Wisconsin employers hire worldwide, and the paperwork that keeps those hires is federal: H-1B petitions, PERM labor certification, and employment-based green cards. Dr. Jae Francis Lee, a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin since 2012, handles these matters from Francis Law Center’s Madison office for companies, universities, clinics, and the professionals they sponsor statewide. Tina Lee, an Illinois-licensed attorney, works with him.
Key Takeaways
- Work visas: H-1B registrations, cap-exempt petitions, transfers, and extensions, plus L-1, O-1, TN, and E-2 (USCIS).
- PERM in Wisconsin: the required job order runs on Job Center of Wisconsin; Department of Labor decisions averaged 336 days as of August 31, 2026 (FLAG).
- Green cards: EB-2 and EB-3 after PERM; the I-140 can be premium-processed for $2,965, with USCIS action in 15 business days.
- Who you work with: Dr. Jae Francis Lee and Tina Lee, who speak English and Korean; our team also speaks Spanish.
| Speak With a Business Immigration Lawyer 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. |
Which Business Immigration Matters Do We Take?
H-1B Petitions for Wisconsin Employers
March registrations under the wage-weighted selection, year-round filings for cap-exempt employers, changes of employer, sixth-year extensions, and amended petitions when a worksite moves (8 CFR 214.2(h)).
PERM Labor Certification
The prevailing wage request, the recruitment campaign and its record (20 CFR 656.17), Form ETA-9089 in the FLAG system, and the 30-day response if the Department of Labor audits.
Employment-Based Green Cards
EB-2 and EB-3 petitions with the employer’s ability-to-pay evidence, adjustment of status or consular processing, and self-petitions under the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (USCIS permanent workers).
Transfers, Talent, and Treaty Visas
L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary-ability petitions, TN status for Canadian and Mexican professionals, and E-2 treaty investor cases; see our employment-based immigration page.
How Does Sponsoring a Worker Play Out in Wisconsin?
- Job Center of Wisconsin. The Department of Workforce Development hosts the 30-day PERM job order but does not review it (DWD policy). An attorney posts as a registered third-party agent using the employer’s FEIN and unemployment insurance account number, and each posting is visible only to veterans for its first 24 hours.
- Two main wage areas. The Department of Labor prices Madison jobs in the “Madison, WI” area and Milwaukee jobs in “Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI” (wage search). Kenosha County has been its own wage area since July 2025.
- No state mandates to add. Wisconsin has no pay-scale posting law and no E-Verify requirement for private employers – the Governor vetoed 2025 Assembly Bill 281, an E-Verify mandate for state contractors, on April 3, 2026 – so the federal PERM rules control: the internal notice must state the wage, and no ad may show less than the prevailing wage.
- Cap-exempt employers. The University of Wisconsin–Madison and the other Universities of Wisconsin campuses, Marquette University, and the Medical College of Wisconsin are institutions of higher education; an affiliated nonprofit such as a teaching hospital qualifies only if it meets one of the regulation’s four affiliation tests.
- Interviews. If USCIS calls a green card interview, applicants in Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, and the Fox Valley go to the Milwaukee Field Office, while 33 western and northern counties, including Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Wausau, are assigned to the Saint Paul Field Office in Minneapolis (locator).
Who Will Handle Your Case?
Dr. Jae Francis Lee, Principal Attorney
Dr. Jae Francis Lee is a Wisconsin lawyer by training and admission: J.D., University of Wisconsin Law School, with the Labor and Employment Law Certificate with Honors (2012); State Bar of Wisconsin, 2012; U.S. District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of Wisconsin; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He also holds a Ph.D. in history from New York University (2000) and taught U.S. history at the University of Wisconsin for 22 years. He founded the firm and runs its business immigration practice with Tina Lee. He speaks English and Korean.
Suk Young “Tina” Lee, Attorney
Tina Lee builds the recruitment record, the petition, and the green card filing with each employer’s HR team. She holds a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law (2023) and practiced employment-based immigration law in Chicago before joining the firm: H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, and E-2 petitions, EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 green cards, and PERM from the job description to adjustment of status. She speaks English and Korean.
Licensure. Suk Young “Tina” Lee is licensed to practice law in Illinois (admitted November 2023). She is not licensed to practice law in Wisconsin; her practice for Wisconsin clients is limited to federal immigration and nationality matters.
What Happens After You Call?
- A free case evaluation by phone. The intake team at 866-868-1596 collects the basics: the job, the worksite, the worker’s degree and status, and your deadline.
- A paid consultation with Dr. Jae Francis Lee. You leave with the right category, a realistic calendar, and a written fee quote.
- A plan with owners. Which documents HR gathers, which the worker gathers, and which dates cannot move, such as the March H-1B registration or the 180-day life of a certified PERM.
- Complete filings. Since August 5, 2026 USCIS may deny a petition that arrives without required evidence instead of asking for it, so nothing is filed until the record is whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it cost a Wisconsin employer to sponsor a worker for a green card?
The PERM stage is the employer’s by law: advertising, the wage request, and the employer’s attorney fees cannot be passed to the worker (20 CFR 656.12). The I-140 then costs $715 plus a $600 Asylum Program Fee – $300 for employers with 25 or fewer employees, nothing for nonprofits – and premium processing is an optional $2,965. Our fees are quoted in writing first.
How long does PERM take in Wisconsin?
As of the Department of Labor’s August 31, 2026 update, prevailing wage requests took about four months and PERM decisions averaged 336 days. Wisconsin recruitment, including the 30-day Job Center of Wisconsin posting, adds two to three months in between.
Can a Wisconsin company keep a UW graduate who is working on OPT?
Often, but not automatically. H-1B selection is a wage-weighted lottery, and entry-level pay gets the fewest entries. Register the graduate in March; if selected, file from April 1 for an October 1 start, and a change-of-status petition filed before the OPT ends extends work authorization to the H-1B start date. STEM graduates get 24 more months only if the employer enrolls in E-Verify.
Are your attorneys licensed in Wisconsin?
Dr. Jae Francis Lee is: he has been a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin since 2012. Tina Lee is licensed in Illinois and is not licensed in Wisconsin; her practice for Wisconsin clients is limited to federal immigration and nationality matters, which federal rules open to a lawyer in good standing in any state (8 CFR 292.1).
Do we need to come to Madison?
No. Employers from Milwaukee, Green Bay, the Fox Valley, and the rest of the state work with us by phone, video, and secure document exchange; the Madison office is there when a meeting in person helps.
Does the $100,000 H-1B payment apply to our hire?
USCIS is not collecting it while a June 8, 2026 federal court order stands, although the proclamation behind it was extended to September 21, 2027. It was aimed at new H-1B petitions for workers abroad and has never applied to PERM or green card filings.
| 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. |
Wisconsin Office
Madison: 2810 Crossroads Dr, Ste 3550, Madison, WI 53718. In writing: contact the firm.
Disclaimer
Attorney advertising by Francis Law Center; the attorney responsible for this page is Dr. Jae Francis Lee, 2810 Crossroads Dr, Ste 3550, Madison, WI 53718. This page gives general information about U.S. immigration law and is not legal advice; contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Dr. Jae Francis Lee is licensed in Wisconsin. Suk Young “Tina” Lee is licensed in Illinois and is not licensed in Wisconsin; her practice for Wisconsin clients is limited to federal immigration and nationality matters. Every case turns on its own facts, and past results do not predict future outcomes.
