Meet Your Attorney

Hudaidah Bhimdi

Hudaidah Bhimdi

hudaidah.bhimdi@bhimdiglobal.com
+1 (571)4-GLOBAL (445-6225)

Hudaidah Bhimdi, an immigrant from Pakistan, is a seasoned immigration practitioner with a focus on business immigration and I-9 compliance for U.S. and Global corporations.  She also handles affirmative immigration cases, such as family and naturalization.

She advises businesses and professionals with immigration strategies and represents them before U.S. government agencies within the U.S. and abroad. Whether the cases involve non-immigrant visas or permanent resident applications, She guides clients on a full range of business visas including H-1B professionals, E-1 and E-2 investors, L-1 intra-company transferees, O-1 artists, EB-1 executives, EB-2 advanced degree works or professionals, and other employees going through the labor certification process. She also has significant experience handling immigrant worker petitions (green cards) for professionals, advanced-degree individuals, multinational managers and executives, as well as skilled workers. During her years of practice, she has acquired in-depth knowledge of the PERM Alien Labor Certification process, having successfully secured Labor Certifications from the U.S. Department of Labor for her clients.

Hudaidah has helped many international students and scholars transition to the workforce by advising on issues such as F-1 reinstatement, STEM OPT, STEM extensions, and change of status from F-1 to J-1, H-1B, and other non-immigrant visa categories.

Immigration compliance (I-9) is also critical for employers. In this context, Hudaidah has a particular expertise in worksite enforcement and regularly counsels clients regarding I-9 compliance, E-Verify and H-1B Labor Condition Application (LCA) compliance. She has in-depth expertise in guiding clients through the labor certification process, including planning, performing the labor market test, and responding to audit requests by the Department of Labor. She is responsible for managing internal and ICE I-9 audits, as well as worksite compliance efforts, including assisting employers in testing and troubleshooting I-9 and onboarding software.

Hudaidah also represents her family immigration clients before U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) and before U.S. embassies and consulates abroad with their immigrant and non-immigrant visa petitions, waivers and complex liaison issues.

Additionally, Hudaidah is very active locally, nationally, and internationally in immigration law education, immigration advocacy and governance of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), which includes more than 15,000 global professionals.  She has served in numerous elected and appointed positions.  Currently, she serves on the Executive Committees of the AILA DC Chapter, which includes over 1500 members and the AILA Rome District-EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Chapter, which includes over 800 U.S. immigration attorneys.  As a member of both these Executive Committees, she regularly meets with government officials from USCIS, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Department of State (DOS).

Hudaidah’s involvement in the community is not limited to legal services. She has been appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve as a Board member for the Virginia Asian Advisory Board (VAAB). During her time on the VAAB, she served on its Executive Committee for three consecutive years.  She has served as a Board member and Secretary for the Pakistani Association of Central Virginia and for the Asian American Society of Central Virginia as well.  She is an active member of the Pakistani American Business Association and serves on its Development Committee.  She is a member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators (NAFSA), Virginia Women Attorneys Association (VWAA), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), National Association of Muslim Lawyers (NAML), and the South Asian Bar Association of Washington D.C. (SABA-DC). 

Bar Admissions

  • Virginia

  • District of Columbia

  • Fourth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals

Selected Speaking Engagements

  1. New ICE & USCIS Guidance - Form I-9 Requirements & Employer Obligations, SHRM, Loudoun Chapter (May 2021)

  2. Reading the Tea Leaves: Recent Adjudicatory Trends and Challenges, AILA RDC-EMEA Spring Chapter Conference, (April 2021)

  3. Inspired by Women: Creating Your Personal Vision for Success, AILA Roundtable, (March 2021)

  4. One Love: Diversity & Inclusion and Elimination of Bias in the Workplace, AILA National Fall Conference, (December 2020)

  5. Developments and Challenges in Family Sponsored Immigration, AILA RDC-EMEA Fall Chapter Conference, (November 2020)

  6. Race and Immigration, NAML Annual Conference (October 2020)

  7. Immigration Law Panel, University of Baltimore Immigration Law Association, (September 2020)

  8. Current Trends & Challenges in Immigration, SABA-DC, (September 2020)

  9. I-9 Compliance & Audit Risks, SHRM, Loudoun Chapter (September 2020)

  10. Hot topics in Employment Based Immigration, NAML (July 2020)

  11. COVID-19 Immigration Compliance – I-9 Update, SHRM, Dulles Chapter (June 2020)

  12. Advanced L-1 Strategy Session, AILA Midwinter Conference, Curacao (January 2020)

  13. Navigating the Ever-Changing Consular Processing Maze, 21st Annual AILA New York Chapter Symposium, New York, NY (December 2019)

  14. “You’re Gonna Miss Me! Travel Advising for Students and Scholars”, NAFSA Region I Conference, Tacoma, WA (November 2019)

  15. Immigrant Consular Processing vs. Adjustment of Status, AILA RDC-EMEA Fall Chapter Conference, Dublin, Ireland (October 2019)

  16. Business Immigration 101: Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Practicing, AILA National Conference, Orlando, Florida (June 2019)

  17. “DIE WELT IST VOLLER LOSUNGEN”: NIV Knotty Problems, AILA RDC-EMEA Spring Conference, Berlin, Germany (April 2019)

  18. Highly-Skilled Immigrants in U.S. Universities, George Mason University, The Institute of Immigration Research, Fairfax, Virginia (April 2019)

  19. To Stay or Not to Stay: Adjustment vs IV Processing, AILA RDC-EMEA Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa (October 2018)

  20. Counseling Clients After NIV Petition Approval, AILA National Conference, San Francisco, California (June 2018)

  21. Advising on the “90 Day Rule”, AILA BDC Chapter, Hong Kong, (May 2018)

  22. El Desafío: Consular Missions Impossible?, AILA RDC-EMEA Chapter, Madrid, Spain (February 2018)

  23. Back to Basics –Denials/Revocations, AILA RDC-EMEA Chapter, London, United Kingdom, (November 2017)

  24. Legal Concepts Involved in Marriage-Based Immigrant Petitions and Applications in the United States, AILA National Paralegals Conference and Webcast, Washington DC (October 2017)

  25. Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing – AILA National Fundamentals of Immigration Law Conference, Denver, Colorado (August 2017)

  26. Hot Topics in Prolonged, Indefinite, and Mandatory Detention – AILA National Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, (June 2017)

  27. Global Mobility Options for LGBT Clients Seeking Safety and Security in a Diverse World, AILA Global Migration Section Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana (June 2017)

  28. Choosing Locally Grown Grapes: Benefits of Filing an I-130 Abroad, AILA – LACC Chapter, Chile, Santiago (November 2016)

  29. L Visas: Extensions and Blankets, AILA – RDC-EMEA Chapter, Amsterdam, Netherlands (October 2016)

  30. Forming and Dissolving Partnerships, AILA National Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada (June 2016)

  31. To Stay or Not to Stay: Maintaining LPR Status, AILA – RDC-EMEA Chapter, Vienna, Austria (May 2016)

  32. Maintenance LPR Status & Renunciation, AILA – BDC Chapter, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (March 2016)

  33. Derivative Citizenship Issues – AILA – RDC-EMEA Chapter, London, United Kingdom (November 2015)

  34. Community Stakeholders Panel Discussion: Roles and Responsibilities: Building Trust and Legitimacy in Police-Community Relations Forum – Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Hampton, Virginia (July 2015)

  35. Understanding Affirmative Asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Virginia State Bar Immigrant Outreach Committee, Arlington, VA (March 2015)

  36. Unrest and Uprising: Consular Processing in the World’s Trouble Spots, AILA – RDC-EMEA Chapter, Rome, Italy (May 2015)

  37. Proceedings in Immigration Court: Seeking Relief from Deportation, Virginia State Bar Immigrant Outreach Committee, Arlington, VA (March 2014)

  38. End Game Strategy – AOS vs. Consular Processing – weighing respective burdens and benefits in light of the client’s needs – AILA – RDC-EMEA Chapter, Athens, Greece (March 2013)

  39. Ethics of Consular Practice – AILA – BDC Chapter, Bangkok, Thailand (February 2013)

  40. Marketing your practice abroad, AILA – RDC-EMEA Chapter, Bucharest, Romania (April 2012)

  41. Consequences of Criminal Convictions for Individuals and Families Seeking U.S. Citizenship, Virginia State Bar Immigrant Outreach Committee, Richmond, Virginia (March 2012)

Involvement with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA):

AILA National

  • Member, AILA Diversity and Inclusion Committee, 2020-2021

  • Member, AILA Innovation & Technology Committee, 2020-2021

  • Member, AILA Annual Conference Committee, Due Process Track, 2021 Conference

  • Member, AILA Midwinter Planning Committee, 2020 Conference

  • Chair, Annual Conference Committee, Due Process Track, 2019 Conference

  • Member, Annual Conference Committee, Business Track, 2018 Conference

  • Member, Annual Conference Committee, Due Process Track, 2017 Conference

  • USCIS International Operations Liaison Committee Member; 2015-2016 and 2016-2017

  • AILA Mentor on Humanitarian Parole, 2018-2019

AILA DC – Local Chapter

  • Member since April 2009

  • Executive Committee 2017-Present

  • EOIR Liaison Chair, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015

  • Chair – Liaison to USCIS, 2017-2018

  • Member – Liaison to USCIS, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017

AILA Global Migration Section / International Chapters

  • Rome District Chapter – European, Middle East, and Africa (RDC-EMEA) Executive Committee 2016-Present

  • RDC-EMEA, Spring Conference Committee Chair, (Rome) 2015 and (Vienna) 2016

  • RDC-EMEA, USCIS/CBP Committee member, 2015-2016

  • Bangkok District Chapter, Annual Conference Committee member, 2015

  • Bangkok District Chapter, Government Relations Committee member, 2015-2016

  • Latin American and Caribbean Chapter – USCIS Committee member, 2015-2016

  • AILA – Global Migration Section, Conference Committee member, 2014 and 2015

AILA Pro bono star 2013-2014 and 2014-2015