Live and Work in the U.S. With or Without a Sponsor
EB-2 NIW, EB-1A, O-1, E-2 and H-1B visas for professionals in energy, healthcare, technology and manufacturing.
Our partners are immigrants too. We have been through this process ourselves.
Former Norton Rose Fulbright
& Baker McKenzie attorneys
File From Inside the U.S. or From Your Home Country
Either route works. Which one fits depends on your status today — we will tell you straight.
Inside the United States
If you hold an H-1B or L-1 inside the United States: We build your self-petition green card from your current position. Your visa status, your employer, and your location do not limit what we can argue. The EB-2 NIW rests on what your work contributes, not where you sit when you file it.
Outside the United States
If you are outside the United States and planning your move: The NIW process does not require United States presence. You can begin building and filing your case from Latin America, Europe, or the Middle East. BBA represents engineers, physicians, and technical specialists filing from outside the country every year.
Why BBA Immigration
We Build the Case. We Do Not Process It.
BBA Immigration's partners, Diego Bustillos and Adriana Bello, bring over twenty years of combined legal experience, trained at Norton Rose Fulbright and Baker McKenzie, with degrees from NYU and UT Austin. That is not a typical immigration firm background. It is the foundation of a different quality of work product.
BBA was built in Houston for a reason. The firm grew from deep roots in the energy sector, representing petroleum engineers, geoscientists, drilling specialists, and engineering leaders across oil and gas. We have since expanded to healthcare, technology, and manufacturing, and our core remains the same: we treat your record the way the most demanding global firms treat the matters they care most about.
Partners are involved in every file. No file is delegated to associates. We commit to one guarantee: if you review your final filing and are not impressed by the work product, we rework it.
Sector Expertise
Energy & Oil and Gas
NIW petitions for petroleum engineers, drilling specialists, reservoir modelers, formation evaluation engineers, and geoscientists. Energy is where BBA started. It is not a new sector for us.
Healthcare & Physicians
NIW cases for physicians, clinical researchers, OB-GYNs, and healthcare administrators. Schedule A fast-track for nurses and physical therapists.
Technology & Software
Self-petition green cards for software engineers, data scientists, ML/AI researchers, systems architects, and cybersecurity professionals.
Employers & Sponsors
PERM labor certification, H-1B sponsorship, and Schedule A filings for companies in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and technology across Texas.
"BBA managed to link the achievements and experiences of my twenty-year career in the oil and gas industry with actual United States policy. That was the key to getting my NIW approved."
Practice Areas
Field-Specific Legal Strategy for Every Visa Path
BBA builds immigration cases for petroleum engineers, physicians, software developers, and technical professionals. Every case gets partner-level attention from start to finish.
EB-2 NIW
Self-petition green card without employer sponsorship. The most direct path for STEM professionals.
EB-3 Visa
Employer-sponsored green card for skilled workers, professionals, and other workers.
EB-1A
Extraordinary ability green card for top professionals in sciences, arts, business, or athletics.
Schedule A
Fast-track green card for registered nurses and physical therapists — no labor market test.
E-2 Investor
Treaty investor visa for entrepreneurs making substantial investment in a U.S. business.
H-1B Visa
Specialty occupation work visa for professionals with bachelor's degree or equivalent.
PERM Labor
Permanent labor certification — the first step in most employer-sponsored green cards.
Marriage & Family
Family-based immigration including spousal petitions, fiancé visas, and family preference.
Client Results
Cases Built. Cases Won.
"BBA managed to link the achievements and experiences of my twenty-year career in the oil and gas industry with actual United States energy policy. That was the key to getting my NIW approved. I remember being genuinely surprised when I read the first draft of the petition letter. For the first time, someone understood exactly what I had built in this industry."
"I had a NIW prepared by a previous attorney. It was denied. A colleague recommended Diego Bustillos and the difference was immediate. The prior petition described my job. BBA built an argument for why my work matters to the United States. Approved within months of refiling. That is the difference between processing a case and building one."
"Adriana Bello took on an extremely difficult case. She worked tirelessly to make sure the truth was told. Her legal skill is outstanding."
"Diego was very clear about the process, strategy and very important — the cost. He kept his word from beginning to end."
For Employers
Protect Your People
You insure your equipment. You protect your contracts. You have a plan for your finances. Have you protected the people who built your business?
Before the Crisis
You built this company person by person. The welder who runs your most complex jobs. The dental hygienist your patients specifically request. The construction foreman your entire crew follows without question. Some of those people hold temporary work visas. You may not know exactly which ones, or when those visas expire.
A proactive PERM filing or H-1B sponsorship strategy costs significantly less than a reactive scramble after a status emergency.
During the Crisis
One of your key employees just told you their visa expires in sixty days. Or they came to you with a letter, a notice, or a deadline they cannot fully explain. You have two problems now: the legal one and the human one.
The trust that employee placed in you by bringing this to you instead of quietly updating their resume — that is the one worth protecting. BBA handles PERM, H-1B, and Schedule A filings for companies across Texas. We give you a direct answer at the first call.
We will review your workforce situation and tell you exactly what protection looks like for your company.
Houston Immigration Lawyers for STEM Professionals and Employers
Texas is one of the strongest economic engines in the United States, powered in large part by skilled professionals from around the world who work in energy, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing. BBA Immigration represents these professionals — petroleum engineers, physicians, software developers, data scientists, and technical specialists — in building the immigration cases that establish permanent status without employer sponsorship.
BBA also serves employers across Texas — companies in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and technology that need to protect their visa-dependent workforce through PERM labor certification, H-1B sponsorship, and Schedule A filings. From our Houston headquarters, BBA represents clients in Dallas, Midland, Austin, San Antonio, and throughout the state of Texas and beyond, as well as international applicants filing from Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.
BBA Immigration is a bilingual practice offering services in English and Spanish. BBA's partners trained at Norton Rose Fulbright and Baker McKenzie. They bring the rigor of global firms to every individual and employer engagement. Partners are involved in every file.
Immigration FAQs
Common Questions from STEM Professionals
Direct answers to the questions our clients ask most. No exploration — specific guidance based on our experience across energy, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing.
Can I get a green card without employer sponsorship?
What is an EB-2 National Interest Waiver?
How can I qualify for an EB-1 Visa?
I'm on an H-1B approaching my sixth year. What are my options?
My previous NIW was denied. Can I refile?
Can I file from outside the United States?
How can I get an H-1B visa?
Achievements & Recognition
