Immigration

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If you’re an investor who wants to immigrate to California or another state in the U.S., you have several ways to achieve this goal. It’s good to learn more about the various options you have, so here are four potential ways you can immigrate to the United States as a foreign investor. Making an EB-5 direct investment If you have the funds, you can immigrate to the United States by making an EB-5 direct investment. To do this, you’ll need at least $1 million to invest in your own business and employ at least 10 people for two years. If…
For more than 30 years, businesses in the United States have been enriched to the tune of nearly 7 billion dollars by foreign investors. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor program has provided countless opportunities by awarding about 30,000 U.S. visas that allow investors focused on creating jobs to secure green cards and paths to U.S. citizenship. Qualifications mandate that businesses demonstrate that they can create ten new full-time jobs per each million invested. Companies in Targeted Employment Areas have to invest $500,000 for the same amount of employment opportunities. In a short time, the popularity of the program has skyrocketed. Seven…
The International Entrepreneur Parole Program is here to stay, now that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services department decided to remove a 2018 notice that recommended removing the program from the Department of Human Services. This program is designed to provide foreign entrepreneurs with an opportunity to stay in the United States and continue working on their start-up enterprise despite their current immigration status. The hope is that by keeping this program intact, more aspiring entrepreneurs will look to the United States as a welcoming place to build their new business. Experts anticipate that this program will continue to fuel…
The O-1 Visa for Extraordinary Achievement or Abilities is a program that allows employers to retain or attract world-class talent to their US offices. Typically, these visas are reserved for those who have had notable success in the arts or sciences. Factors for O-1A Eligibility According to the United States Custom and Immigration Service (USCIS), an O-1A Visa is for those who possess “extraordinary ability” in art, science, education, athletics or business. USCIS will look for such evidence as: Awards and prizes Membership in an exclusive association Publications High current salary Respected reputation in their field However, if the recipient…
While immigration reform in the US Congress continues to be more of a dream than a reality, specific steps via President Biden’s executive orders continue. Many consider the changes as a step to move away from the previous administration’s policies that limited available visas, lengthened the application process, and denied applications that complied with existing laws. Employers in need of foreign talent in tech industries believe in a faster pace to secure the services of much-needed employees overseas. The significant shift that provided opportunities to immigrants is not occurring in business immigration and is only continuing the uncertainty. Silicon Valley’s…
Various terms have been used for people from other countries who want to build a life in the United States. Over time, those names have changed and evolved based on societal norms and a growing awareness of the roles immigrants play nationwide. Longawaited changes Acting leaders of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection recently put in place by the Biden administration have issued guidance in the form of two memos on specifically and commonly used immigration terminology. Staff members in the agency can no longer use the following language deemed dehumanizing: Alien Illegal alien Assimilation Those…
Foreign nationals who want to start a life in the United States face a variety of challenges when certain visas suddenly became available. They suddenly face obstacles, if not outright barriers, in an immigration process that is complex and hard to navigate and understand. Business organizations were quick to express their opposition to last year’s ban on H-1B visas for skilled professionals in the technology industry, the initial focus of the ban. A controversial, pandemic-driven decision Good news finally came recently, thanks to President Biden’s decision to not renew the ban. A prior ban on foreign work visas ordered by…
Deportation has divided families. The Urban Policy Institute and Migration Policy Institute report that many removals leave parents and their children on opposite sides of the border. The ongoing problem needs a lasting solution. The House and Senate are about to debate two bills that would focus on uniting families once divided by immigration policy. Specifics of the legislation include: Providing judges with more discretion in deportation cases Empowering the Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General to waive deportation orders Allowing once-removed parents to reunite with their children in the United States Current immigration law removes lawful permanent residents…
The EB-5 visa allows investors and immediate family members living in other countries to realize their own American dream. The program provides them permanent resident status without a sponsoring U.S. employer. Instead, they make a qualifying investment to build a business that helps the overall economy and by each investor creating ten full-time jobs for U.S. workers. The one constant in pursuing any type of visa is the lengthy process applicants have to endure due to the significant backlog of applications waiting for adjudication. The EB-5 program is not immune to the burdensome bureaucracy. In fact, over the last few…
This post is an update to our earlier posts on the Public Charge Rule. Our last post on the Public Charge Rule, before the post below, can be read here.)  March 9, 2021 marked the official end of the 2019 Public Charge Rule of Inadmissibility when a US court order vacated the rule and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immediately stopped applying the rule. Now, DHS has gone back to the 1999 rules that were in place prior to the 2019 Public Charge Rule. You should consult with your licensed immigration attorney if you have questions about…