Lawyers of Distinction is proud to welcome Lorina Tester, Esq. of Salt Lake City, Utah as a member. Lorina is an accomplished attorney with 17 years of experience in U.S. immigration law and practice, beginning with the recruitment and retention of foreign national employees, to the implementation of corporate immigration strategies and policies, all the way through enforcement issues such as I-9 audits, Department of Labor investigations and related trainings.
In 2003, Lorina transitioned from law firm life in New York City to the University of Utah, a prominent national research institution and one of the largest employers in the State of Utah. As Associate General Counsel, she was responsible for all immigration and compliance matters for approximately 15,000 employees, including members of the faculty, international medical graduates, researchers and scholars.
Lorina established her own law firm in 2010 and immediately began representing clients at startups, spinoffs and rapidly growing business entities. Her clients include multinational corporations, mid-size public and private companies, entrepreneurs, international investors, professional athletes, directors and performing artists.
Her firm has extensive experience successfully obtaining temporary employment authorization visas (H-1B, E-1, E-2, E- 3, F-1 OPT, J-1, L-1, O-1, TN, P-1 and P-3), and employment-based green cards (EB-1 classifications-extraordinary ability, outstanding professors or researchers and multinational executives; EB-2 / EB-3 Labor Certifications based on standard processing or special handling, National Interest Waivers and EB-5 investor visas). Lorina also has expertise in matters involving F-1 international students, J-1 researchers, scholars, trainees and interns, J-1 waivers, SEVIS compliance, foreign medical graduates, marriage based green cards, temporary protected status, affirmative asylum and citizenship and naturalization applications.
Lorina is actively involved in the American Immigration Lawyers Association, having twice been elected Chapter Chair, serving as a Member of the AILA Board of Governors and appointed by AILA’s President to the national Verification & Documentation Liaison Committee. She currently serves on the national AILA / USCIS Nebraska Service Center Liaison Committee.
During her career Ms. Tester has liaisoned with the U.S. Department of Labor; U.S. Department of Homeland Security; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; U.S. and Utah Departments of Health; the Utah Attorney General’s Office; and the Board of Regents for Utah’s System of Higher Education.
Ms. Tester is frequently invited to speak to audiences about immigration matters that affect employers. She has given numerous presentations at national conferences for AILA and the National Association of International Educators (NAFSA); The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development; the University of Utah Council of Academic Deans, School of Medicine, College of Business and various international student groups. Ms. Tester has also been of guest on KPRC and KUER (NPR) radio programs and ABC Evening News.
