John F. Koryto is a Member and has practiced law since 1992, concentrating his legal representation on the areas of immigration law and employment law. This work often involves advising international or non-U.S. based investors and their U.S. management teams on the related business and legal issues, which arise when opening or expanding U.S. operations. Immigration law services have been extended to clients located throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Immigration and International Employment
Mr. Koryto has significant experience preparing all types of employment-based visa petitions, including L-1 Visas for international intra-company transfers and Treaty Trader/Treaty Investor Visas, for corporations seeking to staff U.S. business operations with skilled foreign nationals in various managerial or technical positions. His work has led to extensive understanding of both the legal and practical requirements of employing foreign nationals in many occupations, including physicians, nurses, engineers, university professors, scientific researchers, and information technology workers. He has also obtained National Interest Visa Waivers facilitating permanent resident status for clients who faced significant obstacles to attaining permanent resident status.

Mr. Koryto has worked with numerous corporations and institutions to develop efficient and cost effective means of acquiring temporary and long-term employment-based visas for executives, managers, and highly skilled workers. Examples of his work include developing a J Visa (exchange visitor) program for a leading cancer research institution and local colleges to facilitate the recruitment of acclaimed researchers from around the globe, and blanket L Visa petitions to gain advance authorization for a group of workers for manufacturing operations.

Although his legal practice is primarily business immigration, Mr. Koryto often assists individuals with family-based immigration procedures, naturalization applications, and relief from removal proceedings.

International Business
Mr. Koryto regularly advises owners and managers of companies headquartered outside of the U.S. He often works with legal counsel based in Europe and Canada on compliance issues related to U.S. business and employment laws. As an example, he has assisted several corporations based in Germany through mergers and acquisitions, offering particular help with employment and immigration issues. He has been able to identify potential problem areas in advance and changed the visa status for a number of key employees and executives, avoiding a loss of work authorization and future immigration law problems.

Because of this international client base, Mr. Koryto has gained considerable experience with the transfer of U.S. personnel abroad. He has developed contacts with officials at many embassies to assist with this process. Examples of this work include obtaining the proper visa and work authorization for the assignment of U.S. personnel to operations located in Brazil, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. In addition, Miller Johnson’s membership in Meritas, a worldwide alliance of over 165 independent business law firms, gives him quick access to highly qualified lawyers around the globe.

U.S. Employment Law 
Mr. Koryto’s experience in the area of employment law has involved counseling employers on a variety of issues, from drafting employment contracts for executive personnel to investigating claims of racial or sexual harassment. In addition, he has defended a number of clients faced with wrongful discharge claims, whistleblower protection claims, and I-9 enforcement actions. Mr. Koryto is also experienced in handling issues concerning the enforcement of non-compete and non-disclosure agreements.

Professional Affiliations, Community Activities and Honors
Mr. Koryto is admitted for practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the State and Federal Courts of Michigan. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, the Kalamazoo County Bar Association, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Mr. Koryto is the co-chair of both the firm’s immigration practice group and international employment practice group. He is a former chair of Miller Johnson’s employment and labor section and also served as the Administrative Member for the Kalamazoo office.

He is listed in “The Best Lawyers in America®” for Immigration and Employment Law – Management.

In addition to his professional activities, he is a long time Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo and active in other community organizations. He was honored by the Boys and Girls Club of America as an Outstanding Board Volunteer in 2000.

Articles and Presentations

Mr. Koryto is a frequent speaker to professional and business organizations on employment and immigration law issues.  Some highlights include:

• Co-authored “Investment-Based Immigration for the Small Business Entrepreneur,” Michigan Bar Journal, September 2020.
• Contributing author, The International Lawyer, American Bar Association, 2009
• Immigration regulations at the Western Michigan University International Student Job Strategies Forum in September 2009.
• Co-authored “What to Expect on the Road to U.S. Citizenship,” for the book “Prep Your Client: Naturalization Interviews with the USCIS,” Aspastore Books, 2008
• “Immigration Law for Employers: Gaining the Competitive Advantage” sponsored by The Employer’s Association, the Van Andel Global Trade Center, Miller Johnson, and MiBiz Michigan Business Network in November 2005.
• “Preparing Your Company for the Impatriate Assignment” at the Executive International Human Resources Certificate Program developed by The Employers’ Association (TEA) and Van Andel Global Trade Center at Grand Valley State University in May 2005.
• “International Mobility” session, panel member Meritas Annual Meeting in Florida in April 2005.
• Immigration law developments at the State Bar of Michigan Labor & Employment Section 2004 Annual Meeting.
• U.S. immigration law issues at the January 2002, International Labor and Employment Law Conference: Globalization of Human Resources in Times of Political and Economic Uncertainty held in Kitzbuhel, Austria, sponsored by the Center for International Legal Studies.

Education
Mr. Koryto received his law degree from the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law in 1992. While in law school, he was honored for advocacy skills with selection to the American Inns of Court. He received his undergraduate degree from Kalamazoo College in 1987. His studies include a term at the International Institute in Madrid, Spain. He attended Grand Rapids Community College and was selected to the National Talent Roster of Outstanding Minority Community College Graduates.