Francis Law Center represents Illinois employers, and the professionals they sponsor, in H-1B petitions, PERM labor certification, and employment-based green cards. Dr. Jae Francis Lee, a Wisconsin-licensed attorney, and Tina Lee, an Illinois-licensed attorney, handle each matter from the first prevailing wage request to the green card interview, from offices in Chicago and Schaumburg.
Key Takeaways
- H-1B: cap registration is expected again in March 2027; universities, their affiliated nonprofits, and nonprofit or government research organizations file year-round, and transfers and extensions can be filed at any time (USCIS).
- PERM: the job order for an Illinois worksite runs on IllinoisJobLink; Department of Labor decisions averaged 336 days as of August 31, 2026, and the employer pays every PERM cost.
- Green cards: PERM-based EB-2 and EB-3 petitions, I-140 premium processing ($2,965 for USCIS action within 15 business days), and adjustment or consular processing.
- Your attorneys: Dr. Jae Francis Lee and Tina Lee, who both speak English and Korean; our team also serves clients in Spanish.
| Talk to a Business Immigration Attorney Call 866-868-1596 for a Free Case Evaluation Our intake team will review your situation at no charge. Book a Consultation with Dr. Jae Francis Lee A paid one-on-one consultation directly with Dr. Jae Francis Lee. |
What Do We Handle for Illinois Employers and Professionals?
H-1B Specialty Occupation Visas
Cap registrations under the wage-weighted selection in force since February 27, 2026, cap-exempt petitions, changes of employer, extensions, worksite amendments, and responses to requests for evidence (8 CFR 214.2(h)).
PERM Labor Certification
Prevailing wage requests, recruitment under 20 CFR 656.17, Form ETA-9089 in the Department of Labor’s FLAG system, and audit responses on the 30-day clock.
EB-2 and EB-3 Green Cards
Form I-140 with ability-to-pay evidence, adjustment of status or consular processing, priority-date planning for workers born in India or China, and the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (USCIS permanent workers).
L-1, O-1, TN, and E-2
Intracompany transfers, extraordinary-ability petitions, USMCA professionals, and E-2 treaty investors – see the employment-based immigration overview.
What Is Different About Sponsoring a Worker in Illinois?
- The job order. PERM’s 30-day State Workforce Agency posting is placed on IllinoisJobLink, run by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which checks the employer’s FEIN and unemployment insurance number and approves the account before postings go live. The agency follows the worksite, not the company’s headquarters.
- The wage area. Chicago, Schaumburg, and the collar counties fall in the “Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN” wage area (wage search), which since July 2025 no longer includes Kenosha County, Wisconsin.
- Pay scales in postings. Since January 1, 2025, Illinois employers with 15 or more employees must include a pay scale and benefits in job postings (Public Act 103-0539); federal PERM rules require any wage shown to be at least the prevailing wage. We handle the federal side and coordinate with your Illinois employment counsel on state law.
- Cap-exempt employers. The University of Illinois campuses, Northwestern University, and the University of Chicago are institutions of higher education, the core of the H-1B cap exemption.
- Where USCIS interviews. If USCIS schedules a green card interview, the applicant’s ZIP code decides the office: Chicago for Chicago, Schaumburg, the collar counties, and Rockford; St. Louis for most of central and southern Illinois; Des Moines for the Quad Cities (locator).
Who Are the Attorneys on Your Case?
Dr. Jae Francis Lee, Principal Attorney
Dr. Jae Francis Lee founded Francis Law Center and leads its business immigration work with Tina Lee. He holds a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, with its Labor and Employment Law Certificate with Honors (2012), and a Ph.D. in history from New York University (2000); he taught U.S. history at the University of Wisconsin for 22 years. He was admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin in 2012 and to the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois and the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, and the Seventh Circuit. He works with clients in English and Korean.
Licensure. Dr. Jae Francis Lee is licensed to practice law in Wisconsin. He is not licensed to practice law in Illinois; his practice in Illinois is limited to federal immigration and nationality matters.
Suk Young “Tina” Lee, Attorney
Suk Young “Tina” Lee is licensed to practice law in Illinois, where she was admitted in November 2023. She earned her J.D. at the University of Illinois College of Law in 2023. Before joining Francis Law Center she practiced employment-based immigration law in Chicago, preparing H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, E-2, and E-3 petitions and EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 green card cases and coordinating PERM cases from the job description to adjustment of status. She works with Dr. Jae Francis Lee on each employer’s recruitment file, petition, and green card filing, and she speaks English and Korean.
How Does Working With Us Start?
- Free case evaluation. Call 866-868-1596; the intake team takes the facts – the position, the worker’s degree and status, the timing – at no charge.
- Consultation with Dr. Jae Francis Lee. A paid strategy session that ends with a recommended path, a calendar, and a written fee quote.
- The filing plan. Wage request, recruitment, and PERM for a green card; registration and petition dates for an H-1B.
- Filing and follow-through. Complete first filings – since August 5, 2026 USCIS may deny an incomplete petition without asking for more evidence – then extensions, amendments, and status planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it cost an Illinois employer to sponsor a worker?
The employer must pay every PERM cost, advertising and its attorney fees included (20 CFR 656.12); the Department of Labor charges no filing fee. USCIS charges $715 for the I-140 plus a $600 Asylum Program Fee ($300 for employers with 25 or fewer employees, $0 for nonprofits) and $2,965 for optional premium processing. A first H-1B petition runs $960 to $7,380 in government fees, by employer type and size. Our fees are quoted in writing first.
How long does PERM take for an Illinois position?
Well over a year before the I-140 can be filed. As of the Department of Labor’s August 31, 2026 update, wage requests took about four months and PERM decisions averaged 336 days; recruitment, including the 30-day IllinoisJobLink job order, adds two to three months.
When can an Illinois employer file an H-1B petition?
Cap-subject employers register in March and file from April 1 for an October 1 start; the next registration is expected in March 2027. Cap-exempt employers, transfers, and extensions can file at any time.
Are your attorneys licensed in Illinois?
Tina Lee is: she was admitted to the Illinois bar in November 2023. Dr. Jae Francis Lee is licensed in Wisconsin and is not licensed to practice law in Illinois; his Illinois practice is limited to federal immigration and nationality matters, which a lawyer licensed in any state may handle (ISBA Opinion 13-08). He is admitted to the federal district courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois and the Seventh Circuit.
Do we have to come to your Chicago or Schaumburg office?
No. Most work is done by phone, video, and secure document exchange. In-person meetings are available in Chicago and Schaumburg.
Is the $100,000 H-1B payment in effect?
Not while a June 8, 2026 federal court order stands: USCIS is not collecting it, although the proclamation was extended to September 21, 2027. It never applied to PERM, the I-140, or the green card.
| Start With a Free Case Evaluation Call 866-868-1596 for a Free Case Evaluation Our intake team will review your situation at no charge. Book a Consultation with Dr. Jae Francis Lee A paid one-on-one consultation directly with Dr. Jae Francis Lee. |
Illinois Offices
Chicago: 53 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 725, Chicago, IL 60604 · Schaumburg: 1931 N. Meacham Rd, Suite 102, Schaumburg, IL 60173. A third office is in Madison, Wisconsin. In writing: contact the firm.
Disclaimer
Attorney advertising by Francis Law Center; the attorney responsible for this page is Dr. Jae Francis Lee, 53 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 725, Chicago, IL 60604. General information about U.S. immigration law, not legal advice; contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Dr. Jae Francis Lee is licensed in Wisconsin and is not licensed in Illinois; his Illinois practice is limited to federal immigration and nationality matters. Suk Young “Tina” Lee is licensed in Illinois. Every case depends on its own facts, and past results do not predict future outcomes.
