Susan Ramos is an immigration attorney in Dickinson Wright’s Phoenix office. She represents individuals, businesses, and institutions in a variety of immigration matters, including employment-based and family-based petitions, naturalization, and compliance issues.
Prior to joining the firm, Susan worked for international immigration law firms and also served as Associate Counsel in the Regulatory and Verification Division of the Office of the Chief Counsel at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In that role, she advised on the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act in rulemaking, worked on employment-based immigration regulations, and helped resolve adjudications issues in litigation and pre-litigation.
Susan brings both government and private practice experience to her work, allowing her to navigate complex immigration processes with practical insight and strategic focus.
Education & Credentials
Education
Emory University
B.A., Psychology and SpanishSt. Mary's University School of Law
J.D.Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
- Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating
- Chambers USA
- Immigration, Band 1, 2021, 2022
- Chambers Global
- Business Immigration Practice Group, 2012 – 2014
- Business North Carolina Magazine’s Legal Elite,
- Immigration Law, 2020 – 2021, 2023
Prominent Assignments
- Reviewed and revised employment-based nonimmigrant visa petitions and filings.
- Advised employers on worksite compliance, including conducting internal I-9 audits, delivering training sessions, and negotiating with federal agencies regarding employer sanctions.
- Prepared and filed petitions for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) with USCIS, including related child custody pleadings and court orders.
- Drafted and filed habeas corpus pleadings in federal court in connection with immigration detention matters.
- Appealed or sought correction of erroneous admission records created by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
- Provided legal counsel on the application of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) to immigration policies and rulemakings.
- Reviewed, revised, and drafted immigration-related federal regulations, policies, and information collection packages.
- Coordinated interagency legal reviews within USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security on immigration policy and regulatory issues.
- Provided litigation support to the U.S. Attorney’s Office on cases involving USCIS adjudications.
- Advised leadership within federal immigration agencies on statutory interpretation and policy implementation under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
- Conducted quality control reviews of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions and related filings.
Professional Involvement
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
- Member, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Liaison Committee, 2018–2019
- Member, U.S. Department of State Liaison Committee, 2015–2016
- Member, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Liaison Committee, 2012–2015
- Program Co-Chair, Texas Chapter Annual Fall Conference , 2011
- Vice Chair, Carolinas Chapter, 2008–2009
- Military Assistance Program Volunteer
Federal Bar Association – El Paso Chapter
- Board Member, 2012–2014.
- Education Committee
- Chair, 2013–2014
- Member, 2012–2014
- Practicing on the Border CLE Planning Committee, 2012–2014
El Paso Women’s Bar Association
- Member (2012–2015)
Court Admissions
- United States District Court, Western District of North Carolina
- United States District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina
- United States District Court, Western District of Texas
Publications/Presentations
- Immigration Challenges & Solutions: Leveraging International Talent in a Tight Labor Market, Speaker, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP’s Virtual CLE Summit, October 2022
- Naturalization 101, Speaker and Author, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Annual Conference on Immigration Law, July 2020
- Taxation and Family Immigration: When the Numbers Get Foggy, Speaker and Author, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Annual Conference on Immigration Law, June 2019
- Consequences of a DUI Conviction, Speaker, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Audio Seminar, August 2016
- Yemen Without a U.S. Embassy—Now What?, Speaker, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Podcast, January 2016
- Ports of Entry—Border Ahoy!, Speaker, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Annual Conference on Immigration Law, June 2015
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection Open Forum, Speaker, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Spring CLE Conference, April 2015
- IV and NIV Consular Processing Denials, Speaker, State Bar of Texas 13th Annual Advanced Immigration Law Course, February 2015
- My Visa Application Has Been Denied – Now What?, Author, State Bar of Texas 13th Annual Advanced Immigration Law Course, February 2015
- Immigration Case Backlog Swells in El Paso, Interview by El Paso, Inc., January 2014
- National Visa Center: Best Practices and Tips in IV Cases, Speaker, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Podcast, May 2014
- Family-Based Consular Processing: I Knew You Were Trouble, Speaker, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Audio Seminar, November 2013
- Habeas and Mandamus in Immigration Cases, Speaker, Federal Bar Association, El Paso Chapter, July 2013
- Immigration Consequences of Crimes, Speaker, Federal Bar Association, El Paso Chapter, November 2012
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – What Attorneys Should Know About This New Program Benefitting Certain Undocumented Immigrant Children, Speaker, Federal Bar Association, El Paso Chapter, August 2012
- The Permanent Resident Timeline Tightrope, Co-author, 36th Annual Immigration and Nationality Law Conference, University of Texas School of Law, 2012
- The Permanent Resident Timeline Tightrope, Co-author, 35th Annual Immigration and Nationality Law Conference, University of Texas School of Law, 2011
- I Heard That SSA No Match Letters to Employers Are on the Way – Why Is That Relevant to Me?, Ask the Legal Professional Q&A, El Paso, Inc., April 2011
- Ethical Issues in Representing Foreign Nationals in Family-Based Immigration and Removal Proceedings, Speaker, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Carolinas Chapter CLE, Charlotte, NC, May 2009
- Immigration Workshop for the Bench and Bar, Speaker, Mecklenburg County Bar, Charlotte, NC, March 2009
- Exposing the Dilemma: An Educational Forum on the Moral and Legal Complexities of Immigration, Speaker, St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church, Charlotte, NC, October 2008