Chenhalls keys in on immigration issues

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Kelley Chenhalls views her work as an immigration attorney at Hochstatter, McCarthy, Rivas & Runde as a way to help people achieve their dream of living and working in the U.S.

Chenhalls’ practice centers on helping doctors, scientists and other medical professionals fill out required paperwork and find ways to reach their goals.

“Strategy definitely plays a role in what I do,” she said. “You have to look at the situation and the different options and see what may work best for their particular situation. I have some Indian physicians who wait eight to 10 years to get their green card.”

An avid traveler, Chenhalls realized how important it was for people to feel welcome in a new place. She sees her work as an immigration attorney as stemming in part from that recognition.

“There’s a lot of negative talk about immigration and people sometimes don’t see the benefits, but there are people who can benefit the country greatly by coming here,” Chenhalls said.

The lack of up-to-date immigration rules can make her work difficult, Chenhalls said.

“A lot of the guidance we receive as attorneys comes from memos,” she said. “We really need updated legislation.”

Another source of trouble is clients’ expectations, Chenhalls said. Often they need to be managed.

“Our immigration system is so confounding that it can be hard to give clients accurate timelines,” she said. “You want to help your clients as best as you can, but sometimes there’s a wait and you don’t want them to become discouraged.”

She said she works on about 80 cases at a time, a single one of which can go on for years.

Chenhalls’ expertise and dedication benefits more than just her clients, said Jennifer Nissen, a fellow attorney at Hochstatter, McCarthy, Rivas & Runde.

“Kelley has assisted with obtaining visas for hundreds of physicians in Wisconsin alone, including many who are serving the medically underserved residents of Wisconsin,” she said.

Chenhalls also volunteers with the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby for immigration reform in 2012 as the coordinator of the AILA National Day of Action and as an advocate in 2013. She’s active in AILA’s Wisconsin chapter, holding several roles. From 2012 to 2013, she served as chairperson of the organization.