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Immigration Insights Episode 23 | Top Cross-Border Employment and Immigration Law Issues for Employers to Consider in 2026

By Kate Kalmykov & Kelly Dobbs Bunting on February 20, 2026
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Host and Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Immigration & Compliance Group, Kate Kalmykov, welcomes Kelly Bunting, GT colleague and labor and employment practice shareholder, to discuss the complex overlap between US immigration and employment law.

They explore current challenges facing employers, including social media issues, religious and disability accommodations, wage and hour litigation, and heightened compliance in M&A deals.

Kelly offers practical insights on drafting cross-border employment agreements, managing restrictive covenants, and training managers to avoid liability.

The episode highlights the importance of coordinated efforts between immigration and employment counsel, especially when onboarding foreign nationals and maintaining compliance.

Tune in to gain actionable tips for handling workforce issues in a dynamic legal environment and the ongoing competition for global talent.

Link to Click here to listen to the full episode. Click here to listen to the full episode.

Photo of Kate Kalmykov Kate Kalmykov

Kate Kalmykov is based in our New York and New Jersey offices and has over two decades of experience in business immigration matters. Kate currently Co-Chairs the Global Immigration & Compliance Practice at Greenberg Traurig. In this role, she works with employers of

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Kate Kalmykov is based in our New York and New Jersey offices and has over two decades of experience in business immigration matters. Kate currently Co-Chairs the Global Immigration & Compliance Practice at Greenberg Traurig. In this role, she works with employers of all sizes across a variety of industries in understanding and complying with the immigration laws relating to the hiring and retention of foreign talent. Specifically, her practice focuses on supporting clients and advising them on temporary and permanent residency immigration options for multi-national executive, business, scientific, and information technology personnel. In addition, her practice provides support to companies in the global transfer of personnel. Known by her clients for her out-of-the-box thinking, responsiveness and hands-on approach, Kate is often called upon to assist in developing immigration options and strategies in the most unique circumstances and to respond to complex Requests for Evidence (RFEs), Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs) or to appeal denied cases. Likewise, she has also been instrumental in developing employer compliance programs for DOL related filings including H-1Bs and PERMs, as well as for I-9 employment eligibility verification. To this end, she develops and conducts nationwide I-9 compliance trainings and policy manuals for human resources personnel, advises on best practices for E-Verify employers, provides guidance on avoiding immigration-related unfair employment practices claims and has defended and minimized penalties in immigration-related government audits. Kate regularly works with professionals from the firm’s labor, employment, tax and benefits groups, to provide strategic planning on immigration issues within a cross-border framework.

Kate also has deep experience working on all aspects of the EB-5 immigrant investor program. Kate has worked with real estate developers, private equity funds, and other organizations on applications to designate new EB-5 Regional Centers, applications for pre-approval of EB-5 projects; having projects adopted by existing EB-5 Regional Centers; structuring projects to be EB-5 compliant, the sale of existing EB-5 Regional Centers, preparing template I-526 petitions and advice on structuring direct EB-5 projects. Pursuant to the requirements introduced under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act, Kate works with EB-5 Regional Centers, EB-5 Projects, Overseas Migration Agents and Broker/ Dealers to develop internal programs for ongoing compliance and to prepare USCIS I-956, I-956F, I-956,G, I-956H, I-956K submissions. Kate has represented thousands of investors in obtaining their green cards through EB-5 regional center projects, as well as direct EB-5 investment opportunities. She also represented and structured the largest EB-5 offering in the Program’s history and has over the course of her career structured over $12 billion in EB-5 deals.

Within the field of immigration law, Kate is a well-known speaker and author. She is often called upon by various media outlets to comment on topics of business immigration law including the Real Deal, the Wall Street Journal, and Law360. Kate has appeared on numerous TV programs related to immigration law including CNN, the Stoler Report, Vietface TV, and China Business Network. Kate is also a prolific writer on the topic of immigration and has been published in immigration practice handbooks for the American Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, ILW, and in news periodicals that include the New Jersey Lawyer, the New York Law Journal, the New Jersey Law Journal, USA Today, GlobeSt.com, and the Commercial Observer. At the request of the American Bar Association, Kate co-authored the book “What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Immigration Law,” a guide for non-lawyers on immigration law practice. She has sat on numerous bar association related committees including the American Immigration Lawyers Association EB-5 Practice Committee, the New Jersey Business Immigration Coalition and has chaired the American Bar Association’s, Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, Section of Administrative Law since 2011. Kate has been recognized in various legal surveys including Chambers Global, New York Super Lawyers, the New Jersey Law Journal who ranked as her as a “New Leader of the Bar,” (formerly 40 under 40) in 2012, NJBIZ “Best 50 Women in Business,” 2019, National Law Review, “Go-To Thought Leader: Immigration Law,” 2022, and Lawdragon 500, Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers, 2020-2022.

Kate is devoted to pro bono matters and has spent extensive time helping clients fleeing conflict and persecution with asylum applications, applying for and obtaining Temporary Protected Status and Humanitarian Parole.

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Photo of Kelly Dobbs Bunting Kelly Dobbs Bunting

Kelly Bunting is Co-Chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice’s Workforce Compliance & Regulatory Enforcement group. She litigates federal and state class and collective actions alleging wage and hour violations, misclassification, overtime, minimum wage and off-the-clock work. She also defends employers around

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Kelly Bunting is Co-Chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice’s Workforce Compliance & Regulatory Enforcement group. She litigates federal and state class and collective actions alleging wage and hour violations, misclassification, overtime, minimum wage and off-the-clock work. She also defends employers around the country in single plaintiff litigation involving gender, age, disability, race, national origin, religious and pregnancy discrimination, harassment and retaliation; whistleblower claims; theft of trade secrets; breach of duty; breach of employment agreements and restrictive covenants. Kelly has appeared before the EEOC, the NLRB, the DOL and many state agencies. She drafts and negotiates national and international employment agreements, secondment agreements, settlement and severance agreements. She has represented employers in numerous U.S. Department of Labor audits and investigations, and has conducted labor and employment due diligence in many M&A transactions.

Kelly advises multinational clients on workplace policies, best practices, internal investigations, cross-border issues and employment-related FCPA/anti-corruption law compliance. She is a founding member of the Global Workforce Solutions group, and has spoken on U.S. and international L&E topics around the world. In 2018, Kelly was listed in Who’s Who in Labour & Employment Law. In 2014, 2015 and 2016, Kelly was ranked as “Recommended” by The Legal 500 United States for her work in Labor and Employment: Workplace and Employment Counseling and is a member of Philadelphia’s first-tier ranked Labor & Employment Practice by U.S. News-Best Lawyers.

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  • Posted in:
    Employment & Labor, Immigration
  • Blog:
    EB-5 Insights
  • Organization:
    Greenberg Traurig, LLP
  • Article: View Original Source

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