By Hoda Elamir, Director of Business Development at J&K Law

You’re anxious. You’re about to get called in by a hiring manager for a competitive interview. The interview is going great, then suddenly you’re asked THE question: “Do you require visa sponsorship?” 

You begin to panic.  You know this question was bound to come eventually – yet you felt forced to avoid the topic until much later in the interview process. You lower your gaze, look to the side and shyly reply, “yes.” You sigh, and brace yourself for the tough conversation ahead, fearful that your pending immigration status will cost you your dream job and your future in this country. 

For many immigrant women applying for jobs in the States while requesting visa sponsorship is much like negotiating a salary. Both discussions are uncomfortable, stressful and outright scary. Yet, both are extremely important. Without visa sponsorship, many qualified immigrant women cannot work in the United States – often times, it determines their chance of even living here. Whether it’s an H1B Visa, Labor Certification, or O-1 Visa, asking for visa sponsorship is always a difficult feat for immigrant woman. There are strong parallels to immigrant women requesting visa sponsorship and women negotiating a pay-raise.  

All women, regardless of where they are from, must deal with the universal truth that men are favored in the work place. Whether its requesting sponsorship or negotiating a raise, men are typically encouraged to “take what they deserve” while women have been indoctrinated to believe they are “not qualified” or are “not valuable enough.” This is the harsh truth, but it does not have to be. 

We have seen firsthand, just how qualified and talented our female clients really are. 

One client obtained visa sponsorship for an executive position at a multi-million dollar crowd-funding company in New York City. She valued herself and also negotiated sponsorship for Permanent Resident Status. Another received an artist visa for her work as a fashion photographer in New York Fashion week. She was able to place value on her talents and advocated for sponsorship so she may work in the U.S.  A third was granted visa sponsorship because of her highly marketable tech skills and now works for a very successful tech startup.  Not only are we extremely proud to represent these inspiring women, we are in awe of their sheer confidence to “take what they deserve.” Women everywhere need to realize their worth and feel confident about their unique skills, talents and abilities. Never settle for less. Odds are, you are way more qualified than you think. 

Let us paint a picture – we are one of the top 10 immigration law firms in New York City. We have been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Super Lawyers, and have been invited to speak at world-class universities and events. We are all minorities. We are all immigrants. And we are all WOMEN. 

Our two partners, Hera and Madhuri are truly incredible. Hera Javed was living in the United States as an undocumented immigrant for twenty-seven years, but now founded her own firm, and Madhuri Kumar was featured in Forbes Magazine’s “Top 5 Immigration Lawyers for Startups.” We are a team of amazing women who are not afraid to rise to the top of a predominately male dominated field. In fact, we dominate in our industry and are growing immensely. 

Believe in yourself, and remember, take what’s YOURS. 

About J&K Law: J&K Law is an all female immigration law firm in downtown Manhattan. They are a full service firm and take on all types of immigration cases. Learn more at jklaw.com and find them on Facebook and Instagram.