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Since the rise of Silicon Valley, the United States has been an attractive destination for highly-skilled and well-qualified individuals from around the globe, especially India. That said, immigration laws have been reformed to entail rigorous and scrutinizing procedures to allow only the best talent into the country, ensuring that aspirants pursue their aspirations/vocations with utmost sincerity and contribute to the development of the nation. Moreover, several policies designed to protect U.S. workers from an influx of foreign nationals applying for the same jobs have made obtaining the H-1B visas extremely competitive. Mr. Dev Banad Viswanath—principal attorney at The Banad Law Offices P.C.—was quick to realize the concerns faced by immigration aspirants in navigating legal prerequisites surrounding immigration and decided to provide them the much-needed assistance through his seasoned expertise and proficiency.

Born to Indian parents who were part of the group of South Asians that entered the U.S. during the brain drain era, Mr. Banad grew up in New York and received the Juris Doctorate from Pace University School of Law (also known as Elisabeth Haub School of Law). The September 11 terror attacks, which occurred just after enrolling in law school, had a huge impact on his perception of civil rights.

To play his part in helping society, Mr. Banad began to volunteer with groups that assisted South Asians with immigration troubles. He then became an intern at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, one of the most prestigious non-profit groups dealing with issues that affect the Asian community. Realizing his passion for immigration law, Mr. Banad began working pretty extensively with private attorneys in immigration and continued to write briefs and memorandums while pursuing law school.

Mr. Banad’s work ethic, coupled with the understanding of both Indian and U.S. culture, allowed him to assist companies from the United States to get a foothold in India and Indian companies to expand their growth into the United States. "I have knowledge of both countries; I understand what it's like to be an immigrant, but I also understand what it's like to be an American looking at immigrants," says Mr. Banad.

Mr. Banad has been travelling to India since 2004, and in 2012 Banad Law opened up its first office in Bangalore (Bengaluru) appropriately called Banad Immigration. "I realized the breadth and scope of not only what was going on in India in terms of pure development, but also, the ability that I had to toggle two worlds," says Mr. Banad. Subsequently in 2017 Dev Banad Viswanath took over Mr. Michael Phulwani's India Practice, which increased the number of Banad offices in India, with a new office setup in Mumbai (Bombay). Banad Law has offices in Bangalore and Mumbai in India, as well as in Manhattan and Queens in New York.

Shedding light on his expertise, Mr. Banad narrates an instance in which an executive from India had reached out for assistance; the case involved a domestic violence charge against the client that was dismissed but still caused him an issue. Unfortunately, during his travel back to the United States from India, his flight had a layover in Dubai, where his arrest showed up on the computer screen. As the individual was unable to answer the issues involved, they sent him back to India, not allowing him to continue, and by that, his visa to the United States got cancelled. The executive reached out to Mr. Banad. After securing a visa appointment for the client, Mr. Banad prepared him with the tools and wrote a legal memorandum that supported his position. The executive was able to get his visa and had the domestic violence issue cleared. Due to Mr. Banad's dedication, this individual is a green card holder to this day.

I have knowledge of both countries, I understand what it's like to be an immigrant, but I also understand what it's like to be an American looking at immigrants

In all such engagements, the Banad law office is focused on protecting clients and putting up a good fight on the consular point and the business front. "We're here to help make the American dream come true, and I expect 2022 to be much better than the previous years," concludes Mr. Banad.