Atlanta attorney Daryl R. Buffenstein supports legislation introduced last week by Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) on L-1 visas that would aid multinational companies dependent on the global mobility of their employees.
During an interview with GlobalFax, Mr. Buffenstein said that severe restrictions on the mobility of executives would sharply curtain foreign investment in the United States.
“The senator carefully reviewed the concerns of all the diverse parties and tried to come up with a balanced approach,” he added.
In his role as chairman of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, Mr. Chambliss will play a critical role in the bill’s passage.
Mr. Buffenstein, who heads the national immigration practice group of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, is a founding member of the Global Personnel Alliance, a consortium of internationally active companies interested in global personnel mobility.
He testified before Mr. Chambliss’ subcommittee this summer during hearings at which diverse groups including representatives of multinational companies, labor unions and displaced workers, expressed their views.
The L-1 visa program permits foreign companies to transfer executives to the United States. It also allows transferred workers to remain on their home countries payrolls and benefit programs.
Mr. Buffenstein said the bill is careful to preserve the legitimate L-1 usage, while containing sensible provisions to curtail potential abuses.
“The Chambliss bill steers clear of several needless and harmful provisions that have appeared in other L-1 bills, such as an annual numerical quota or cap on L-1 admissions,” he said.
Mr. Buffenstein is a past national president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and recently ended a four-year term as the organization’s general counsel.
He may be reached at (404) 815-2232.