Margaret Holland Sparages
mhollandsparages@dwboston.com
Senior Associate—Immigration Law Department

Areas of practice: Since 1992, Ms. Holland Sparages has dedicated her practice to employment-based US immigration laws.

Work for clients: Ms. Holland Sparages has extensive experience representing clients before the US Citizenship and Immigration Service, the Department of Labor, US Consulates abroad, and US Customs and Border Patrol at land, sea and airports. She represents entrepreneurs, corporations, key managers, and investors in their visa and U.S. work authorization matters. Ms. Holland Sparages has particular expertise in advocating US national interest waivers for persons making substantial contributions to the United States. She also focuses on visa petitions for outstanding scientists, researchers, artists, businesspersons. She has extensive experience in the area of permanent labor certificates for companies and their foreign-born US workers. She advises investors and traders who work under bi-lateral and multi-lateral treaties of navigation and commerce. She also works with individuals and companies on visa matters impacted by corporate restructuring and reductions in work force. Ms. Holland Sparages trains management and human resources in US work authorization verification matters, Forms I-9 and the federal E-Verify program.

Professional activities: Ms. Holland Sparages is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association (“AILA”). She serves on the Foreign Student Scholars Committee and on the Non-Immigrant Visa Taskforce for AILA nationwide (2009-2010). She also serves as the Foreign Scholars and University Liaison, and on the Congressional Committee for AILA’s New England Chapter. She is the past co-chairperson for AILA’s Department of Labor Liaison Committee, National Fall Conference Committee, and New England Immigration Conference Committee, which gained renown for its excellence in the visa concerns of the bio-tech and health care communities.

Personal/Community activities: Ms. Holland Sparages is a member of the Board of Directors of Bayridge Residence and Cultural Center. She enjoys swimming and singing.

Publications/Presentations: Ms. Holland Sparages is a contributor to AILA national’s white paper on International Students and Scholars (F-1, M-1 and J-1 visas), due to be published in September, 2009. She contributed an article on H-1B professional visas to the joint AILA/Suffolk Law School proceedings on US immigration law. Ms. Holland Sparages authored the article entitled “B-1 Business Visitors and TN Nonimmigrants” in the Immigration & Nationalization Handbook, 2001-2002 edition, Volume II. Ms. Holland Sparages has lectured on US work-related visas for the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association, Lorman Educational Services, the Massachusetts Bar Association, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, and the Midwest Immigration Law Conference.

Education: Ms. Holland Sparages holds a Bachelors Degree, cum laude, from Wellesley College and a J.D. from DePaul University. She is admitted to the practice of law in The State of Illinois and a motion for admission has been made to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.