Craig Lebamoff is a senior attorney at BIRG Law. He brings more than three decades of experience to this Firm. Craig’s exceptional experience in public service as a senior attorney for DHS / USCIS as well as his work as Consular Officer for the U.S. Department of State has provided him with a rare and invaluable view into the workings of the DHS / USCIS and Consular Processing. Combined with his extensive experience in the private sector as a partner in a business immigration law practice and as an international business attorney at Ernst & Young, Craig Lebamoff offers the clients of BIRG Law a truly unparalleled depth of know-how and experience.

A summary of Craig Lebamoff’s public service career includes:

• Senior Attorney with DHS / ICE/ OPLA / USCIS / Office of Chief Counsel
  • ICE/ OPLA attorney in Federal District Court Litigation Division
  • Habeas Corpus class action defense
  • Summary Judgments, Motions Against Temporary and Protective Orders, Repudiation of Settlement Agreements
  • Legal review of NOID and NOIR cases
  • Represented DHS with Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR)
  • Attorney at Office of Chief Counsel, National Security Law Division
  • Refugee Officer in Iraq, Jordan and Nepal
  • Immigration Officer in El Salvador and Mexico
  • Advisor to Afghan Interior Minister as an “embedded” with NATO troops
  • Attorney for NATO Training Mission, Refugee Affairs and Post Conflict Stability in Kabul, Afghanistan
  • Associate Counsel for National Security / USCIS Attorney Advisor
  • USCIS Asylum officer and advisor in Chicago, Illinois
  • Fulbright Fellow in Immigration Policy in New Zealand
  • U.S. Department of State Diplomat / Consular Officer / Chief of Consular Section / Foreign Service Officer / Second Secretary / General Services Officer / Visa Issuance Officer and Manager / Attache Overseas Adjudication Officer
• Training and managing Consular Officers as Chief of Consular Section
  • Adjudicating over 11,000 visas in Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
  • Special review of L-1 and O-1 cases
  • Commissioned into U.S. Foreign Service as Management Cone Officer

A summary of Craig Lebamoff’s private sector immigration law and international business law practice includes:

• Senior Attorney at Roth & Lebe, Partner
  • EB-5 Visa Investor Program and Green Card. Creating EB-5 Regional Centers, re-establishing dormant Regional Centers, facilitating direct Regional Center investment, obtaining EB-5 Visa approvals.
  • EB-3 Visa for nurses and physical therapists. Representing over 100 nurses arriving to U.S. on immediate green card for nurses. Working directly with U.S. hospitals and recruiters to place nurses with hospitals.
  • H-1B Specialty Occupations Visa. Providing legal representation to businesses, particularly to healthcare industry for healthcare professionals.
  • EB-2 / EB-3 PERM process. Representing companies in sponsoring employees for green cards through the Labor Certification process, with particular emphasis on the H-1B and H-2B Visa holders.
  • L-1 Intra-Company Transferee Visa. Leveraging prior experience as a Consular Officer adjudicating L-1 Visas to obtain L-1A and L-1B Visas for clients.
  • EB-1C Visa and Green Card for L-1A executives. Representing L-1A Visa holders in their green card petitions.
  • E-2 Treaty Investor Visa. Representing investors in E-2 Visa petitions, leveraging prior experience as a Consular Officer to provide exceptional legal representation.
  • O-1 Visa, extraordinary ability in business, science, education, athletics and arts. Leveraging prior experience as a Consular Officer adjudicating O-1 Visas to provide exceptional legal representation.
  • Immigration Court, Removal Defense / Asylum
  • TN Visa for Citizens of Canada and Mexico
• Attorney, Ernest & Young
  • Trans-national business law and tax strategies
  • Regulatory audit response and compliance review

Craig received his bachelor’s degree from the Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina and his Juris Doctorate degree from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law. He is a Fulbright Fellow, a recipient of a prestigious, merit-based grant from the U.S. Government. Craig is also a recipient of NATO Civilian Medal and U.S. Department of Defense Civilian Service Medal for service in Afghanistan “embedded with the troops”. He received DHS Director’s Heritage Award for Service in Iraq under extreme and dangerous conditions. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and a Member of Illinois and Indiana Bar Associations. He is an Indiana Supreme Court Attorney.