kmeilink@foxrothschild.comBiography
Biography
Kelli focuses her practice on business immigration and immigration compliance for employers. She counsels companies, universities, healthcare organizations and nonprofits on hiring and retaining foreign national talent, including through temporary work visas, permanent residence processes and employer-sponsored work authorization programs.
Clients turn to Kelli for guidance on B-1/B-2, F-1, H-1B, TN, L-1, E-2, R-1 and H-2B visa matters, as well as labor certification and other permanent residence pathways. She advises employers on Form I-9 practices, E-Verify participation, internal policies and responses to government audits or investigations involving immigration compliance.
Kelli’s work spans a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, technology, engineering and agriculture. She regularly assists healthcare organizations with work authorization issues for physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and she advises colleges and universities on immigration matters involving students, faculty, researchers and other foreign national employees.
Kelli focuses her practice on business immigration and immigration compliance for employers. She counsels companies, universities, healthcare organizations and nonprofits on hiring and retaining foreign national talent, including through temporary work visas, permanent residence processes and employer-sponsored work authorization programs.
Clients turn to Kelli for guidance on B-1/B-2, F-1, H-1B, TN, L-1, E-2, R-1 and H-2B visa matters, as well as labor certification and other permanent residence pathways. She advises employers on Form I-9 practices, E-Verify participation, internal policies and responses to government audits or investigations involving immigration compliance.
Kelli’s work spans a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, technology, engineering and agriculture. She regularly assists healthcare organizations with work authorization issues for physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and she advises colleges and universities on immigration matters involving students, faculty, researchers and other foreign national employees.
Services
Representative Matters
- Prepared H-1B petitions for foreign national employees of companies, colleges and universities, healthcare organizations and nonprofit entities, and advised employers on maintaining H-1B status, international travel and visa issuance issues.
- Managed a group of L-1 intracompany transferee petitions for a multinational manufacturer moving operations to the United States.
- Represented a multistate healthcare organization in securing and maintaining TN status for registered nurses and H-1B status for physicians and advised on the Conrad 30 J-1 waiver process.
- Assisted a multistate company with numerous hiring sites in developing E-Verify and Form I-9 policies for human resources personnel and managers, and in evaluating electronic Form I-9 systems.
- Counseled large manufacturing company on responding to requests and site visits from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.
- Advised a private university on policies for admission and tuition for foreign national students granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
- Assisted a landscaping company in responding to a Department of Labor audit involving H-2B workers.
- Served as lead counsel in pro bono immigration matters involving asylum, human trafficking victims and special immigrant juvenile status petitions.
- Prepared H-1B petitions for foreign national employees of companies, colleges and universities, healthcare organizations and nonprofit entities, and advised employers on maintaining H-1B status, international travel and visa issuance issues.
- Managed a group of L-1 intracompany transferee petitions for a multinational manufacturer moving operations to the United States.
- Represented a multistate healthcare organization in securing and maintaining TN status for registered nurses and H-1B status for physicians and advised on the Conrad 30 J-1 waiver process.
- Assisted a multistate company with numerous hiring sites in developing E-Verify and Form I-9 policies for human resources personnel and managers, and in evaluating electronic Form I-9 systems.
- Counseled large manufacturing company on responding to requests and site visits from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.
- Advised a private university on policies for admission and tuition for foreign national students granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
- Assisted a landscaping company in responding to a Department of Labor audit involving H-2B workers.
- Served as lead counsel in pro bono immigration matters involving asylum, human trafficking victims and special immigrant juvenile status petitions.
Before Fox Rothschild
Before joining the firm, Kelli was a partner and associate at a national law firm, where she co-led a team focused on global mobility, corporate compliance and business immigration law. Earlier in her career, she practiced with a boutique Kansas City immigration law firm. She also served as a law clerk to the Hon. Patrick J. Roma of the Superior Court of New Jersey and as a research fellow at Seton Hall University School of Law’s Center for Policy and Research.
Bar Admissions
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- New York
Education
- Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2011)
- University of Kansas (B.A., with distinction, 2008)
Memberships
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Board of Directors
International Relations Council (2017–2021)
Honors & Awards
- Selected to Chambers USA Guide's list of ranked attorneys for Immigration Law in Missouri (2026) This award is conferred by Chambers & Partners. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- Selected to a list of the Best Lawyers in America for Employment Law — Individuals, by Best Lawyers (2025 and 2026) This award is conferred by Best Lawyers. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- Selected to a list of "Recommended Lawyers" for Labor and Employment: Immigration in the U.S. by The Legal 500 (2023–2025). This award is conferred by The Legal 500. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- Selected by Ingram's Magazine to its annual 40 Under 40 list recognizing individual executive achievement (2022)
- Selected for the Women’s Justice Awards, Pro Bono Award, by Missouri Lawyers Media (2023)
- Named to the Missouri Bar Pro Bono Wall of Fame 2018–2019.
