USJETAA Welcomes JET Alum-Owned Business Corporate Sponsor: Harling Immigration Law

USJETAA is extremely proud to welcome Harling Immigration Law as our newest JET Alum-Owned Business Sponsor! Founded by Nick Harling (Mie, 2001–2003), the Charlotte, North Carolina–based firm helps individuals, companies, and organizations navigate the U.S. immigration system.

Nick served as a middle school ALT in Mie Prefecture, from 2001 to 2003. After JET, he remained in Japan for two more years, teaching English at a private junior and senior high school in Kyoto. Those four years in Japan had a profound impact, personally and professionally, and contributed to his decision to become an immigration attorney.

"Having gone through the process of living and working abroad myself, I understand what it means to build a life in a new country," Nick says. "That experience in Japan gave me a deep appreciation for the challenges people face navigating a foreign immigration system. It's what drives my work every day."

About the Firm

After earning his law degree magna cum laude, Nick joined the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Immigration Litigation through the Attorney General's Honors Program, where he spent over a decade litigating immigration cases on behalf of the federal government. In 2024, after five years in private practice, he launched Harling Immigration Law, bringing nearly two decades of experience to a practice that serves a U.S. and global client base.

The firm supports clients across a range of employment visa options including E-1/E-2 treaty investor, H-1B specialty occupation, L-1 multinational manager/executive and specialized knowledge, R-1 religious worker, and O-1 extraordinary ability as well as all employment-based green card categories. The firm also handles family-based immigration petitions, corporate immigration compliance, and represents clients in federal court challenging visa denials and processing delays. 

Nick finds it especially rewarding to help Japanese companies establish and grow their U.S. operations and to support Japanese nationals and their families in achieving their American Dream. He also enjoys returning to his JET Program roots in the classroom, by regularly speaking to international students at U.S. universities about their post-graduation work visa options.