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Senior Associate
Sonya Berenfeld Cole
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Languages
- English
- Russian
Contact information
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP
1400 Broadway
New York NY 10018
United States
Sonya is a Senior Associate in the firm’s Knowledge group, which provides internal and client guidance on new, changing and complex global immigration issues and maintains the firm’s extensive global immigration knowledge library. As the team's head writer, Sonya spearheads the Fragomen Client Alert writing process and the award-winning Worldwide Immigration Trends Report, and drafts client materials related to global immigration policy. Sonya also played an integral role in the firm’s communication standardization project, which helped to simplify client communications using visuals and succinct, direct language.
Prior to joining Fragomen, Sonya was a civil litigator in New Jersey and New York.
Throughout her career, Sonya has been involved in pro bono work through various organizations such as Partners for Women and Justice and Immigration Equality, and she is currently a career coach with Upwardly Global, an organization that provides free assistance to immigrants and refugees in career and job placement efforts. She also assisted with asylum cases through Seton Hall Law School’s Immigration and International Human Rights Clinic.
Sonya speaks English and Russian
Education
- Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 2010
- New York University, B.A., cum laude , 2006
More from Sonya
Admissions
Bar Admissions: New Jersey, New York
Practice Limited to Federal Immigration & Nationality Law
Awards
Excellence in Pro Bono Representation Award, Immigration Equality, 2016
Professional accomplishments
Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association
Member, South Carolina Women Lawyers Association
Publications and lectures
Co-Author, “Why Climate Disruptions Are Reshaping Mobility Strategy.” Fragomen, 13 March 2026.
Co-author, “Venezuela’s Energy Reset: Unlocking Opportunity, Managing Risk and Deploying Talent Strategically.” Fragomen, 20 February 2026.
Co-author, “Digital Nomads and Hybrid Work: A Deep Dive into the Benefits, Drawbacks and Possible Ways to Improve Uptake of Digital Nomad Visa Programmes.” Global Forum for Migration Development Business Advisory Group for Migration, December 2023.
Author, “How is Immigration Policy Adapting in the Face of Growing Skills Gaps and the War for Talent?” Global Mobility Executive, 10 May 2023.
Co-author, “Data Privacy in the Post-Pandemic World – Trends and Projections in the Global Immigration Environment.” Worldwide ERC, 7 November 2022.
Author, “Digital Nomads and Remote Workers.” Worldwide ERC, 25 July 2022.
Contributor, “The Future of Remote Work: Digital Nomads and the Implications for Immigration Systems.” Migration Policy Institute, 23 June 2022.
Author, “Ukraine Situation and Its Impacts on Immigration Policy.” Global Mobility Executive, 26 May 2022.
Author, “COVID-19: Though it Exacerbated Anti-Immigrant Sentiments, it Could Accelerate Immigration’s Digital Transformation.” Worldwide ERC, 19 October 2020.
Author, “It’s A Tough Gig – Do work authorization systems meet the needs of nontraditional, or ‘gig,’ workers?.” Mobility, January 2020.
Author, “2019: Looking Back on a Year of Increased Government Rule Enforcement.” Fragomen Blog, 19 December 2019.
Author, “The Digital Transformation - Immigration Systems in 2019 and Beyond.” Worldwide ERC, 21 October 2019.
Speaker, “Peering into the Crystal Ball: Immigration Trends and Implications.” Worldwide ERC's Global Workforce Symposium, Boston, MA, October 18, 2019.
Author, “Global Immigration Trends in 2019 and Projections for 2020.” International HR Adviser, Summer 2019.
Author, “Immigration Policies for Dependent Spouses and Same-Sex Partners: What is the Road Ahead?” Worldwide ERC, 13 May 2019.
Co-author, “Chapter 22: Immigration Considerations for International Assignments” and “Appendix 22A.” International Corporate Practice: A Practitioner's Guide to Global Success, 2015, 2016, 2017.
Author, “Pro Bono Opportunities to Represent Unaccompanied Minors.” New Jersey Law Journal, 14 August 2014.
Author, “E-Verify: A Tool for Employers in the Age of ICE Audits.” New Jersey Law Journal, November 2012.
Sonya’s insights
March 13, 2026 | Blog post
February 20, 2026 | Blog post
July 8, 2025 | Blog post
