Elizabeth L.A. Garvish

Partner and Director, Immigration Practice Group
egarvish@mklawllc.com
678-904-0085

---

Ms. Garvish is Partner at Marchman, Kasraie, & Fodor, LLC and Director of the Immigration Practice Group. Ms. Garvish has successfully handled all types of immigration matters for a diverse group of clients. She assists U.S. corporations to obtain employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant visas for essential alien employees working in the United States. Ms. Garvish’s work includes securing nonimmigrant visas for multinational executives/managers and multinational employees with essential specialized skills, persons in specialty professional occupations, foreign investors, entertainers, religious workers, temporary workers, and trainees, among others. Ms. Garvish is knowledgeable in the employment-based preference categories and the related vehicles to obtain permanent residence, including multinational executives/managers, national interest waivers, outstanding professors/researchers, persons of extraordinary ability, investors, and professionals and skilled workers through PERM labor certification. Ms. Garvish is able to aid employers with I-9 compliance issues, E-Verify issues, the development of compliance programs, and self-audits.

She has significant experience communicating with State Department officials at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide regarding issues involved with consular visa processing, Further, she possesses significant experience assisting foreign entertainers, circus groups, artists, musicians, and dancers authorization to perform or work in the United States.

Further, she focuses a large part of her practice on the provision of legal counsel and assistance to foreign medical graduates obtaining waivers of the J-1 two year foreign residence requirement, H-1B and O-1 visas and extensions, as well as permanent residence through various vehicles including PERM labor certification and the National Interest Waiver for physicians. Ms. Garvish works closely with hospitals and medical institutions to obtain nonimmigrant visas and permanent residence for their physicians, nurses and other foreign medical personnel, and prides herself on the superior client service she provides and her clients have come to expect. Moreover, she understands the obstacles facing today's foreign workers, their families and their employers, and she is committed to using creative immigration strategies to solve problems and achieve the desired results.

Additionally, Ms. Garvish possesses in-depth knowledge and experience in representing clients in family-based immigration matters, naturalization, consular processing, deportation defense, and political asylum. She is fluent in Spanish and well-versed in French and has written informative articles on immigration issues for publication in Spanish-language magazines. She appeared as a legal expert on a Spanish Language television program on Georgia Public Television called "Leyes Cotidianas" or "Everyday Law." She frequently presents lectures instructing employers and human resources personnel on immigration topics.

Further, Ms. Garvish was recognized for her pro bono work in the area of immigration by her peers at the State Bar of Georgia and was awarded the 2008 H. Sol Clark Pro Bono Award. Ms. Garvish is active with the Atlanta Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and has served on various committees. For three years, she has chaired the Atlanta Chapter’s Citizenship Day Naturalization Drive which is a one day event that brings together lawyers and volunteers to assist legal permanent residents on the path to U.S. Citizenship.

Prior to joining the Marchman & Kasraie LLC in December 2005, Ms. Garvish practiced primarily employment based immigration law for six years with the national labor and employment law firm, Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart P.C. She also worked for a firm in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she acquired considerable knowledge of the civil law system and procedures used in Latin American countries, sociocultural protocol, and the business mindset related to Latin American commerce. Ms. Garvish also has devoted substantial time and pro bono hours to assisting Central American refugees in obtaining their permanent residence in the United States. She continues to dedicate a portion of her time to assisting needy or indigent clients with immigration matters.

Education:

J.D., Tulane University School of Law, 1995
B.A., Johns Hopkins University, 1992

Admitted to Practice:

Georgia, 2003
Texas, 1995
South Carolina, 2001
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Awards:

Winner, 2008 H. Sol Clark Pro Bono Award, State Bar of Georgia

Professional Activities:

State Bar of Georgia, South Carolina Bar, State Bar of Texas, Pro Bono Bar of the State of Texas, College of the State Bar of Texas Member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Member of the USCIS Liaison Committee for the American Immigration Lawyers Association Chapter in Atlanta, Georgia, 2008-2009 Pro Bono Committee Chair for the American Immigration Lawyers Association Chapter in Atlanta, Georgia, 2006-2007 Member of Advocacy Committee of the American Immigration Lawyers Association Chapter in Atlanta, Georgia, 2006-2007 Project Chairperson, American Immigration Lawyers Association Citizenship Day Naturalization Drive, Spring 2007, 2008, 2009 Legal Counsel for the Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) of Atlanta, Georgia, 2005-2006 State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Executive Council 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008 Member of Executive Planning Committee, State Bar of Georgia YLD Fundraiser, Soiree de la Chance on January 11, 2008, which raised over $45,000 for H.E.R.O. for Children Aids Charity

Community Activities:

VP, Special Events, Art Partners Board, High Museum of Art, 2008-2009 VP, Programs, Art Partners Board, High Museum of Art, 2007-2008 Member of Silent Auction Committee for Zoo Atlanta’s Beastly Feast, 2007 Host for “the Wine Opener” Charity Social Event benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, November 2, 2006. High Museum of Art, Art Partners Social Chair 2005-2008 Volunteer Coordinator Chair of High Museum of Art Wine Auction “The Big Finish” Committee, 2007, 2008 Volunteer Coordinator for the High Museum of Art "Taste for Wine" Committee, 2005

Languages:

Spanish French