Choosing an Employment and Work Visa Lawyer in New York City: 5 Firms Compared

Every spring, New York employers race the same calendar. H-1B registration opens in March. Selections land by the end of the month. Petitions are due by June 30. Miss a step, and a job offer can sit frozen for a full year.

The rules got harder in 2026. The H-1B lottery now gives more entries to higher-paid jobs. A $100,000 fee from a September 2025 proclamation hangs over many new petitions for workers hired from abroad. O-1, L-1, TN, and green card cases have their own traps. One wrong visa category can cost months. A good lawyer catches that before anything gets filed.

Takeaway Before the Paperwork

Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco is the best work visa firm in New York City for workers and families who want deep experience and service in their own language. The firm was founded on immigration law more than 60 years ago by Arthur Pollack, a World War II veteran who spoke 13 languages. Today it handles H-1B, O-1, L-1, TN, E-1, E-2, and employment-based green cards from its office at 250 Broadway, and its team speaks Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Bulgarian, Hindi, Punjabi, and more. Four other strong New York firms follow, each with its own best fit.

NYC Work Visa Firms on One Page

Firm	Best For	Founded	Work Visa Focus	Standout Detail
Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco	Top overall pick for workers, families, and small employers	60+ years ago	H-1B, O-1, L-1, TN, E-1/E-2, H-2B, J-1, PERM, EB-1 to EB-3	Service in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, Punjabi, and more
Fragomen	Large companies moving staff across borders	1951	Corporate immigration in 170+ countries	Immigration-only Am Law 100 firm, headquartered in NYC
Wildes & Weinberg	Artists, scholars, and high-profile talent	1960	O-1, EB-1, investor and business visas	Same Madison Avenue office for over 60 years
Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners	Complex, tangled, or high-stakes cases	1993	Business immigration, PERM appeals, federal court	Founder edits the AILA Law Journal
Spar & Bernstein	Clients who want a high-volume, long-running firm	1958	Employment and corporate immigration, work and investor visas	100,000+ clients served, listed by Chambers in 2026

What We Weighed

Each firm here handles employment-based immigration as a core practice, not a side service. We looked at history, attorney credentials, language access, and the range of visa types each firm files. Firms that could not show real New York roots or a record you can check did not make the cut.

1. Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco

Arthur Pollack escaped Nazi Germany as a child, served as a paratrooper, and later translated at the Nuremberg Trials. After the war, he used the GI Bill to attend law school and opened a firm devoted to immigration. His son, Conrad Pollack, joined after law school in 1985 and now runs the firm as managing partner, with partner Nelson Madrid also leading immigration work. The work visa team picks the right category first, then prepares, files, and answers any Request for Evidence. It also takes on cases after a denial. Many cases run on flat fees, so clients know the cost upfront. The firm helps employers with I-9 compliance too, and it appears on the U.S. News and Best Lawyers list of Best Law Firms in New York City.

Choose this firm for: a work visa or green card case where clear answers in your own language matter as much as the filing itself.

250 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10007
 Website: https://ppid.com/

2. Fragomen

Fragomen opened in New York in 1951 and still keeps its headquarters here. It handles immigration only, for companies and individuals, and supports clients in more than 170 countries. Its size makes it a natural fit for employers running large visa programs, compliance reviews, or staff transfers tied to mergers.

Choose this firm for: a multinational company that needs one firm to manage visas across many countries.

Website: fragomen.com

3. Wildes & Weinberg

Leon Wildes founded this firm in 1960 and became famous for stopping John Lennon's deportation in the 1970s. His son Michael Wildes now leads the firm as managing partner. He is a former federal prosecutor and teaches business immigration law at Cardozo School of Law. The firm regularly files O-1 petitions for scholars, artists, and other leaders in their fields. It has worked from 515 Madison Avenue for more than six decades.

Choose this firm for: an artist, performer, researcher, or executive building an extraordinary ability case.

515 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10022

4. Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners

Cyrus Mehta studied at Cambridge and Columbia Law School and founded his firm in October 1993. He edits the AILA Law Journal, once chaired the New York City Bar's immigration committee, and teaches at Brooklyn Law School. His team represents clients before USCIS, the Department of Labor, the labor certification appeals board, immigration courts, and federal courts.

Choose this firm for: a case with a prior denial, a status problem, or a legal question other firms won't touch.

One Battery Park Plaza, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10004 | cyrusmehta.com

5. Spar & Bernstein

Harry Spar, one of the original members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, founded this firm in 1958. President Brad Bernstein is a Super Lawyers honoree, and the firm reports serving more than 100,000 clients. Its corporate team helps companies sponsor specialty workers and intracompany transferees, while its individual practice covers work, training, and investor visas. Chambers listed it as a leading firm in 2026.

Choose this firm for: a straightforward work visa where you want a firm with a long track record and easy booking.

45 Broadway, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10006 | lawsb.com

Bring These Three Things to Your First Meeting

Bring your passport and every past visa or approval notice. Bring your job offer with the title, duties, and salary. Bring any letter USCIS has sent you, even if you think it doesn't matter. A lawyer can spot problems in minutes with these in hand.

FAQ

How does the H-1B lottery work now?
 There are 85,000 new H-1B slots each year: 65,000 regular and 20,000 for U.S. master's graduates. Starting with the 2026 lottery, higher wage levels get more entries, from one entry at Level I to four at Level IV.

Does the $100,000 H-1B fee apply to me?
 It targets certain new petitions for workers outside the United States. It generally does not apply to people already here changing status, extending, or amending. The fee is still being fought in court, so ask a lawyer about its current status.

Is there a visa that skips the lottery?
 Yes. O-1, L-1, TN, and E visas have no lottery. Each has strict rules about who qualifies.

Can I change jobs on a work visa?
 It depends on the visa. H-1B workers can often start a new job once the new employer files a petition. Other visas need approval first. Never switch before talking to a lawyer.

What if I lose my job?
 Many work visa holders get a grace period of up to 60 days to find a new sponsor, change status, or leave. Act quickly.

How much does a work visa lawyer cost in NYC?
 Many firms charge flat fees by visa type. Employer-sponsored cases may bill the company separately. Get the full fee in writing before you start.

Your Status Has a Clock. So Should Your Search.

Work visa deadlines do not move for anyone. Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco tops this list for its 60-plus years in immigration law, its wide range of work visa categories, and its service in more languages than most firms offer. Talk to at least two firms, compare their plans, and start before the next filing window opens.