Janet Forney
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Janet Forney is an immigration attorney at PampaninFoster, LLC who helps businesses, religious institutions, and individuals move forward with U.S. immigration matters – clearly, strategically, and with confidence. Immigration law is complex by nature—but Janet’s goal is simple: to make the process understandable, intentional, and manageable for her clients.
She is known for combining careful legal analysis with practical, “think-outside-the-box” solutions, particularly in cases where the standard approach may not be the best—or only—option.
Why Clients Choose to Work With Janet
Clients choose Janet because she delivers clear, strategic immigration guidance - paired with thoughtful preparation and steady advocacy when it matters most. She is known for:
Strategic creativity: When a case doesn’t fit neatly into a box, Janet looks for lawful, well-supported alternatives instead of defaulting to “no.”
Thorough preparation: From petitions to USCIS interviews, Janet prepares every case as if it will be closely scrutinized—because sometimes it is.
Direct attorney access: Corporate and individual clients alike value working directly with Janet, not being passed off at critical decision points.
Clear communication: Immigration law is complicated; Janet believes her explanations shouldn’t be.
Genuine client investment: She understands that behind every filing is a business goal, a ministry mission, or a family’s future—and she treats it accordingly.
Business-minded advice: Janet understands internal timelines, budget constraints, and the need for clear guidance that corporate teams can confidently relay to leadership and employees.
Calm, steady advocacy: Understanding that immigration matters can be stressful and deeply personal, Janet provides steady guidance, shows up when it matters most, and makes sure clients never feel alone in the process.
Business Immigration & Employer Support
Janet works closely with corporate clients to support workforce planning and global mobility needs. She partners directly with employers and HR teams, offering hands-on attorney access to evaluate foreign national candidates, assess immigration risks, and identify viable visa strategies early in the hiring process.
She helps employers identify and manage immigration-related compliance risks before they become costly or disruptive. Her business immigration work includes long-term planning, and both nonimmigrant and immigrant visa options. Janet values being a true resource for employers—not just filing cases, but helping clients understand why a strategy works and how it aligns with their business goals.
Whether advising employers on workforce strategy or guiding individuals through life-changing immigration milestones, Janet brings the same thoughtful preparation, clear communication, and client-focused advocacy to every matter.
The result is fewer surprises, better planning, and immigration strategies that support – rather than disrupt – business operations.
Religious Worker & Nonprofit Immigration
A cornerstone – and signature focus - of Janet’s practice is religious worker and nonprofit immigration, where she represents organizations and individuals in both temporary and permanent immigration solutions. She regularly handles R-1 nonimmigrant religious worker visas as well as immigrant petitions for religious workers through the I-360 process, helping clients plan strategically from initial entry through lawful permanent residence.
Janet has successfully represented a wide range of religious organizations and workers, including:
Ministers and pastors
Religious workers serving in non-traditional roles
Nuns working at a safe house supporting survivors of sex trafficking
She is particularly known for her creative and well-supported approach in cases that do not fit neatly into traditional categories. Janet also advises religious schools and affiliated organizations on alternative strategies when an R-1 is not the best solution—such as securing a cap-exempt H-1B for a teacher at a religious high school affiliated with an institution of higher learning.
Individual Immigration & Advocacy
For individual clients, Janet provides comprehensive representation across the immigration journey, including adjustment of status and naturalization. She regularly attends USCIS interviews with clients throughout the United States, helping to ease anxiety, keep cases on track, and ensure that adjudicating officers have clear and accurate information.
Clients often come to Janet feeling overwhelmed or unsure of what comes next; they leave with a clear plan and an advocate they trust. Janet takes time to explain each step of the process and answer questions to ensure clients understand not just what is happening – but why. Her preparation and advocacy can make a critical difference. In one adjustment of status interview involving entry under ESTA, she was prepared with applicable case law, USCIS policy guidance, and federal regulations to address officer concerns—resulting in approval and issuance of the green card just two days after the interview.
Practice Scope & Professional Involvement
Janet represents clients in a full range of nonimmigrant and immigrant visa matters, guiding individuals, families, employers, and organizations through both immediate needs and long-term immigration planning. Her practice includes, but is not limited to:
R-1 nonimmigrant religious worker visas and I-360 immigrant petitions
H-1B visas, including cap-exempt strategies
O-1 extraordinary ability visas
L-1A and L-1B intracompany transferee visas
Employment-based immigrant petitions, including EB-1A, EB-1B, and National Interest Waivers (NIW)
Family-based immigration, including marriage-based cases and sponsorship of parents and other qualifying relatives
Adjustment of Status, guiding clients from temporary status to lawful permanent residence
Naturalization and citizenship, helping clients complete the journey to U.S. citizenship—and yes, proudly helping create future voters along the way
Janet is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the national professional organization of attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law. She is also an active member of BNI Boston One and BNI Global Power Team, professional referral networks that reflect her commitment to collaboration and relationship-driven client service. Janet actively networks both nationally and internationally to better support her clients’ global immigration needs. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and represents immigration clients nationwide, as U.S. immigration law is federal.
A Collaborative, Client-Centered Approach
Clients appreciate Janet’s thoughtful communication style, meticulous preparation, and genuine investment in their success. She believes immigration law can be both highly technical and deeply personal—and she takes pride in guiding clients through it with professionalism, empathy, and just enough creativity to make the process feel manageable.
Janet welcomes the opportunity to partner with employers, religious organizations, and individuals seeking trusted guidance and advocacy in U.S. immigration matters.