Jelena Gilliam Pace

Ms. Gilliam Pace advises individuals and businesses on complex nonimmigrant and immigrant visa matters, with a particular emphasis on employment-based immigration strategy. She has significant expertise in O-1A visas for individuals of extraordinary ability, EB-1A immigrant petitions, and National Interest Waivers (NIW), and regularly counsels professionals in STEM, business, arts, and emerging technology sectors. In addition, she assists clients with family-based immigration petitions and naturalization processes.

Ms. Gilliam Pace focuses extensively on EB-1A immigrant petitions for individuals of extraordinary ability, with particular experience representing leaders in technology, artistic and talent, consulting, and other innovative-driven sectors. She develops sophisticated evidence presentation strategies and assists clients with comprehensive legal briefs addressing complex regulatory criteria, and advises clients on structuring positioning to meet the highest standards applied by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Her practice regularly includes responding to Requests for Evidence (RFEs) in highly scrutinized cases and crafting arguments that align technical innovation and commercial impact with the EB-1A statutory framework.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Gilliam Pace managed a diverse caseload of employment-based and family-based immigration matters. She successfully represented clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), including defending clients in first-immigration proceedings against removal. Her immigration and customs enforcement cases include preparation for hearings and representation at immigration court. She also provides additional legal support and performs legal research for immigration matters.

Ms. Gilliam Pace earned her Juris Doctor from Charlotte School of Law in 2011 and is admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Lock Haven University in 2011. During law school, she gained hands-on immigration experience through multiple internships, including with the Human Rights Clinic at Charlotte School of Law, where she supervised fellow students and managed permanent residency petitions.