IMMIGRATION PARALEGAL SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND JOB REQUIREMENTS
Updated: Oct 21, 2025 - The Immigration Paralegal supports employment-based immigration matters with experience in visa petitions and a working knowledge of legal terminology specific to the immigration practice group. This role requires strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, excellent written and verbal communication, critical thinking, and exceptional attention to detail to produce accurate and well-organized work with minimal guidance. The paralegal also demonstrates strong time management, the ability to work independently under frequent interruptions, and the organizational skills to prioritize workload and assist attorneys effectively.
Essential Hard and Soft Skills for a Standout Immigration Paralegal Resume
- Case Management
- Petition Preparation
- Legal Research
- Document Drafting
- RFE Response
- Visa Processing
- File Management
- Evidence Assessment
- PERM Processing
- Regulation Compliance
- Client Communication
- Time Management
- Team Collaboration
- Problem Solving
- Detail Orientation
- Critical Thinking
- Organizational Skills
- Task Prioritization
- Stakeholder Communication
- Client Relations


Summary of Immigration Paralegal Knowledge and Qualifications on Resume
1. BA in Political Science with 4 years of Experience
- Business immigration experience
- Experience in a law firm setting
- Outstanding sense of customer service.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational and administrative skills.
- Excellent attention to detail and ability to execute through to completion.
- Creative problem-solving skills, reasoning ability, and logical thought process.
- Excellent computer skills, including proficiency in using Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Ability to work under pressure, prioritize competing demands, and meet various deadlines.
- Ability to professionally interact and collaborate with colleagues at all levels.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Ability to handle confidential matters with discretion.
- Ability to quickly get up to speed and master new applications and software
- Enthusiastic, proactive, and positive attitude.
2. BA in International Relations with 6 years of Experience
- State-approved, accredited paralegal certification
- Immigration-related work experience.
- Experience in preparing petition packages for review and filing.
- Extensive knowledge of visa, permanent residency, and secondary benefit applications.
- Proficiency in legal terminology and immigration tracking software
- Exceptional recordkeeping and communication skills.
- Ability to collaborate with immigration attorneys and internal hiring managers.
- Ability to manage immigration inquiries, gather required information, and keep clients informed of progress.
3. BS in Legal Studies with 3 years of Experience
- Employment-based immigration experience, including H-1B and L-1 visa petitions.
- Working understanding of the legal terminology specific to the immigration practice group
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and the ability to be trained on specific practice group technology
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- High attention to detail and the ability to follow up on assignments in situations where there is little or no guidance
- Strong time management skills
- Ability to express thoughts using proper grammar and appropriate vocabulary, comments are organized and precise
- Be able to describe a set of facts in a clear, organized, unambiguous fashion
- Ability to work independently and meet deadlines in an atmosphere of frequent interruptions.
- Be able to structure a system from minimal instructions, and submit a flawless work product
- Organize and prioritize workload and help timekeepers with their organization
- Critical thinking skills sufficient to make decisions regarding daily work, a willingness to follow instructions, and the responsibility to bring all problems, concerns, or discrepancies to the attention of the supervising lawyer
- Understand and follow specific and detailed instructions in oral and written form.
4. BA in Criminal Justice with 7 years of Experience
- Prior experience as a paralegal with an international company or law firm
- Excellent judgment and the ability to work independently as well as in a team environment, including coordination with colleagues and clients in multiple time zones.
- Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Fluency in English and Japanese
- Highly detail-oriented with exceptional organizational skills.
- Be able to prioritize activities and perform multiple tasks while maintaining quality, speed, and accuracy.
- Ability to work under pressure and multitask in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to work well with others, clearly communicating requirements, expectations, and deadlines, asking questions to obtain and share relevant information.
5. BS in Business Administration with 4 years of Experience
- Employment-Based Immigration experience
- Strong familiarity with H1-B Visas
- Strong knowledge of word processing and spreadsheets
- Accurate, attentive, and experienced in handling sensitive or confidential information
- Ability to effectively prioritize and organize a substantial amount of work
- Ability to recognize, evaluate, and resolve problems effectively
- Exceptional communication skills, ability to interact with all levels of the organization with a high customer service orientation
- Willing and able to own projects, writing and negotiating, planning and organizing
6. BA in Sociology with 3 years of Experience
- Certificate of completion from an ABA-approved Paralegal Education Program
- Certificate from a well-accredited paralegal training program
- Experience as an immigration paralegal.
- Experience with billing time
- Business immigration experience
- Strong attention to detail and ability to self-start
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency in Google Suite applications and Microsoft Office
- Effectively able to prioritize cases, caseload, and other assigned tasks (i.e., projects, company management responsibilities, etc.)
- Be able to commute to the firm's office location every weekday.
- Ability to multitask and prioritize assignments while delivering consistent, quality work product to both attorneys and clients
7. BS in Paralegal Studies with 8 year of Experience
- Corporate immigration law experience
- Law firm and in-house experience (including financial institutions and/or technology firms).
- Family-Based Immigration Experience
- Thorough understanding of word processing and spreadsheets
- Specialized knowledge of U.S. immigration matters
- Strong knowledge of procedural requirements for various types of non-immigrant and immigrant visas (NIVs and IVs, respectively), and client processes
- Excellent analytical and organizational skills, attention to detail, adherence to strict deadlines, and ability to multitask
- Excellent Microsoft Office skills, including Excel and PowerPoint
- Mastery of multiple case types from simple to complex filings within particular practice area(s)
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Ability to work well in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment with minimal supervision.