Gary John Ilagan
Gary J. Ilagan is the Principal of the Houston immigration law firm of Ilagan & Associates, P.C. He earned his B.A. in French and Political Science from Vanderbilt University and his J.D. from the Texas Tech University School of Law. He is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Gary was named a "Texas Rising Star" for 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010 by Law & Politics and Texas Monthly, and he was named one of "Houston's Top Lawyers for the People" (2008) and "Houston's Top Lawyers" (2009, 2010) by H Texas Magazine.
Gary is an experienced immigration lawyer who devotes his law practice to family and employment-based immigration. He provides innovative immigration solutions to individuals in sponsoring family members and to corporate clients in sponsoring employees in the oil & gas, engineering, healthcare, biomedical research, financial services, media, telecommunications, education, information technology and industrial services fields.
Gary is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and has served AILA in the following capacities: National Healthcare Professionals Committee Member (2008-2009); current member of the AILA-Houston Chapter Liaison Committee with U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and long-time mentor to other AILA members regarding Healthcare Professionals (non-physicians) and consular procedures at the U.S. Embassy-Manila, Philippines.
Gary currently serves as Legal Advisor for the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Texas and in 2004 he served as President of the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce-Houston. Gary is a Fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation, and he is a recipient of the Houston Bar Association President's Award for Outstanding Service as Co-Chair of the Lawyers for Literacy Committee. Gary speaks frequently about immigration issues at continuing legal education as well as community and business-related seminars. He is proficient in French and understands basic Tagalog (Pilipino). Gary and his wife, Jereza, are the proud parents of three wonderful girls. They are parishioners of St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land, Texas.
Areas of Practice
- 100% Immigration & Nationality Law
Certified Legal Specialties
- Board Certified in Immigration & Nationality Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2000
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 1995
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1998
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 2001
Education
- Texas Tech University School of Law, Lubbock, Texas
- J.D. - 1995
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- B.A. - 1992
- Honors: Dean's List
- Honors: Pi Delta Phi National French Honor Society
- Major: French
- Major: Political Science
Published Works
- Immigration Options for Nurses and Allied Health Care Professionals, First Edition, 2004
- Immigration Options for Nurses and Allied Health Care Professionals, Second Edition, 2009
Classes/Seminars
- Immigration at the Crossroads: An Update on Immigration Law & a Call for Change, Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Texas, Dallas, Texas, May 17, 2008
- Employment Immigration Issues, Critical Updates for Immigration Law Practitioners, National Business Institute, Houston, Texas, January 7, 2008
- Top 10 Issues in Labor & Employment Law, State Bar of Texas 15th Annual Texas Minority Counsel Program, Diversity Works!, Austin, Texas, September 6, 2007 - September 7, 2007
- What Nonimmigrant Visas Are Available? & Key Facts to Know Regarding Immigrant Visas, Immigration and Employment: Legal Aspects of Hiring Foreign Nationals, National Business Institute, Houston, Texas, September 18, 2006
- Update on Immigration Options for Allied Health Professionals, AILA - Texas Chapter, Houston Section Meeting, August 25, 2005
- Health Care Immigration Update, American Immigration Lawyers Association Texas Chapter, Spring Conference, Austin, Texas, April 13, 2005
- Update on Major Changes in U.S. Immigration Law, Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of North Texas, Dallas, Texas, April 7, 2005
- Effects of PERM Labor Certification on the Healthcare Industry, Texas Association for Health Care Recruitment, Houston, Texas, 2005
- Immigration and Healthcare Recruitment Update, Texas Association for Health Care Recruitment, Fall Conference, San Antonio, Texas, November 4, 2004 - November 5, 2004
- Healthcare Immigration & International Recruitment Update, Houston Society of Healthcare Human Resources Administration Legal Symposium, Houston, Texas, May 19, 2004
- The Dream Act: Bipartisan Legislation for Undocumented Children, Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce, Houston, Texas, March 16, 2004
- Foreign Registered Nurses: Immigration & Recruitment Update, Texas Association for Health Care Recruitment, Fall Conference, Austin, Texas, November 6, 2003 - November 7, 2003
- Overview of Immigration Rules & Regulations with Respect to Undocumented Foreign Registered Nurses, Center for Faith and Health Initiatives, Time Dollars for Spanish-Speaking Foreign Nurses Initiative, July 23, 2003
- Introduction to Immigration & Nationality Law Plus Recent Developments in Response to the War on Terrorism, University of Houston, Clear Lake Legal Studies Association, March 26, 2003
Honors and Awards
- "Texas Rising Star", Texas Monthly, Law & Politics, 2010
- "Texas Rising Star", Texas Monthly, Law & Politics, 2009
- "Texas Rising Star", Texas Monthly, Law & Politics, 2008
- "Texas Rising Star", Texas Monthly, Law & Politics, 2005
- "Texas Rising Star", Texas Monthly, Law & Politics, 2004
- "Houston's Top Lawyers", H Texas Magazine, 2010
- "Houston's Top Lawyers", H Texas Magazine, 2009
- "Houston's Top Lawyers for the People", H Texas Magazine, 2008
- Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
- President's Award for Outstanding Service, Lawyers for Literacy Committee, Houston Bar Association, 2003 - 2004
Professional Associations and Memberships
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Member, 1998 - Present
- AILA National Healthcare Professionals Committee, 2008 - 2009
- AILA-Houston Chapter Liaison Committee, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 2001 - Present
- Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Texas, Legal Advisor, 2008 - Present
- Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce-Houston, President, 2004
- Houston Bar Association
- Asian American Bar Association of Houston
- Texas Association for Health Care Recruitment
- Knights of Rizal, Houston Chapter
Past Employment Positions
- Quan, Burdette & Perez, P.C., Senior Associate, 1999 - 2005
- Law Office of Harry Gee, Jr., Associate, 1996 - 1998
Pro Bono Activities
- Houston Royal Oaks Lions Club
- 2009 Annual Educational Health & Community Resource Fair, Alief, Texas, November 21, 2009
- 2009 Naturalization & Citizenship Clinic, Asian American Bar Association of Houston, November 14, 2009
- Philippine Consular Outreach to Houston, Texas, Philippine Consulate General of Los Angeles, August 1, 2009 - August 2, 2009
- Philippine Consular Outreach to Houston, Texas, Philippine Consulate General of Los Angeles, March 12, 2009 - March 13, 2009
Ancillary Businesses
- Foreign Healthcare Recruitment Consulting
Languages
- English
