business analyst

senior business analyst

paralegal

immigration consultant

paralegal assistant

Fragomen

When I first began working for the firm, I had an office and plenty of support. Over the years, the firm has gone so "lean" that there were never enough people to do the high-volume work, so I worked a lot of overtime for too long. I did not feel the environment in the Phoenix office was healthy; too much playing favorites and hiring inexperienced and inept people, not offering good training, and then scapegoating those who did not fare well because they did not receive proper training. Turn-over was high and I trained several people to help with my caseload, but they were soon moved to other areas, then quit because they were mistreated. The high-turnover was demoralizing.  Management decided very small cubicles are more "lean," than offices, but for those of us who had large-volume cases, there was no room to store files, so many of my files were stacked under my desk and crammed into cabinets that were too small and the chairs and small space was very uncomfortable. Working under cramped conditions created body aches and additional mental stress. My workload was exhausting. Moreover, there is a group of people who have been with the firm for years who have been promoted to managerial positions who do not have the skills or tact to manage people. I witnessed staff and managers speaking rudely and disrespectfully to my colleagues and even set people up for failure then campaign to fire them unjustly. The mind games and the horrible management on top of too much work and not enough help or effective communication burned me out. I was in a state of constant stress for far too long. For two years, my physician recommended I find another job, as the toxic environment was negatively impacting my health and well-being. The in-fighting was exhausting. Too many people are crammed into very small spaces and if one needs to concentrate, good luck with that, as the place was very noisy. A supervising paralegal on my team was often heard yelling across the office at employees and even attorneys, causing more stress and creating a hostile environment.The firm also farms out a lot of work to an office in India where labor is cheap and the quality of the work is inferior, causing more work for those reviewing the work product, as many hours were spent fixing the poor quality work. The restrooms are outside and down a hall and were mostly filthy. When I left, many people were burned out and planning to leave. In short, I was appalled by the behavior of management in the Phoenix office and I urge caution if applying with the Phoenix office.

Pay is sub-par and there is no work-life balance. Training esp if you have no background/experience in business immigration can be great, but that's the only highlight . The only other highlight can be genuine coworkers because they know all too well how things work. You survive together.

Management is comfortable with their titles and pay. SO they will rarely acknowledge your work and at most times you'll only really hear from them is when you mess up or they have critique. In my employment I never once applauded for any work, not even simple words of encouragement from any senior or my own manager. Mobility is hard and even if you do move up, the title may feel nice, but the raise would be 10K at most and that's me being generous. 

Workload is prepped and prepared for you before you even get to start and get your footing. It IS high volume and stressful especially when they hire fresh grads or people new to the field. Managers believe that micromanaging is the best way to counter this especially when they set unrealistic expectations with FNs (foreign nationals) or their mobility contact from the company. Overtime is common and widely expected. Managers monitor every move like you are a hourly employee and IM constantly.

The most enjoyable part of the job were the kind individuals you connect with and the role you play in their immigration process being less jarring. But that's about it. Most days I remember not being able to go to sleep peacefully the night before work because of the stress, never-ending workload and seniors targeting every move I made.

They can be given points for work culture and diversity. But in the midst of all the unforgiving work conditions there is no time to stop and enjoy that. Most people will be glued to their screens because there's no breathing room that'll allow for meaningful human interaction.

In the end, anyone looking for a foot through the door can and should consider this place. BUT know that you will lose your peace and a piece of your mind. No work will ever be enough and compensation will never allow for financial independence. Watch out for yourself and other kind individuals that management will and is brutal too. There's a reason the turnover rate is high. I've seen people fired during covid for not feeling well or simple family emergencies. Good luck get that name on your resume and DIP. 

You'll get by in trying to convince yourself that the work is fulfilling because you're assisting foreign workers emigrate to the U.S. with a work visa, but it's worth saving yourself instead. You are likely reading this because you are interested in a temp-to-perm “Assistant Paralegal” position. The problem is, you will be paid $14/ hr. for that position. “Assistant Paralegal” not only is a terribly underpaid position in and of itself because it requires a bachelor’s degree, but you will be asked to complete tasks that you have little to no training in, work ridiculous hours, all while being under constant scrutiny from a management team who — as a result of their own poor training and other factors — have put you a difficult position to begin with. Moreover, the work that you will be asked to complete is almost the exact same work full-time permanent Paralegals are required to complete — yet you are getting paid far less than they are — all while being asked to complete laborious office tasks that you are assigned because they view you as less. 
	
All of that being said, if you happen to make it through the dreadful “temporary” period and work your way into a “permanent” offer, the time and energy you have wasted throughout your months of hard work will not be reflected in your offered salary. There are benefits, but considering the burdensome work and low pay from the months prior, the salary is underwhelming (roughly $38,000) and I would advise that your time, energy, and dignity is better spent looking for a company that will actually value you.
	
My entire beef with my previous position with Fragomen in Chicago isn’t entirely in regard to the pay. My review focuses on the pay to show you that a couple of more weeks of unemployment — rather than thrusting yourself into a position because you want to make a positive impact and quickly get a job — is completely worth it. I promise. There are plenty of other jobs out there that allows one to make a positive impact on people’s lives yet fairly compensate you and more importantly will treat you the right way. While I was working there I was mentally defeated by the end of each day — it is not worth working for them.
	
I know that this review is long, and you have made it this far, I sincerely wish you good luck in your job search.

The people are the reason so many people stay in our office, the poor management and lack of career development and progression are the root causes for why people leave. A typical day is riddled with technology issues that are so commonplace, we laugh about it so we do not cry. The tech issues SEVERELY impact work; to the point of entire days without access. Because of the high attrition rate, the people left to do their jobs, the person's who left, and train someone get extremely burned out. The systems in place are outdated and do talk to each other. Your experience will vary vastly depending on which team you are assigned to. Most of the managers who are great leaders are senior or supervising paralegals. A few of the attorneys have good reputations as being good leaders and/or managers. Many of them treat their teams with little respect and seem to have an antiquated mentality about what it means to be an attorney, as they come and go as they please with total disregard for work loads and team cultivation. The salary is on par with market. They specifically hire people right out of undergrad to be paralegals so they can pay just at market rate. The work is not particularly difficult, though can get redundant and, depending on your manager, can be difficult to get the hang of as there is no consistent training model. The limited career advancement is not merit but tenure based, meaning you really just have to outlast other people to move up the paralegal ladder.  There seems to be zero advancement for people in firm services/admin positions, even though some of them hold advanced degrees and certifications. The few people who really try to make a difference do what they can, but get spread so thin that it seems difficult to enact real cultural change. The leadership seems adverse to change, so it doesn't really matter what great ideas they try to deploy. The PTO, health insurance and 401k match are phenomenal- also why some people stick around. It's sad; the office is oozing with smart, talented people that keep leaving because all the leadership seems to need are bodies to fill seats, demoralize and run into the ground.

Working at Fragomen as a paralegal was fast-paced and demanding, but also incredibly rewarding. A typical day involved drafting petitions, managing large caseloads, and communicating with both clients and government agencies. The workload was heavy and deadlines were tight, but I gained invaluable experience in employment-based immigration law, case strategy, and time management.

Management was structured and supportive, though at times communication felt top-down due to the size of the firm. However, some supervisors were more approachable than others, and there were clear opportunities for feedback and growth. The workplace culture emphasized collaboration, diversity, and professionalism. Many colleagues were helpful and driven, which made even the busiest days manageable.

The hardest part of the job was balancing the volume of cases while maintaining the quality of work expected. It could be stressful during peak filing seasons, but it pushed me to become more efficient and resilient.

The most enjoyable part was being part of a global team making a real impact on people’s lives. Seeing clients secure work visas and permanent residency due to our efforts was incredibly fulfilling. Overall, working at Fragomen sharpened my legal skills and gave me a strong foundation in immigration law that I’ll carry throughout my career.

I worked two positions at Fragomen. I was beyond lucky to have been given the opportunities that I had. In my lower position, I was still treated like a human being instead of a lackey of sorts. Kindness emanates from this firm. However, this depends on who you meet, when you meet, and your diligence to complete tasks. If you are a good worker, they notice you and commend you. 

I found that I was given a million chances to grow, but my own personal issues were the only thing holding me back from thriving. This company and specific teams have leaders that will hold your hand through the entry level paralegal position. Some of these managers know exactly what they want and know how to train correctly. You will not be working insane hours unless you put it on yourself to work that much (most of the time). If you pace yourself through the work, I personally believe that it can be manageable. 

However, there are some teams that will not be like that at all. I loved my two teams. From the Partner, Counsel, or Supervisor I worked under to the mailroom guys - they are all wonderful. You will find paralegals and Associate's that will work with you on problems if you ask politely. There is never a moment that you have to suffer alone if you willingly reach out for help (not expecting help, but just asking nicely). I am hoping to return to Fragomen someday, but until then I will continue to work hard outside of them. HR is there to help you even if it may not seem like it all the time. 

My biggest con is the pay. For a menial position, I was making well above some of my very hardworking colleagues in legal positions. I was floored to find out that 50x the work did not add to credible bonuses or a percentage increase in salary. For me, I would rather come back as an attorney and be one of the best paid immigration attorneys in the country. The benefits are amazing, I mean they even had pet insurance discounts. 

I just graduated undergrad in May 2019 and Fragomen was my first job straight out of college before heading to law school. I must admit that in the short time that I've been there that Fragomen is a really good place to work.

I've only been working there for about two months so I don't know what the future holds, but I can definitely understand why people say that there's no work-life balance -- it can definitely be that way when its busy season (which is to be expected) or if you aren't very good at managing your time. 

An average caseload for me currently is about 8-10 active cases, with numerous other cases that are next in line. The hardest part about this is trying to juggle all of the cases at the same time (i.e. not mixing clients names, information, or etc.). It can be stressful or overwhelming to see your inbox filled with cases in the morning and be expected to make progress on each of them by the end of the day. Additionally, when you come on as a new-hire, they have TONS of online training and your only hands-on training is to assemble a case (depending on what kind of work you'll be doing). On my second day on the job, I had a case. However, I've learned that you HAVE to ask questions & map out your days to make sure that there are specified amounts of time for certain things as well as utilizing your time efficiently (e.g. if I'm sending a follow-up email to a client then I might as well send ALL the other follow-ups to the other clients as well). Eventually, after some time, you should get the hang of it and, if you don't, you can ALWAYS ask questions. 

I think the most enjoyable part of the job is really interacting with the clients. Usually, they are very nice (usually!). The people who you are helping are all doing really amazing things in their countries and you're helping to bring those talents to the U.S. It's almost captivating -- or, at least, that's how I think of it. 

Would definitely recommend.

There are a lot of moving pieces to the physical work needed at Fragomen. Depending on which group you would be placed in, the difficulty of the job varies. It all revolves around processing legal documentation for corporate immigration and visas. The volume is high, and the processes are rather disorganized. Management prides themselves on the facade that they are efficient and professional when the reality is, that could not be further from the truth. There is a reason I only stayed at this company for 2 years, and that is because even in that short time span it felt like a decade of unnecessary stress and disrespect. In all my time and experience as a professional, I have never been more disrespected than when I was employed by this company. Not only was the current management dismissive, and rude but would base evaluations and criticism off of how they seemed to personally feel about the person. Numbers, analytics, facts and professional reputation were never taken into consideration. They care very little about their people and do not promote work life balance at all. They want to overwork you and continue to use that work ethic against you. Promotion is based on how close you are to those in management roles, rather ability, fit and workplace action/culture. The compensation is just a sad final kick to the dead horse. They do not pay you nearly enough for the excessive work that you do, put up with the childlike angsty behavior of those mistakenly placed in management roles, and the schedule you must adhere to. Good luck trying to promote, or get a raise/ bonus. PTO and benefits are mediocre at best. I had high hopes for this company, and it is simply not a humane nor efficient company with a toxic work environment. I would advise against anyone who is a self-respecting professional working for Fragomen. 

From the beginning to the end of the day you are on your email nonstop. Reading and answering emails promptly. Dealing with immigration case matters. Contacting the employer or employee directly to answer any legal matters necessary to complete the case. Fill out paperwork, write support letters, call U.S. government, speak with attorneys, sit in on-calls, and review case matters with manager or attorneys. Entering data into our system. Reviewing files. 

I learned a lot about the immigration process in terms of where it begins to where it ends. Being sponsored by a company in a certain classification of a visa depending on the immigrants educational background and work experience. 

Management was fantastic. My direct boss was the best boss I've ever dealt with. She was friendly, helpful, and very good at her job. 

My co-workers became friends. I still keep in touch with them on a weekly basis. 

The hardest part of the job was making sure all task were handled in an efficient and timely matter. There are only so many hours in the day and at times, the case work given exceeded the normal 8 hour work schedule. You needed to stay late in order to ensure all your assignments were on pace to be completed at its necessary deadline. 

The most enjoyable part of the job was working with the people on my team. I cannot say it enough, the team I worked with was the best group of people I've been around in the work environment. From the attorneys to my peers as paralegals, they were all great people.

This review is for the San Diego office. The expectations of an assistant paralegal at the San Diego office are ridiculous and that's not even talking about the pay. For being a global prestigious immigration firm they pay you peanuts and expect perfection in every single petition/case that you handle. Additionally, the Partner will expect for a new assistant paralegal to have anywhere from 50 to 70 cases. Email communication with clients is expected to be delivered within 24 hours and you're not under ANY circumstances to voice your concern or show your unhappiness for having the misfortune to have ended up working in a college graduate sweat shop, because the attorneys will turn it and say that you're the problem. Not smart enough, not good enough to do work that even a monkey could do. Fragomen LOVES hiring new college graduates to pay them the minimum and exploit them beyond comprehension by having them work "voluntary" over time. The attorneys treat you like machines instead of human beings, but what's to be expected when the associates are being exploited as well..given ridiculous amounts of work and programs to manage is simply unrealistic when they are drafting petitions and putting out fires themselves. To save money and fatten the pockets of the partners they hire minimal staff and expect rookies with no immigration experience to put out great volume. The most enjoyable part of the job was giving my two weeks notice.

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