• Derek Sewall represents clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in connection with immigration applications and petitions for employers and individuals. He has more than 20 years of immigration law experience.

    Derek has extensive experience with all types of employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant visas as well as naturalization and family-based immigration. He has assisted clients in various industries, including information technology, financial services, manufacturing, engineering, education, pharmaceuticals and health care. Derek has particular deep experience with the Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) system and has prepared and filed hundreds of PERM applications for small and large companies.

    Prior to joining Kramer Levin, Derek worked in a number of global, national and regional immigration law firms across the country.

    Experience

    • Prepared and filed more than 2,000 PERM Labor Certification Applications with DOL.

    • Responded successfully to requests for evidence from USCIS.

    • Filed motions to reopen cases and appealed immigration decisions for complex legal cases.

    • Represented clients with complex visa issues before the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

    • Represented high-tech businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies in Silicon Valley.

    Credentials

    Education

    • J.D., University of Miami School of Law, 1998
    • B.A., History and Latin American Studies, Brown University, 1993

    Bar Admissions

    • Maryland, 2001

    Languages

    • Spanish

    Focus Areas

  • Perspectives

    • Client Alerts
      Feb. 26, 2024
      USCIS Will Launch Enhanced, Upgraded MyUSCIS Account
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    • Client Alerts
      Feb. 14, 2024
      USCIS Issues Final Rules Increasing Filing Fees and Premium Processing Fees
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    • Client Alerts
      Feb. 07, 2024
      US Citizenship and Immigration Services Announces H-1B Cap Registration Period
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    • Client Alerts
      Jan. 11, 2024
      Pilot Program To Renew Certain H-1B Visas in the United States Begins on Jan. 29, 2024
      Read More
    • Client Alerts
      Oct. 03, 2023
      Registration for 2025 Diversity Visa Green Card Lottery Opens Oct. 4, 2023 Israel Added to the Visa Waiver Program
      Read More
    • Client Alerts
      July 28, 2023
      DHS Updates Form I-9 and Announces Flexible Alternatives to the Employment Eligibility Verification Process for E-Verify Participants
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    • Client Alerts
      July 27, 2023
      USCIS Announces It Will Be Making a Second Round of Selections From Registrations Submitted in the FY24 H-1B Lottery
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    • Client Alerts
      July 06, 2023
      With Temporary I-9 Flexibilities Due to Sunset, Employers Must Complete Physical Inspection of I-9 Documents by Aug. 30, 2023
      Read More
    • Seminar
      June 06, 2023
      Navigating Corporate Immigration in a Post-Pandemic Landscape
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