Our Team: Suzanne B. Seltzer

Phone: 212-796-8846
Email: sseltzer@klaskolaw.com

Suzanne B. Seltzer, the head of the firm’s New York Office, is known for her extensive representation of universities, hospitals and research institutions and their medical and research personnel in obtaining extraordinary ability and national interest waiver immigrant petitions, O-1 nonimmigrant visas, and waivers of the two-year home country residence requirement.  A founding member of Klasko Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP, Suzanne has practiced immigration law since 1993. Her clients include academic institutions from all over the country, as well as scientists, professors, engineers and physicians from around the world.

Since 1995, Suzanne has been active in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).  She currently serves on AILA’s Annual Conference Program Committee, AILA’s USCIS Vermont Service Center Liaison Committee, AILA’s NY Chapter Conference Program Committee, and is in her third year as Co-Chair of AILA - NY District Office/USCIS liaison committee.  In addition to her involvement in AILA committees, Suzanne is also Co-Chair, The FMG Taskforce – The Organization of Physician Immigration Lawyers, of which she has been an active member for 10 years, and was recently selected for a two year term as NAFSA's Region X Regulatory Ombudsman. 

In addition, Suzanne is also a member of the steering committee of the NY Anti-Trafficking Network, as well as the co-chair of the Legal Subcommittee.  In 2002, Suzanne received the Cornerstone Award from the Lawyers Alliance for New York and in 2003, she received the prestigious Samuel E. Klein Pro Bono Award.

A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Suzanne received her law degree from Georgetown University’s Law Center (cum laude).

Recent Representative Matters:

• Ongoing representation of a major research foundation in obtaining non-immigrant visas and permanent residency on behalf of scientists, visiting researchers, and key professional staff; assist in developing immigration policy; advice on compliance with government regulations;
• Advice and counsel to several Ivy League universities with respect to current developments in immigration law and policy;
• Ongoing representation of several hospital based practices and university research and teaching departments with respect to individual foreign nationals; and
• Lead attorney on first preference employment based immigration petitions for top-10 pharmaceutical clients.
• Substantial representation of individual researchers and clinicians, including:
  • Obtaining waivers of the two-year home residence requirements for physicians through "State 30" waivers, interested government agencies - such as Department of Health & Human Services, VA waivers, and hardship waivers;
  • Obtaining O-1 classification and permanent residence on behalf of notable physicians and surgeons;
  • Developing labor certification processes on behalf of healthcare clients to facilitate permanent residence for physicians; and
  • Obtaining first preference employment based immigration petitions and national interest waivers for both clinicians and researchers;

Publications and Presentations:

• Immigration Relief for Crime Victims: U & T Visas, at the Association of the Bar, City of New York (ABCNY). (Organizer/Moderator) Co-sponsored by ABCNY, AILA New York Chapter, and the NY Anti-Trafficking Network. (Jan. 2008)
• J Waivers In-Depth, teleconference series seminar, sponsored by ILW.com (Jan – March 2008)
• 212-eeeeeeeee!: A tricky 'subject' for advisors, presented at the Region X Conference of the National Association of Foreign Scholar Advisors (NAFSA) Brooklyn, NY (Nov. 2007)
• Navigating the Four Levels of Prevailing Wage, presented at the Region XI Conference of the National Association of Foreign Scholar Advisors (NAFSA) Burlington, VT (Oct. 2007)
• Employees Who Violate Immigration Laws are No Match for ICE, The Legal Intelligencer (October 17, 2007)
• Am I Really Subject to the Two Year Home Residency Requirement presented before the Annual Conference of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) (June 2007). Invited Presentation.
• Is Special Handling Really so Special, presented at the National Conference of the National Association of Foreign Scholar Advisors (NAFSA) Minneapolis, MN (May 2007)
• Policies and Procedures for Addressing Complicated H-1B Issues, presented at the National Conference of the National Association of Foreign Scholar Advisors (NAFSA) Minneapolis, MN (May 2007)
• Physician Visas: What You Need To Know Now, teleconference/seminar sponsored by ILW.com. (Jan 2007)
• Are USCIS Security Clearances Really Making Us More Secure, The Legal Intelligencer, (August 16, 2006)
• Employment Based Immigrant Visas presented before the Annual Conference of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) (June 2006). Invited Presentation.
• PERM Strategy Workshop presented before the MidYear Conference of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) (Jan 2006). Invited Presentation
• O*NET, Normal Requirements, and Business Necessity, The Reality of Business Immigration (Jan 2006)
• Immigration Lawyers Face an Ever-Changing Job Classification System, The Legal Intelligencer (December 19, 2005)
• Current and Projected Delays in Permanent Residency Processing, The Legal Intelligencer (May 19, 2005)
• The Identification and Legal Advocacy for Trafficking Victims Manual, available at www.ny-anti-trafficking.com. (2ND Edition, March 2005)
• How to Improve the Impact of Reference Letters on Establishing Extraordinary Ability, in Immigration Options for Academics and Researchers (AILA, January 2005).
• The ‘T' Visa: A Primer, Immigration's New Age: Discovery, Adaptation, and Survival (AILA, December 2004)
• Demystifying the HHS Waiver Process, Matthew Bender's Immigration Law Bulletin (October 1, 2004); also published in Immigration's New Age: Discovery, Adaptation, and Survival (AILA, December 2004)
• Representing the Best & the Brightest presented before the Annual Conference of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) (June 2004). Invited Presentation.
• The Do's and Don't of HHS Waivers presented before National Conference of the National Association of Foreign Scholar Advisors (NAFSA) Baltimore, MD (May 2004)
• "Minimizing Consequences of H-1b Cap," The Legal Intelligencer, (September 17, 2004)
• Taking Extraordinary Measures to Keep Key Personnel, Legal Intelligencer (March 2002); New Jersey Law Journal (May 2002); Matthew Bender's Labor & Employment Bulletin (2002)
• Options of J-1 Clinicians: Expanded Use of the O-1 Visa, AILA New York Chapter Conference Handbook (2001); presented before National Conference of the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA) San Antonio, TX (May 2002)
• An Analysis of the Child Status Protection Act, Legal Intelligencer (September 2003); Matthew Bender's Employment Bulletin (2003)
• Immigration Issues Related to Physicians and Research Scholars, presented at Baylor College of Medicine (March 2002)
• Immigration Options to Remain and Work in the United States Post-Student Years, presented at New York University (April 2004, November 2006, 2002) and Columbia (April 2004, February 2003, March 2002)
• Immigration Issues for Doctors and Researchers, presented at Columbia University (January 2006, February 2005, 2004, March 2003, January 2002), University of Pennsylvania (October 2001, October 2002), Thomas Jefferson University (April 2006, April 2005, April 2004, April 2003, April 2002)
• Travel Issues for International Students and Scholars Post-9/11, presented at Yale University (December 2001)
• Temporary Protected Status: A Good Foundation for Building, 6 Geo. Imm. L. J. 773 (1992)
• Attacks on Justice, International Commission of Jurists (1992) (presented before the U.N. Sub-Committee on Human Rights, August 1992)