Thais Saad

Thais Saad is a Partner at KI Legal in the Immigration Division. She represents national and international companies in all types of business immigration matters, providing employers with a detailed plan of the application process, the requirements, and timeline so as to better plan for their employment needs. Thais' experience extends from corporate immigration planning and strategy measures to naturalization and citizenship counsel, waivers, and deferred action representation.  

Thais and the Immigration Division handle corporate immigration matters relating to: represent national and international companies in all types of business immigration matters, including: EB-1 petitions for multinational managers/executives, outstanding researchers, and extraordinary-ability aliens; EB-2 and EB-3 petitions for companies seeking to hire foreign nationals for full-time employment in the United States; PERM Labor Certification; EB-5 petitions for investors seeking permanent residence in the United States; E-2 visas for investors seeking temporary residence in the United States; L-1 for foreign companies seeking to transfer employees to a U.S. affiliate; H-1B and H-2B petitions for companies seeking to hire foreign nationals on a temporary basis; and O-1 petitions for those who can demonstrate significant achievements in the sciences, arts or business.  

Additionally, Thais and the Immigration Division will offer a variety of services to individuals looking for representation with regards to family-based applications, including petitions based on marriage to a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, applications for naturalization and citizenship, applications for student visas and trainee visas, applications for victims of certain qualifying crimes, and waiver requests. 

Thais was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and came to the United States at the age of 15, giving her firsthand experience navigating the complex immigration system in the United States; over the years, Thais has held a variety of visas, including the G-4 visa, F-1 visa and H-1B visa. Thais graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Spanish and Economics and secured her Juris Doctor from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. As an immigrant herself, Thais is acutely aware of how important securing immigration status can be for a client’s future and livelihood; leading her to become significantly invested in each case that she represents. 

Thais’ passion for immigration law led her to open her immigration practice, where she has represented hundreds of clients in securing immigration benefits over the span of 10 years. Thais offers her clients a full scope of business and family immigration legal services. Over the past decade, she has successfully represented a wide range of clients, from professionals in the arts and real estate investors to modeling agencies and healthcare clinics. 

Thais is a member of the New York City Bar Association and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Thais has been included in New York Super Lawyer’s Rising Star List for the past five (5) years.

Areas of Practice

• EB-1 petitions for multinational managers/executives, outstanding researchers, and extraordinary-ability aliens
• EB-2 and EB-3 petitions for companies seeking to hire foreign nationals for full-time employment in the United States
• PERM Labor Certification; EB-5 petitions for investors seeking permanent residence in the United States
• E-2 visas for investors seeking temporary residence in the United States
• L-1 for foreign companies seeking to transfer employees to a U.S. affiliate
• H-1B and H-2B petitions for companies seeking to hire foreign nationals on a temporary basis
• O-1 petitions for those who can demonstrate significant achievements in the sciences, arts or business
• Petitions based on marriage to a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
• Applications for naturalization and citizenship
• Applications for student visas and trainee visas
• Applications for victims of certain qualifying crimes
• Waiver requests

Education

• Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2012
• University of Virginia, B.A., Spanish and Economics, 2006

Bar Admissions

• New York

Court Admissions

• U.S. District Court (Southern and Eastern Districts of New York)

Memberships & Affiliations

• New York City Bar Association, Member
• American Immigration Lawyers Association, Member
• Law360, 2024 Immigration Editorial Advisory Board, Member

Awards & Accolades

• SuperLawyers, New York Rising Star, 2019-2024
• Mondaq, Immigration Thought Leadership Award for “Types of Nonimmigrant Visas” - Spring 2024

Languages

• Portuguese (Fluent)
• Spanish (Fluent)