Partner
Chad Ellsworth
Country / Territory
Get in touch
Languages
- English
Contact information
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP
555 Montgomery St, 4th Floor
San Francisco CA 94111
United States
Chad has nearly 20 years of immigration experience and represents some of the firm’s largest information technology and financial services clients out of the Northeast and Northern California regions of the United States. He leads many of the firm’s New York-based financial and other professional services engagements. Separately, he also serves as the Managing Partner of Fragomen’s San Francisco office.
Chad’s practice focuses on representing large clients across multiple industry sectors, including global financial institutions, professional services firms, information technology organizations, private clients and entrepreneurs. He also has extensive experience representing students, graduates, executives, high net worth individuals and entrepreneurs in a wide variety of business travel, mobility and business immigration employment matters.
Chad’s U.S. and international immigration experience include assistance with immigration audit, compliance and enforcement matters. In addition, he helps advise on government relations strategies in key jurisdictions. Chad also advises key corporate stakeholders, including human resources personnel, global mobility specialists, legal departments and executives on a variety of global immigration issues. Chad has extensive experience with the establishment, enhancement and outsourcing of compliant global mobility programs, including but not limited to jurisdictions with less formalized immigration processes and procedures.
Chad also has deep experience providing legal support for the economic citizenship/residency programs utilized by most private clients. He advises many top executives and high net worth individuals on their immigration related travel, investments and/or other global business immigration needs.
Chad is a member of the firm’s People, Private Client and Pro Bono Committees and is a regular speaker at national and international immigration conferences, including for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, SelectUSA, Conference Board of Canada, Council for Global Immigration (formerly ACIP), Investment Migration Council, US-China Business Alliance, EB-5 Investors, Invest in America Shanghai Summit and Exhibition and Immigration Lawyers on the Web (ILW). He is also the author of numerous immigration related articles.
Education
- Tulane University School of Law, J.D., 2002
- University of Southern California, B.A., 1998
More from Chad
Admissions
Bar Admissions: New York, New Jersey
Practice Limited to Federal Immigration & Nationality Law
Awards
Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2026 to 2027
Listed in Chambers USA, 2021-2026
Named to Crain’s New York Business’ Notable LGBTQ Leaders, 2022
Listed among "Top 25 Immigration Attorneys," EB5 Investors Magazine, 2017, 2021, 2022
Professional accomplishments
Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Member, AILA National EB-5 Committee
Publications and lectures
Speaker, “Trump Gold and Platinum Card Considerations for Startups, Tech Talent and High-Net-Worth Individuals.” Fragomen, Webinar, 23 June 2026.
Quoted, “Trump's H-1B overhaul favors deep-pocketed Bay Area firms over Indian staffing agencies.” Silicon Valley Business Journal, 4 May 2026.
Speaker, “CA, Other States Sue Trump Admin Over New $100K Fee for H-1B Visas.” ABC7, 12 December 2025.
Speaker, Global Mobility Executive Leaders Exchange | San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 21 October 2025.
Speaker, “Saudi Entrepreneurs, Students and Families Leading Business in a Diversified Global Marketplace.” Cross-Border Planning: Critical Issues Impacting Middle Eastern Business Families, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 8 October 2025.
Speaker, “USA Immigration Panel.” Investment Migration Forum, Dubai, UAE, 7 May 2025.
Speaker, “The Future of Mobility: Remote Work and Business Travel.” Global Mobility Executive (GME) Live Americas ’22, San Francisco, California, 24 May 2022.
Quoted, “2022 Forecast: What’s Next for Tech Workers?” The New Stack, 28 December 2021.
Quoted, “Golden Visas: The Investment Migration Industry Evolves Globally.” Mansion Global, 23 August 2020.
Quoted, “Shielded From Green Card Ban, EB-5 Investors Still At Risk.” Law360, 1 May 2020.
Quoted, “EB-5 Modernization Rule No Substitute for Legislative Fix.” Law360, 27 February 2019.
Speaker, “How Can Canada Become the Global Leader in Entrepreneur and Investor Immigration?” Entrepreneur & Investor Immigration Summit 2018, Ottawa, Canada, November 27-28, 2018.
Quoted, “Selling citizenship is big business—and controversial.” The Economist, 29 September 2018.
Author, “Emphasis on Compliance and SEC Interagency Cooperation a Year after the Appointment of Chief Nicholas Colucci to the USCIS Immigrant Investor Program (EB-5).” The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, Volume 22, No. 12 (December 2014): 18. Print.
Author, “Looking Elsewhere: Options for Investors in the Wake of Canada’s Termination of Two Key Visa Programs.” World of Expats, 2014. Web.
Chad’s insights
September 10, 2026 | Conference
August 20, 2026 | Awards
