# Immigration Lawyer in Bethesda, MD | Researchers, Physicians & Families

> Altius Immigration Law PLLC is a U.S. immigration law firm in Washington, D.C., serving clients in all 50 states. Principal attorney: André Matias. Practice areas: green cards, family-based immigration, employment-based and temporary work visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1, P-1), investment visas (E-2), adjustment of status, and citizenship & naturalization.

Source: https://altius.law/blog/bethesda-md-improved/

Summary: Altius Immigration Law serves Bethesda: EB-2 NIW for researchers and physicians, business visitor questions, family green cards, and citizenship.

##### Bethesda, Maryland

# Immigration Lawyer in Bethesda, MD

Bethesda sits at the center of one of the country's densest concentrations of biomedical research — the National Institutes of Health campus and the medical, scientific, and professional community around it. Altius Immigration Law works with **researchers, physicians, and their families** across Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Montgomery County, alongside the family-based cases every community brings.

We work in **English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French**, from our office in Georgetown — one side of the district line to the other.

## Green Cards for Researchers and Physicians

For scientists and clinicians, the most important path to know about is the [EB-2 National Interest Waiver](/employment-based-immigration/eb-2-niw/): a self-petitioned green card with **no employer sponsorship and no labor certification**, for work with substantial merit and national importance — a standard biomedical research can meet when the case is framed well. If your CV includes publications, grants, or clinical innovation, this is the conversation to have first.

We also handle the family side that often runs alongside a research career: a spouse's green card, children's status, and eventually [naturalization](https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship).

## Visiting for Business — the B-1 Question

Searches reaching this page often ask about **B-1 business visitor visas**. The B-1 covers business activities "of a commercial or professional nature" — USCIS's [B-1 page](https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-visitors-for-business/b-1-temporary-business-visitor) lists consulting with business associates and traveling for conventions and conferences — but it is a **visitor** status, not work authorization. The line between permitted business activity and unauthorized work is narrow and fact-specific; if your plans involve anything beyond meetings and conferences, ask before you travel, not after. For collaborations that amount to real work — research stays, temporary roles — the right status is usually something else entirely, and we can tell you which.

## What We Handle for Bethesda Clients

-   **EB-2 NIW and employment-based green cards** for researchers, physicians, and specialists
-   **Family-based cases** — marriage-based green cards, petitions for parents and children; see our [family-based services](/family-based-immigration-lawyer/)
-   **Visitor and temporary status questions** — B-1/B-2 scope, extensions, and changes of status; see [temporary visas](/temporary-visas/)
-   **Citizenship and naturalization**

## Local Practicalities

-   USCIS field offices are **appointment-only**, and since **May 18, 2026** USCIS [requires attorneys to attend interviews in person](https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20260713-AttorneysAndRepresentatives.pdf) — a local firm can actually be in the room.
-   Maryland's immigration courts sit in **Hyattsville and Baltimore** ([EOIR](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/immigration-court-operational-status)).
-   Current fees and timelines: the [USCIS fee schedule (G-1055)](https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055) and [processing times tool](https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/) — we don't bake numbers into this page because they change.

## Bethesda Immigration FAQ

#### I'm a researcher at NIH on a temporary visa. What's my green-card path?

For many researchers, the EB-2 NIW — it doesn't require your employer's sponsorship, and a strong research record maps directly onto its three-part test. [Start with our NIW page](/employment-based-immigration/eb-2-niw/) or [book a consultation](https://calendly.com/altiuslaw/initial-consultation).

#### Can I attend a conference or business meeting on a B-1?

Consultations, conferences, and negotiations are classic B-1 activities; hands-on work is not. If your visit sits anywhere near that line, get advice before booking travel.

#### Do you meet clients in person?

Yes — in Georgetown, a short trip from Bethesda — and we handle most matters remotely in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French.

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Book a consultation: https://altius.law/scheduling/
Phone: +1 (202) 794-9140
Website: https://altius.law