Raymond Lahoud

Norris McLaughlin & Marcus provides a full-service immigration practice whose trained professionals have extensive experience in the field of immigration law.  The Immigration Law Group is skilled in all types of immigration matters and representation before the nation’s immigration-related agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Executive Office for Immigration Review, Board of Immigration Appeals, Department of State, United States Embassies and Consulates, Department of Labor, and any other federal agency, whether in the United States or overseas.  The attorneys in the Immigration Law Group are experience members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

The Norris McLaughlin & Marcus Immigration Practice is broad in scope, with extensive national and global capabilities, to serve individuals and families; small, mid-size, and large businesses; national and international corporations; non-profits, hospitals, universities, colleges, and research institutions; manufacturers, importers, exporters, investors, and others, to allow for ease in clients’ global mobility.

The Immigration Law Group leads in all types of immigration matters, including:

Corporate Immigration

Employee Immigrant Visa

• Multi-National Executives and Managers
• Persons with Extraordinary Abilities
• Professors and Researchers
• Professionals with Advanced Degrees – National Interest Waiver
• Persons with Exceptional Abilities – National Interest Waiver
• Skilled and Unskilled Laborers
• IT, Manufacturing, and Professionals of Other Industries
• Foreign Medical Graduates, Doctors, Nurses, and Other Healthcare Professionals
• Broadcasters
• Religious Workers
• PERM Labor Certifications
• Prevailing Wage Determinations
• Recruitment and Continued Compliance Policies
• Consular Processing

Employee Non-Immigrant Visas

• E-1, Treaty Traders and Qualified Employees
• E-2, Treaty Investors and Qualified Employees
• E-3, Specialty Occupation Professionals from Australia
• H-1B, Workers in Specialty Occupations
• H-1C, Registered Nurses
• H-2A, Temporary or Seasonal Agriculture Workers
• H-2B, Temporary Non-Agriculture Workers
• H-3, Trainees
• L-1, Intracompany Managerial, Executive, Specialty Occupation Transferees
• O-1, Persons of Extraordinary Ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business, Athletics, Motion Pictures, or Television Production
• P-1A, Internationally Recognized Athletes
• P-1B, Internationally Recognized Performers
• Q-1, Persons Participating in International Cultural Exchange Program
• R-1, Religious Workers
• TN, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Temporary Professional Visas for Individuals from Mexico and Canada
• Extensions and Changes of Status
• Consular Processing

I-9 Compliance Matters

• Form I-9 Processing
• E-Verify Employer Agent
• Form I-9 Remote Employee Verification
• Form I-9 Employer Training
• Form I-9 Internal Audits
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement Site Inspections and Random Audits
• Access to NMMVerify.com, Norris McLaughlin & Marcus’s Employer I-9 Verification and E-Verify Portal

Import/Export Matters – CBP

• Representation before the United States Court for International Trade
• Appearances at Ports-of-Entry for Import and Export Compliance and Investigation Matters
• Inland Port Agent Attorney

Individual Immigration

Immigrant Visas

• Diversity Visa Program
• Family Based Immigrant Petitions (spouse of US Citizen, relative of a US Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident)
• Employer Sponsored Immigrant Work Petitions (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and EB-4 Immigrant Visas)
• EB-5 Individual Investor Visa
• Consular Processing

Non-Immigrant Visas

• Visitor Visas (B-1/B-2)
• Student Visas
• Trainee Visas
• OPT Applications
• STEM OPT Matters
• Entertainment, Sports, and Media Visas
• A, B, C, D, H, I, J, L, M, O, and P Visas
• Humanitarian and Parole Requests
• Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor Visas
• TN, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Temporary Professional Visas for Individuals from Mexico and Canada
• Extensions and Changes of Status
• Consular Processing

Family Immigration

• Immigrant Relative Petitions (Spouses, Parents, Siblings, Children, Stepchildren, Adopted Children)
• Adjustments of Status to Lawful Permanent Residency
• Hardship Waivers
• Fiancée Petitions
• Removal of Conditions on Permanent Residency
• International Adoptions
• Consular Processing

Deportation Defense

Representation of undocumented individuals who entered without proper documents or overstayed their visa.

Immigration Court Representation

• Detained Bond Proceedings
• Stopped at the Airport
• Arriving Aliens
• Relief from Deportation
• Motion to Terminate Proceedings
• Challenge Government Evidence
• Challenge Burden of Proof
• Cancellation of Removal for Lawful Permanent Residents
• Cancellation of Removal for Non-Lawful Permanent Residents
• 212(c) Waiver
• 212(h) Waiver
• 237(a)(1)(H) Waiver
• VAWA
• U-Visa
• T-Visa
• S-Visa
• Adjustment of Status
• Citizenship Claim
• Voluntary Departure
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
• Registry
• Executive Action
• Administrative Closure to Proceed with the Stateside Waiver
• Administrative Closure for Humanitarian Purposes
• Requests for Discretionary Relief from the Department of Homeland Security (Form I-246)
• Requests for Prosecutor’s Discretion
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
• Asylum, Withholding of Removal and Protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture

Criminal Immigration

• Review of Immigration Consequences of Local, State, and Federal charges, plea bargains, and convictions
• Criminal Defense Attorney Immigration Matter Support, including Immigration Consequences Opinion Letters and testimony before criminal courts on immigration consequences
• Motions to Vacate, Post-Conviction Relief Motions, and Criminal Appeals, related to immigration-related consequences of a criminal conviction

Administrative Agency Immigration Appeals

• Appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals
• Appeals of USCIS denials before the Administrative Appeals Office
• Motions to Reopen before the Board of Immigration Appeals
• Motions to Reconsider before the Board of Immigration Appeals

Federal Immigration Appeals

• Petitions for Review before Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal
• Petitions for Writ of Certiorari before the United States Supreme Court
• Oral Arguments before Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court

Habeas Petitions & Writs

• Habeas Petitions – Challenging Prolonged or Mandatory Immigration Custody
• Writs of Mandamus before Federal District Courts to Compel USCIS application decisions and reconsiderations

Protective Visas

• U-Visas, Victims of Crimes in the United States
• Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
• T-Visas, Victims of Human Trafficking
• Continued Presence (CP)
• Significant Public Benefit Parole
• Deferred Action
• S-Visas, Cooperation Visa
• Asylum, Withholding of Removal and Protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture

EB-5 Investor Visa Program

• Representation of Foreign Investors in Direct Investments and Regional Center Investments
• Regional Center Formations and Management
• Representation of US organizations seeking EB-5 Investment Capital from Foreign Investors

Naturalization

• Individual-Based Naturalization (5 Years as a Lawful Permanent Resident)
• Spouse-Based Naturalization (3 Years as a Lawful Permanent Resident and Married to a US Citizen for 3-Years)
• Complex Naturalization Matters, involving Criminal Justice Interactions, Prior Immigration Issues, Good Moral Character Determinations, Disability Exemption Requests
• Naturalization Interview Preparation and Representation
• Denaturalization Proceedings
• Federal Court Naturalization Actions

Executive Action – Trump Immigration Doctrine

• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

BIO

Raymond Lahoud, an Easton, Pennsylvania native and son of immigrants, graduated summa cum laude from Lehigh University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in English (highest department honors), earning several accolades and scholarships.

Raymond G. Lahoud, a Member of the Firm and Chair of its Immigration Law Practice, primarily focuses his practice on immigration law and deportation defense for individuals and corporations in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania (Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, and the surrounding region). His immigration work includes Citizenship, U.S. Non-Immigration Visas, E Visas, E-3 Visas, H-1B Visas, H2B Visas, L Visas, O Visas, P Visas, Q Visas, R Visas, TN Visas, U.S. Immigration Visas, EB5 Investor Visas, Exceptional Ability Immigrant Visas, Extraordinary Ability Immigrant Visas, K-1 Visas, K-3 Visas, Multinational Manager/Executive Immigrant Visas, Outstanding Professor/Researcher Immigrant Visas, PERM Labor Certification, Family Petitions, Adjustment of Status, Marriage Petitions, Asylum, and VAWA applications. Ray also has a long history of political and business management expertise.

Ray also works in the field of Immigration Waivers, such as the Visa Waiver Program, National Interest Waivers, Hardship Waivers, and J Waivers. His practice focuses greatly on Deportation Defense, at the Immigration Court, Board of Immigration Appeals, and Circuit Court levels. He has defended individuals against deportation across the United States. Often, his Deportation practice takes him into state and federal appellate courts, where he seeks post-conviction relief for the underlying crime that led to the commencement of the deportation. On the other hand, Ray has represented individuals who overstayed their visas or entered the United States without inspection.

Ray has received numerous accolades for his pro bono efforts, as well as his achievements in the area of immigration law. He has been awarded the Empire State Pro Bono Counsel Award since 2012, has been selected as Lead Counsel, and has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star, ranked as a Top Rated Immigration Attorney in the New York Metro Area.

At Lehigh, Ray served as the Editor of The Lehigh Review, earned Deans List, was named a President’s Scholar, was inducted into Phi Beta Delta, and received, among other awards, the Williams Award, Treen Scholarship, and Littner Scholarship. Prior to that, he served as a United States Congressional Page, under then-Congressman Ray LaHood (R-IL). He also served as a legislative aide to State Senator Lisa Boscola (D-PA).

In 2017, Attorney Lahoud was was featured in a NBC News special: Daily Life with an Immigration Attorney. To watch the special, please click here.

In law school, Ray earned Deans List, several CALI awards in many different legal courses, and a position on the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal. He was actively involved in several programs and other organizations such as the Barristers’ Counsel, ABA Law Student Division, ACLU at GULC, Catholic Student Association, and the Innocence Project, as well as worked for the Honorable Joanne Seybert, Federal District Court Judge for the Eastern District of New York.

He has a number of Bar admissions including to the State of New York, the U.S. Tax Court, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Third, Second, and Ninth Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. Court of International Trade. Attorney Lahoud is fluent in English, Spanish, and Arabic.

Representative Matters

Asan v. United States of America, 907 F.Supp.2d 426 (S.D.N.Y. 2012)

Bautista v. Sabol, 862 F. Supp. 375 (M.D.P.A. 2012)

Bautista v. Attorney General, 744 F. 3d 54 (3d 2014)

Frias-Camilo v. Attorney General, No. 15-3773 (3d 2016)

Javier v. Attorney General, Nos. 15-2781 and 15-3068 (3d 2016)

Asan v. United States, No. 13-179 (2d Cir. 2014)

Matter of Bautista, 25 I&N 616 (BIA 2011)

Woods v. Sabol, No. 14-CV-998 (M.D.P.A. 2014)

Plamen Ivkov Ayvazov v. Attorney General of the United States, Nos.: 14-4151, 15-1658, 15-3069 (3d Cir. 2016)