WR Immigration Director of Visa Consulting Charlie Oppenheim, Partner Charina Garcia, and Senior Associate Laura Bloniarz update HR professionals with the latest information from the December Visa Bulletin. They dive into an analysis of employment-based and family-based immigrant visa categories, December predictions and an extensive Q&A session from live attendees and submitted questions. Watch below!
by Avi Friedman and Bernard Wolfsdorf This travel advisory summarizes the main issues and requirements for foreign nationals who plan to travel outside the U.S. to make ensure reentry is as seamless as possible. If unclear, or if your specific situation needs attention, please check with your Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP professional prior to departure. Simply put, in order to reenter the U.S. you will need a valid immigrant visa (green card) or a valid nonimmigrant visa, or other travel document such as an advance parole travel permit, in order to be able to re-enter the U.S. Basic Documents Required Re-Entry to the U.S.: Passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of intended departure from the U.S. Valid U.S. Visa (see below, if applying for a new visa while abroad) Original Form I-797, Notice of Approval (for nonimmigrant petition based cases) and a full copy of the petition Valid Advance Parole for pending adjustment of status applicants (this must be approved prior to departure, unless you have a valid H-1B/H-4 or L-1/L-2 visa) Valid Lawful Permanent Resident Card (“Greencard”) for U.S. permanent residents. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has automated Form I-94 at air and sea ports of […]
Authored by Joseph Barnett and Bernard Wolfsdorf, on behalf of AILA EB-5 Committee There has been a lot of recent interest from prospective immigrant investors in direct EB-5, including “pooled direct” investments. This is partially because the more popular EB-5 Regional Center program is waiting for reauthorization, and the (likely temporary) minimum investment requirement presently at $500,000 for job creation in a Targeted Employment Area (“TEA”).[1] As a result, the AILA EB-5 Committee would like to share their thoughts on specific issues related to the representation of direct EB-5 clients, as a high percentage of direct EB-5 cases appear to run into difficulties. Limited Scope of Representation. As lawyers, we can rely on outside professionals (such as accountants and business advisors) to provide advice in areas we are not competent to handle. Being a good immigration lawyer and advising clients regarding investor visas does not require that every lawyer handling these cases must be competent in the tax, business, and accounting work that is a critical part of the EB-5 framework. It is correct to state that EB-5 requires a team including the immigration lawyers, corporate lawyers, franchise lawyers, securities lawyer, business plan writer, accountant, banker, and the list goes […]
