Vermont roots, global cases: Becky Fu von Trapp on building a modern immigration practice
22nd September 2025
Date
Interviewee
Becky Fu von Trapp
On a Friday afternoon in September, Becky Fu von Trapp was finishing a walk when her phone lit up. Rumors of a presidential proclamation affecting H-1B workers were flying. Within hours, she was reading line by line, fielding calls from anxious clients, and updating a LinkedIn post that kept going stale as clarifications rolled in. One client of a colleague even asked a flight crew to halt departure so she could get off the plane. “When it is unclear, you take the safest approach,” Becky says. The episode distilled how she practices: act quickly, read carefully, communicate clearly.
It is an approach honed across continents. Becky studied law in China, came to Vermont for an LLM degree, and planned to practice back home. “There is a saying in China that your plan can never catch up with your changes,” she says, laughing. Vermont’s pace, its mountains, and a job with the State’s International Trade Office kept her here. So did the von Trapp family: she married into the lineage whose matriarch, Maria, inspired The Sound of Music. Immigration is part of the family history. It is also now the core of Becky’s own.
From EB-5 to extraordinary ability
Before she ever took a client of her own, Becky helped manage her husband’s family business participation in the EB-5 investor program and worked at a regional center. The proximity to complex filings and daily dialogue with attorneys made immigration law feel familiar. When she passed the New York bar and looked for a federally focused path she could practice from Vermont, the fit was obvious.
Her first foray into first-preference employment cases was not cautious. A friend, a professor stuck in the PERM queue, needed help. “I did not have EB-1 experience,” Becky admits. She found mentors, studied hard, and filed an EB-1B. Approval arrived in seven days. Confidence followed. While at Dinse P.C. (formerly Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew), she handled EB-1, O-1, and NIW matters for universities and medical systems, working with researchers, scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, professors, and clinicians at the top of their fields. “It is very rewarding,” she says. “When someone is stuck at a border and you get them in, everyone remembers that feeling.”
Opening her own firm in a hardening climate
In April, Becky opened a solo practice. “It was scary,” she says. “We knew immigration would be challenging this year.” She launched anyway, betting on approachability, flexible service, and smart use of technology. “With remote work, AI, and good legal software, even a small office can achieve sizable results.” The bet is paying off. Referrals kept coming, she built a steady book of business, and clients responded to her communication style. “People tell me they feel a personal connection. I do not try to sell them unnecessary products.”
That ethic shows up in case strategy. Some attorneys routinely file EB-1 and NIW together to hedge. Becky prefers precision. “If I think you qualify for EB-1 or NIW, let us file one, premium process it, get an answer in 15 days, then regroup if needed. I do not want clients spending money they do not need to spend.”
NIW at a historic low point, deference in retreat
Becky is candid about the headwinds. “NIW is getting a lot harder,” she says, citing a wave of Requests for Evidence and lower recent approval data discussed among practitioners. The sticking point, in her experience, is often prongs one and two: national importance and being well positioned. “I push back when adjudicators apply an EB-1 standard to NIW,” she notes, “but discretion has widened.”
The other shift is deference. “Cases that used to receive deference on extension are being re-adjudicated from scratch,” she says, echoing a growing concern among employment-based practitioners. Her practical advice to applicants: aim for the highest standard from the start, prepare meticulously, start early, and get a professional evaluation before filing. “You might not be EB-1 or NIW ready today, but with the right roadmap, you can get there. Join associations. Publish. Speak. Seek press. File the patent. Build the record.”
A craft tip she repeats often: shorter is smarter. “The best petition is not one page longer, not one page shorter. They will not read a brick. Weed ruthlessly and present only essential qualifications in a way that is easy to review.”
The weekend that rattled H-1B
The proclamation weekend underscored how quickly narratives can harden online and how vital it is to read the primary text. Becky watched clarifications arrive from the White House and then from USCIS that eased immediate fears for current H-1B holders. Still, the episode left an impression. “I am disappointed this unfolded on a weekend in a way that caused so much unnecessary stress for immigrants and lawyers,” she says. Clients called. She cautioned against travel until facts were clearer. Then she revised posts again as the dust settled. “Act fast, but do not speculate,” she says. “That is the line.”
A quiet second specialty: H-2B for real businesses
There is another side to Becky’s practice that grew quickly once she went solo: H-2B. “I may be the only Vermont-based attorney focused on H-2B,” she says. Her clients include seafood processors, ski resorts, hotels, restaurants, manufacturers, construction firms, and cleaning companies nationwide. She walks them through the program’s four temporary need categories and sets realistic compliance expectations. In an era of increased ICE audits, that counsel matters. “If you suspect a subcontractor’s workforce is unauthorized and you ignore it, you may be seen as having constructive knowledge,” she warns. For some clients, H-2B has become the safer, scalable path to meet peak demand.
What immigrants are asking now
Inside her WeChat groups with hundreds of Chinese American lawyers, she sees clear patterns. O-1 interest is climbing, in part as an alternative to unpredictable H-1B registrations and potential new costs. Naturalization inquiries are up. “Permanent residents are nervous,” she says. “They want to become citizens.” Second-opinion RFE work is up too, especially in EB-1 and NIW. “When you get an RFE, it is the last chance to set the record right.”
How she uses AI and where she draws the line
Becky is pragmatic about technology. “AI is a tool,” she says. “Used ethically, with proper protocols, it can streamline workflows and improve accuracy.” The challenge is client education. “We get more messages that start with ‘ChatGPT told me…’,” she says. Her response is consistent: never accept AI output at face value. Everything gets reviewed. Sensitive client data stays protected. “Immigration service is a product and a process,” she says. “Good tools make the line move faster, but lawyers are responsible for quality and compliance.”
The story under the law
Becky’s professional arc keeps looping back to immigration as lived experience. She is an immigrant from China who built a life and a law practice in Vermont. She married into a family whose famous matriarch fled Europe and started again in America. In the von Trapp archives, immigration is not an abstraction. It is survival, story, song. That perspective colors how she advises the newly arrived graduate, the research scientist, the hotel owner hiring for peak season. “My mission is to provide good, personal service to employers, investors, and individuals,” she says. “Because every immigration matter is life-changing for our clients.”
Key takeaways for readers
Prepare to a higher standard for EB-1, NIW and O-1, and start early.
Expect less deference on extensions and more RFEs across categories.
O-1 interest is rising as clients hedge against H-1B uncertainty.
H-2B can be a compliant, scalable option for seasonal and peak-load labor.
Use AI ethically to streamline, but never bypass attorney review or data safeguards.
Connect with Becky Fu von Trapp
