Joanne Orizal has been practicing immigration law exclusively since 1987 and joined Wildes & Weinberg in 2024. Joanne is a former Partner of the global law firm of Winston & Strawn LLP, where she was responsible for the direction and administration of the immigration department within the Employment and Labor Group. She has also served as Of Counsel and as a Senior Attorney in various firms, including Proskauer Rose LLP, Troutman Sanders LLP, Pozo Goldstein LLP, Bernstein Osberg-Braun PL, and for Allen E. Kaye.
Joanne’s practice focuses on representing multinational corporations and small businesses seeking employment based visas for their employees, including E, H, L, P, TN, and O business visas, amongst others. She is also experienced in strategizing permanent resident processing via the permanent alien certification program, as well as other immigrant visa classifications, including the EB-1/2/3/4 categories. Joanne is well-versed with regards to advising clients on the nuances of consular processing and adjustment of status, as well as certain family-based immigration matters and relevant waivers. Due to her significant experience within the corporate firm setting and her dealings with multinational corporate clients, she has had the opportunity to conduct client audits as they relate to I-9 compliance issues and assist clients in setting up internal auditing procedures and preparing internal policy manuals.
Joanne is fluent in both English and Spanish, and has been a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) for over thirty years. She received her J.D. from Rutgers Law School and her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Legal Studies from City College of the City University of New York.