Photo of Ian Macdonald

Ian Macdonald

Ian R. Macdonald Co-Chairs the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice’s International Employment, Immigration & Workforce Strategies group. He focuses his practice on developing, assessing and managing global mobility programs for multinational companies on a range of challenges affecting the movement of people capital domestically and internationally, including secondment agreements, benefits transferability, local host country employment concerns and immigration.

Ian and his team work closely with companies to manage and modify, where needed, corporate immigration programs to maximize efficiency, service and regulatory compliance levels. He is experienced with the full range of business immigration sponsorship categories (visas and permanent residence), anti-discrimination rules to reduce or eliminate risk of employment litigation, employer sanction cases, and I-9 and E-Verify compliance. Ian assists clients with establishing risk-based performance standards (RBPS) and Department of Homeland Security protocol, providing risk assessment assistance to corporations subject to Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) and assisting clients with ITAR/Export Control compliance within the immigration context.

Ian has developed strategic relationships abroad that he utilizes when working with clients to ensure compliance with foreign registration requirements. He is experienced with analyzing complex global mobility opportunities on country-specific matters to facilitate the transfer of personnel. Ian is also experienced in counseling employers on immigration strategy as well as immigration consequences of mergers and acquisitions, reduction in workforces, and furloughs.

Prior to joining the firm, Ian worked for the United Nations, various non-governmental think tanks and corporate law firms in London, Washington, D.C., New York and Atlanta.

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification has increasingly utilized Requests for Information (RFIs) in lieu of formal audit notices during the PERM labor certification process. This shift intends to enhance processing efficiency and reduce case processing times. However, it also raises important questions about procedural protections that employers should understand.
Continue Reading DOL Expands Use of RFIs in PERM Cases

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Aug. 8, 2025, that it is updating its guidance on Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) age calculations. The new guidance applies to

Continue Reading USCIS Updates Child Status Protection Act Age Calculation Policy – Considerations for Employers and Employees

Navigating Immigration and Employment Law Requirements in the Remote Work Era

The shift toward remote and hybrid work arrangements has created compliance challenges for U.S. employers sponsoring foreign workers under

Continue Reading Remote Work Compliance Considerations for H-1B, E-3, and H-1B1 Employees

The U.S. Department of State has announced a new visa bond pilot program that, while currently limited in scope, may introduce new challenges to business travel starting Aug. 20, 2025.

Continue Reading New US Visa Bond Program Set to Launch, Creating Potential Business Travel Challenges for Select Countries

For foreign national employees and the HR professionals who support them, few immigration experiences are more frustrating than hearing the words “administrative processing” after a visa interview. This additional review

Continue Reading Navigating Visa Administrative Processing: A Guide for Foreign National Employees and HR Professionals

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced July 25, 2025, a significant change to its interview waiver policy effective Sept. 2, 2025. This policy revision will require most nonimmigrant visa

Continue Reading DOS to Require In-Person Consular Interviews for Most Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (a division of the Office of Management and Budget) that would

Continue Reading DHS Submits H-1B Weighted Selection Rule for Federal Review: Implications for Employers and Foreign Workers

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law H.R.1, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (Public Law 119-21), introducing new U.S. immigration fees that will affect employers

Continue Reading The $250 Visa Integrity Fee: What Employers and Foreign Nationals Need to Know About the Latest Immigration Cost Increase

On July 10, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of President Trump’s executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship for certain children born

Continue Reading Update: Federal Judge Issues Nationwide Class-Based Injunction in Birthright Citizenship Case