Diversity, equity and inclusion are core values at Buchanan.

Our leadership, attorneys, government relations professionals and staff recognize that we are strengthened by our commitment to recruiting, developing, retaining and promoting a diverse workforce while fostering an inclusive culture. Our goal is to create an atmosphere where the unique experiences and talent of our team sustain the firm’s vitality and enrich our legal services to provide the highest level of legal services to our clients.

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Christopher R. Thorn’s practice focuses on employment-based immigration matters. Christopher serves corporate clients in a wide variety of industries, including telecommunications, healthcare, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, engineering and higher education. He works with companies to obtain and maintain temporary and permanent work visas for their foreign national employees. Chris
is Chair of the firm's Immigration Practice.

Christopher concentrates much of his practice on the area of employment-based immigration for institutional clients, multinational corporations and universities. His experience includes helping corporations acquire employment-based visas for key
employees so they will be authorized for employment in the United States. He advises companies on employee documentation requirements and I-9 compliance issues. He represents clients before federal agencies, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Labor and the Department of State through its consular posts abroad.

Christopher has significant experience handling matters such as Temporary B-1 (business visitor), E (investors/traders), H-1B (professionals), L-1 (intra-company transferees), O (extraordinary) and TN (NAFTA) visas, permanent labor certification, both traditional and “special handling” for college or university teachers, extraordinary, outstanding researcher/professor and national interest waiver immigrant visa petitions, overseas consular processing of nonimmigrant and immigrant visa petitions, adjustment of status and U.S. citizenship, and counseling on I-9 compliance, Social Security no-match and E-Verify issues.
 

Prior to joining the firm, Christopher worked as an immigration specialist for a market research firm in the Philadelphia area. He provided training and reference tools to employees, recruiting staff and business managers on visa issues. He assisted in the prescreening process of all foreign national candidates in need of visa sponsorship to ensure their eligibility for hire and coordinated all requirements and necessary paperwork for various U.S. consulates abroad in assisting employees with visa applications. This “client-side” experience gives Christopher a unique perspective in the course of his practice.