Navigating the H-2B visa process can be especially challenging for immigration attorneys who are new to this highly specialized area of law. The H-2B program is fast-moving and detail-driven, with frequent regulatory and procedural changes layered on top of strict annual caps and complex supplemental visa allocations. Understanding how the cap operates—and how timing, filing strategy, and agency review intersect—can be difficult even for experienced practitioners. Small missteps, including issues that trigger a Notice of Deficiency, can have significant consequences and may result in a client missing the cap altogether.
Michele Contreras offers specialized mentorship and consultation services designed to help attorneys confidently and effectively represent employers in the H-2B process. With more than 16 years of concentrated H-2B experience, Ms. Contreras brings a deep, practical understanding of both the legal framework and the real-world challenges that arise each season. Through mentorship, she provides clear guidance, strategic insight, and hands-on support to help attorneys avoid common pitfalls, respond effectively to issues, and build successful, compliant H-2B cases.
Expertise and Experience: Ms. Contreras brings more than 16 years of focused experience representing employers in the H-2B program. She doesn’t just understand the regulations—she understands how they are applied in real time. With over 300 H-2B applications filed annually, our firm operates at a volume that allows us to quickly identify shifts in adjudication trends, emerging issues, and evolving agency expectations. That insight is directly shared through the mentorship program, giving you guidance that is both accurate and immediately actionable.
Leadership in the Field: As a leader within the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Ms. Contreras serves as Co-Coordinator of the H-2 Interest Group and as a member of AILA’s Department of Labor Liaison Committee. In these roles, she engages directly with policy developments, agency practices, and practitioner feedback at the national level. This vantage point allows her to offer strategic guidance that goes beyond theory—helping mentees anticipate changes, avoid common pitfalls, and structure cases in line with the most current regulatory and procedural realities.
Ideal for attorneys preparing to file H-2B cases or reassessing their overall approach.
Ms. Contreras will review your overall H-2B strategy, including timing, cap considerations, and case structure. She will identify potential pitfalls, flag risk areas, and provide strategic recommendations designed to improve approval outcomes and reduce the likelihood of delays, deficiencies, or denials.
Best suited for attorneys who want a second set of expert review before submission or while responding to agency notices.
Ms. Contreras will conduct a detailed review of your H-2B filings to ensure compliance with current Department of Labor and USCIS requirements. This includes identifying issues that could trigger a Notice of Deficiency, Request for Evidence, or other processing delays, and providing corrective guidance before those issues impact cap eligibility.
Designed for attorneys facing complex, unusual, or time-sensitive H-2B challenges.
This service provides targeted guidance on specific issues such as cap strategy, Notices of Deficiency, Requests for Evidence, audits, processing delays, or atypical fact patterns. Advice is tailored to the unique circumstances of each case, with an emphasis on practical, defensible solutions grounded in current agency practice.
For attorneys seeking ready-to-use tools developed through real-world, high-volume practice.
As part of select mentorship engagements, Ms. Contreras offers access to her firm’s internal H-2B templates and practice resources. These materials have been developed, tested, and refined over many years and across thousands of H-2B applications. Templates may include filing checklists, strategy frameworks, sample language, and internal workflows designed to improve consistency, efficiency, and compliance in your H-2B practice.
For attorneys building or scaling an H-2B practice.
This option provides ongoing access to mentorship throughout the H-2B season, offering strategic oversight, issue-spotting, and guidance as agency practices evolve. It is ideal for attorneys who want confidence, consistency, and expert support while managing multiple H-2B cases.
By partnering with Michele Contreras, you can gain the confidence and skills needed to navigate the H-2B visa process successfully. Her mentorship and consultation services are designed to empower you, helping you to better serve your clients and build a strong, competent immigration practice.
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