Jennifer O. Pernas

Jennifer O. Pernas is an immigration attorney with extensive experience handling family-based, employment-based, and humanitarian immigration matters. She has developed a particular focus on T Visas for survivors of labor trafficking and is frequently consulted by fellow attorneys on complex Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs).

Born in Colombia and educated in the United States, Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and her Juris Doctor from Indiana University Maurer School of Law. During law school, she helped launch the Midwest’s first clinical project dedicated to serving the LGBTQ+ community and co-authored a comprehensive statutory survey of marriage-related rights and responsibilities in Indiana. The survey was cited in Baskin v. Bogan, which struck down Indiana’s same-sex marriage ban and helped pave the way for nationwide marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges. She is licensed to practice law in Michigan and speaks English and Spanish.

Jennifer previously served as a consulting attorney for the Mexican Consulate in Detroit, where she presented “Know Your Rights” programs and provided information about available immigration relief. She has also spoken as a subject-matter expert for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) on H-1B specialty occupations and Schedule A immigration for registered nurses and physical therapists. Jennifer has been selected to Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars list each year since 2023.

Jennifer combines technical knowledge with a compassionate, culturally informed approach, helping individuals and families understand their legal options and move forward with confidence.