You’re Building an Immigration Program for the First Time. Here’s How to Do It Right.
Whether you're inheriting an immigration program from someone else at your company, or your company is standing up sponsorship for the first time, the challenge is the same: a lot of unfamiliar decisions, deadlines, and stakeholders, often with no playbook to follow. This session gives you one — the questions to ask a law firm, the red flags to watch for early, and how to build a program that holds up as you grow. No immigration experience required.
What we’ll cover:
The questions to ask your attorney: what to pin down with your law firm from day one, so nothing important gets assumed or missed
Screening who qualifies: how to assess which candidates and roles are eligible for sponsorship, and which visa type fits
Building your compliance foundation: the recordkeeping you're responsible for (Public Access Files, I-9s) and how to stay audit-ready
Your 12-month immigration calendar: tracking visa expirations, renewals, and filing deadlines so nothing sneaks up on you
Creating a stakeholder map: who needs to be in the loop — legal, finance, hiring managers, the employee — and when
Speakers:
Talon Bartolo, senior HRBP at 8x8, has built and owned immigration and visa programs at multiple companies — handling everything from case filings to day-to-day employee support. As a global HR leader who’s stood up people programs across several countries, he knows what it takes to start one from the ground up and get it right early.
Nicole Gunara is an immigration attorney and Founding AI Legal Architect at Manifest Law, where she pairs legal expertise with the firm’s technology to help companies launch and scale immigration programs. She’s spent years on employment-based visas, guiding companies of all sizes through their first sponsorships.