George Lester

George N. Lester, Esq.
Of Counsel
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP
230 Congress Street
9th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
United States of America George N Lester

glester@fragomen.com
George Lester | Fragomen Immigration - Boston

George Lester is a Boston, Massachusetts based immigration lawyer with the firm Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernson & Loewy. Fragomen is the leading provider of U.S. and global immigration services, with over 250 attorneys and 1000 professional immigration specialists and staff located in 33 offices around the world. George has over ten years experience exclusively practicing U.S. immigration and nationality law for sophisticated and diverse business clients.

Mr. Lester's practice exclusively focuses assisting employers and individuals with a full spectrum of U.S. immigration services. He represents clients in all steps of the processes necessary for foreign nationals to obtain temporary or permanent immigration status in U.S., including advocacy before federal government agencies including the Departments of Homeland Security, Labor, State and Justice, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and United States Customs and Border Protection, various state employment service agencies (such as the Massachusetts Division of Career Services), and other relevant agencies.

Mr. Lester helps U.S. employers that seek to hire foreign professionals, scientists, business persons and artists. His clients are companies of all sizes, from start-ups to established multinationals, and in a broad variety of high tech, scientific, manufacturing, financial services, consulting, academic, construction and other fields. On their behalf George files petitions for “H-1B” temporary professional workers and “L-1” intracompany transferees as well as applications for "TN" Free Trade and other categories of work status in the U.S. He prepares and files related “labor certification” applications, immigrant petitions and applications for permanent residence. He also helps employers with all required steps in the immigration process for “H-2B” temporary or seasonal workers. As part of his immigration counsel, George helps companies with large numbers of foreign national employees to develop cost efficient, effective strategies for high volume processing of immigration petitions and applications.

For individual clients, George prepares immigration related petitions and applications in the U.S., and assists with visa application procedures at U.S. consulates abroad. He has been particularly successful in complex matters involving temporary (O-1) and permanent classification for “aliens of extraordinary ability” and “outstanding researchers,” the “national interest waiver” of labor certification and waiver of the two-year home country residence requirement for “J-1” exchange visitors. George also represents foreign musical artists seeking to tour the U.S. in concert and other entertainment industry clients.

George also has a notable record in rehabilitating complex, problematic and previously denied cases through appellate, motion to reopen and related strategies. He has a strong practice before the U.S. Dept. of State at consulates abroad, including in-person meetings on behalf of clients at consulates in Russia, Ukraine and The Philippines.

George advises clients in all aspects of immigration-related compliance, including employment authorization verification, and represent clients in government investigations, including Labor Condition Application audits conducted by the U.S. Dept. of Labor and Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practice investigations conducted by the U.S. Dept. of Justice Office of Special Counsel.

George assists clients in Congressional advocacy for favorable changes in immigration law, and regularly travels with clients to Washington DC for meetings with elected representatives.

George is particularly proud of a successful record in pro bono political asylum applications on behalf of persons fleeing persecution in the home country, through the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project.

George and his staff also handle all types of family immigration matters.

Bars and Court Admissions

  • Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit

Professional / Civic involvement

  • Active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association at national and local level; has served as New England chapter Media Liaison.
  • Regularly speaks to business and academic groups on immigration issues
  • Regular speaker and panelist for immigration issues at training seminars and conferences by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc.
  • Former Treasurer and Board Member of the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR), a nonprofit organization which coordinates pro bono representation among major Boston law firms in political asylum and related matters
  • Elected member of Planning Board of Town of Medfield, Massachusetts
  • Former Board Member, Treasurer and Secretary of Eastern New England Council of American Youth Hostels, Inc.

Speeches and Conferences

  • “Immigration Options for Artists and Musicians,” Lecture, New England Conservatory of Music, April 15, 1999, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Permanent Residency and The Labor Certification Process,” Conference Presentation, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Immigration Law Basics Conference, March 3, 2000, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Immigration Options for Artists and Musicians,” Lecture, New England Conservatory of Music, April 5, 2000, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Employment-Based Immigrant Visas - Labor Certification,” Conference Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Basics Seminar, January 23, 2001, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Special Problems in Labor Certification Applications and Immigrant Petitions,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Business Immigration Law Seminar, August 7, 2001, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Gotta Get a Green Card: How to Get a Labor Certification Approved,” Conference Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Conference 2002, May 10, 2002, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Seminar Chair, "Strategies for Business: Employing foreign nationals on Hs, Ls, TN and other visas," a 3 Part Telephone Seminar, Immigration Lawyers on the Web (ILW.Com), July 29, August 29 and September 30, 2002
  • “Immigrant Visas - Employment Based, Labor Certification Applications,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Basics Conference, November 18, 2002, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Tips for Running a Successful Immigration Practice,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Basics Conference, November 19, 2002, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Nonimmigrant Business ‘Alphabet Soup’ Update - H-1B Special Problems and Strategies,” Conference Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Conference 2003, May 9, 2003, Boston, Massachusetts
  • Conference Chair, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Business Immigration Problems and Strategies Seminar, August 14, 2003, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Labor Certification,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Basics Conference, December 17, 2003, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Tips for Running a Successful Immigration Practice,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Basics Conference, December 18, 2003, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Advanced Nonimmigrant Strategies,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Conference 2004, May 14, 2004, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “New Office L-1 Issues and RFEs for H-1B and L-1s,” Panel Presentation, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) New England Chapter conference Advanced Immigration Solutions for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs, October 29, 2004, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Labor Certification,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Basics Conference, November 29, 2004, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Advanced Nonimmigrant Strategies for Temporary Workers,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Conference 2005, May 13, 2005, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “H-2B Visas Update” Presentation to Massachusetts Lodging Association, October 4, 2005, Hyannis, Massachusetts.
  • “Labor Certification,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Basics Conference, November 14, 2005, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “H-2B Visas Update” Presentation to Nantucket Chamber of Commerce, November 16, 2005, Nantucket, Massachusetts.
  • “Nonimmigrant Strategies Update,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Conference 2006, May 12, 2006, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Labor Certification,” Panel Presentation, Mass. Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Immigration Law Basics Conference, November 14, 2006, Boston, Massachusetts
  • “Congressional Update,” Presentation to Foley Hoag LLP Labor & Employment Law Seminar 2007, May 24, 2007, Needham, Massachusetts
  • “Visa Programs,” Interview segment on “Here and Now” program, WBUR radio (Boston, November 28, 2003)

Publications

©2018 George Lester | Attorney at Law