Elizabeth Elizabeth Shoemaker van Arkel

About Elizabeth Elizabeth Shoemaker van Arkel

I am a shareholder in the Immigration Department. I have experience in several areas of immigration, family, and criminal law and can counsel clients in Spanish. I have a passion for is helping foreign nationals navigate the U.S. immigration system, whether coming to the U.S. for work opportunities, family-based immigration, or escape from domestic violence or dangerous conditions in their home countries. I offer guidance to assist clients through the entire immigration process, from preparing and submitting the forms and application, through consular processing and scheduling visa appointments at the consulate.Employment-basedI welcome the opportunity to help bridge the cultural divide between U.S. employers and their foreign-born employees. I help companies manage their talent needs by assisting with the recruitment and hiring of foreign nationals through non-immigrant petitions for H-1B workers and H-4 dependents, R-1 (religious workers), and TN workers based on the trade agreement between the U.S, Canada, and Mexico. I counsel employers on worksite compliance, including I-9 compliance, navigating the F-1 student OPT and STEM OPT programs, J-1 visas and J-1 visa waivers, and employment authorization cards (EADs). I help companies navigate the process to keep vital members of their team. I assist employers and foreign nationals with the permanent residence process including immigrant petitions for PERM labor certifications and immigrant worker petitions to provide a path to a green card. These processes include I-140 applications as well as specialized applications for physicians in the Physician National Interest Waiver (PNIW) I-140 application and I-360 applications for religious workers.Individual and family-basedIndividuals currently in the U.S. facing deportation rely on my defense in U.S. Immigration Court as well as in Iowa criminal courts when a criminal conviction could impact immigration status. I also advise individuals present in the U.S. in their affirmative and defensive asylum applications and arrived refugees pursuing more permanent status. Also included are those seeking Fiancé Visas (K-1), Spousal Visas (K-3), Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), U-Visas for victims of violence, I-601A and I-601 Waivers, I-751 Removal of Conditions, J-1 Waivers, Change of Status to F-1 Student, I-539 Change of Status, consular processing, green card renewals (I-90), and N-400 Naturalization applications.

Experience

1. Shareholder-immigration Attorney

   Dentons Davis Brown

   Jan 2020 — Present · Des Moines, IA, US

   Elizabeth is a shareholder in the Immigration Department. She offers experience in several areas of immigration, family, and criminal law and can counsel clients in Spanish.

Education

• Drake University Law School

  Doctor of Law (J.D.)

  2009 — 2012

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Spanish and Legal Studies

  2005 — 2008

Skills

• Civil Litigation
• Employment-Based Immigration
• Courts
• Mediation
• English
• Public Speaking
• Research
• Visas
• Removal Defense
• Legal Writing
• Litigation
• Customer Service
• Immigration Issues
• Social Media
• Spanish
• Immigration Law
• Westlaw
• Legal Research
• Family Law
• Teamwork
• Legal Assistance
• Criminal Law