IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION

Practice Emphasis

Ms. Armstrong represents businesses and individual foreign nationals in the complex immigration process, including employment-based temporary and permanent residency, family and marriage-based permanent residency, special categories of temporary and permanent residency processing, and citizenship and naturalization.

She routinely represents health care organizations and universities in filling their critical needs for health care workers, researchers, professors, and other staff.  This may include filing employers’ labor certifications and immigrant petitions for alien workers, including extraordinary ability, outstanding professor/researcher, and national interest waiver categories. In addition, she assists foreign nationals in adjustment of status or consular processing as may be required.

She also represents victims of crime in connection with special “U visa” processing, including victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes. Services to these victims also assist law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting these crimes and make our community safer as a result.

Ms. Armstrong also regularly represents foreign nationals in obtaining permanent residency through family-based relationships, including permanent residency based upon marriage to a U.S. citizen.  She also assists permanent residents in the final steps of the immigration process once they become eligible for naturalization.

Memberships

Ms. Armstrong is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association; Society of Human Resource Management; Tuscaloosa Human Resource Professionals (AL); Golden Triangle Human Resources Association (MS). She also previously served on Shelton State Community College Foundation (Board of Directors, 2012-2016); Turning Point, Board of Directors (Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Victims Advocacy, 2009-2016); the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors (2007-2010), Women in Business Council (Founding Task Force and Chair, 2006-2008), and University of Alabama Women’s Initiative Program.

Awards and Achievements

• Admitted to bar, 1998, Alabama; 2000, Mississippi
• Court Admissions – All U.S. Immigration Courts; Board of Immigration Appeals; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; U.S. District Courts, North and Middle Districts of Alabama, and Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi
• Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama: 2010 Rising Star Award; 2007 Women in Business Council’s Trailblazer Award; and Distinguished Service Award
• University of Alabama School of Law – J.D., magna cum laude, 1998; academic awards – Bench & Bar Honor; National Association of Women Lawyers Award; Hoffman Leadership Award
• University of West Alabama – B.S., Accounting, summa cum laude, 1995; recipient of Ralph Lyon Award – Most Outstanding Scholastic Record, 1995