Up Immigration Agenda.” Bloomberg BNA Daily Labor Report, 17 Jan. 2019.
Quoted, “Attys Prepare Employers for Increased H-2B Visa Audits.” Law360, 18 Dec. 2018.
Quoted, “Diversity Visas Are a Trump Target, and That Could Hurt Employers.” Bloomberg Law, 14 Nov. 2018.
Quoted, “Skilled Worker Visa Lottery Could Favor Advanced Degree Holders.” Bloomberg BNA, 23 Oct. 2018.
Speaker, “An Introduction to Global Immigration Concepts and Strategies.” ERC Symposium, Seattle, WA, Oct. 18, 2018.
Quoted, “Judge Gives Calif. Employers ‘Breathing Room’ on Immigration.” Bloomberg Law, 17 July 2018.
Speaker, “The EB-5 Program for H-1B Visa Holders.” ILW Presentation, Silicon Valley, CA, July 16, 2018.
Speaker, “Immigration: What's Next?” Worldwide ERC Conference, Los Angeles, CA, June 28, 2018.
Speaker, “LCA and PAF Compliance and Best Practices.” American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, June 16, 2018.
Quoted, “DACA expiration, TPS elimination threaten 100K+ construction jobs.” Construction Dive, 24 Jan. 2018.
Quoted, “How Immigration Attorneys are Tackling the Trump Era.” Law 360, 8 Nov. 2017.
Quoted, “Government to require interview for some green card holders.” Daily Journal, 30 August 2017.
Quoted, “DOL Seeks More Immigration Information on IT Staffing Firms.” Bloomberg Daily Labor Report, 7 August 2017.
Author, “Draining the Pool: Visa categories related to the entertainment industry may be strongly affected by changes in U.S. immigration policy.” Los Angeles Lawyer, Vol. 40, No. 3, (May 2017): 34-39. Print and web.
Speaker, “Employer Compliance During Enhanced Enforcement - I-9s, Audits, and Site Visits.” Panel presentation, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Southern California Chapter, Los Angeles, CA, April 13, 2017.
Quoted, “Summer Delays Likely As State Dept. Ups Visa Screening.” Law360, 4 April 2017.
Quoted, “How to encourage Hispanic participation amid the construction labor shortage.” Construction Dive, March 30, 2017.
Quoted, “Business immigration lawyers face new queries, requests under Trump.” Daily Journal, March 6, 2017.
Speaker, “Basic and Advanced EB-5 Eligibility Criteria.” Panel presentation, ILW EB-5 Conference, Los Angeles, CA, February 24, 2017.
Quoted, “Trump's Next Immigration Moves May Rock Businesses.” Law360, 13 February 2017.
Speaker, “Immigration Compliance.” Seminar, Association of Corporate Counsel Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Los Angeles, CA, February 1, 2017.
Quoted, “Trump travel ban is ‘scary’ for Hollywood, which relies on a global talent pool.” LA Times, February 1, 2017.
Quoted, “H-1B Visa Lottery Challenge Still Alive.” Bloomberg BNA, September 26, 2016.
Co-author, “New Entrepreneur Rule Gives Foreign Investors Another Immigration Option.” Los Angeles Business Journal, 23 September 2016.
Co-author, “Finding Tech Talent: Hiring International Students from US Universities.” Los Angeles Business Journal, August 29, 2016.
Quoted, “Violators Beware: Immigration Fines Scheduled to Increase Starting Aug. 1.” Bloomberg BNA, July 14, 2016.
Quoted, “2016’s Major Immigration Case Developments: Midyear Report.” Law360, July 1, 2016.
Quoted, “'Truly No Better Option’: H-2B visas for construction workers spark industry controversy.” Construction Dive, June 21, 2016.
Quoted, “With an H-1B Lottery Loss More Likely, A Look at Alternatives May Be in Order.” Bloomberg BNA, March 16, 2016.
Quoted, “O-1 Visa Comparable Evidence Policy May Burden Petitioners.” Law360, March 8, 2016.
Quoted, “When to Apply for Lesser-Known 'B-1 In Lieu OF H-1B' Visa.” Law 360, 24 February 2016.
Quoted, “Four Tips to Ace Your H-1B Petition.” Law360, February 11, 2016.
Quoted, “How to Hold On To Foreign Workers After a Merger.” Law360, February 8, 2016.
Quoted, “Returning H-2B Workers Won't Count Against Visa Cap.” Society for Human Resource Management, February 2, 2016.
Speaker, “Global Immigration Trends and Updates.” Panel presentation, Fragomen Immigration Symposium, Los Angeles, CA, January 27, 2016.
Speaker, “Executive Action on Immigration: What Employers Can Expect in 2015.” Lecture, Worldwide ERC, St. Louis, MO, February 2015.
Speaker, “The Heat Wave is Coming: Preparing for H-1B Season and Alternatives.” Lecture, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Southern California Chapter, Palm Springs, CA, February 2015.
Speaker, “Masters Series on Keys to Immigration Success: What Every Employer Needs to Know About Immigration in the United States.” Lecture, Worldwide ERC, Los Angeles, CA, January 2015.
Author, “Immigration Law Requirements for Employers.” In Advising California Employers and Employees, Continuing Education of the Bar – State Bar of California and the Regents of the University of California, 2015. Print and Electronic.
Speaker, “Hot Topics on Immigration Law.” Panel presentation, The Rutter Group, Los Angeles, CA, May 2014.
Panelist, “Immigration Reform and Its Potential Impact.” Panel presentation, FWD.us, Los Angeles, CA, April 2014.
Speaker, “Executive Action on Immigration: A Long and Winding Road to Reform.” Lecture, FWD.us, Los Angeles, CA, December 2014.
Speaker, “Advanced Topics for EB-5 Practitioners.” Lecture, ILW.com, July 2013.
Translation
Chad是Fragomen洛杉矶办公室合伙人。他于 1998 年加入Fragomen，为多元化的客户群体，包括以下行业的组织：金融服务（投资银行、企业银行、财富管理、私募股权）、技术、咨询、保险和风险管理、度假村/酒店、媒体和能源等，提供广泛的移民事务咨询。
Chad的专业领域涵盖企业移民的各方面，包括非移民签证、永久居留、入籍、I-9 表格和劳工条件申请合规以及企业重组事宜。他还就入籍事宜和家庭亲属申请以及 EB-5 移民投资者申请向个人客户提供咨询，包括 I-526表格 和 I-829表格相关问题以及 EB-5 裁决趋势和结果。
从 1996 年到 1998 年，Chad在华盛顿特区美国劳工部外国人劳工认证上诉委员会（BALCA）担任联邦行政法法官 John C. Holmes 的法律助理，协助法官 Holmes 撰写了 50 多份上诉判决。
Chad 经常在行业组织和活动中就与商业相关的移民发展和趋势发表演说。他曾在多个全球移民委员会会议上发表演讲，主题范围从 9/11 对签证处理的影响到 H-1B 劳工条件申请的合规性。他还曾出席由美国移民律师协会（AILA）和Worldwide ERC 以及其他知名组织举办的会议。此外，他还曾担任 General Assembly 的“初创公司移民”讲师，这是一个面向商业、技术和设计领域的企业家和创业公司的全球教育社区。 Chad 还曾为著名的出版物撰写和编辑文章，例如《洛杉矶商业杂志》和《加州雇主和雇员建议》，加州律师继续教育的出版物--加州州立律师和加州大学董事会。
Chad 曾任职于诺克罗斯野生动物基金会董事会，该基金会是一家非营利组织，在马萨诸塞州、康涅狄格州和宾夕法尼亚州管理着 10,000 英亩的土地。诺克罗斯每年向具有核心保护价值的非营利组织捐助近 100 万美元。
Chad’s insights
March 5, 2025 | Meeting
August 19, 2024 | Awards
