In this video attorney Jacob Sapochnick answers your most frequently asked questions regarding the visa bulletin.
Overview:
Family preference and employment immigrant categories are subject to numerical limitations and are divided by preference systems and priority dates on the Visa Bulletin. Applicants who fall under family preference or employment categories must wait in line until a visa becomes available to them in order to proceed with their immigrant visa applications. Once the immigrant’s priority date becomes current according to the Visa Bulletin, the applicant can proceed with their immigrant visa application.
What is a priority date?
A priority date is generally the date when your relative or employer properly filed the immigrant visa petition on your behalf with USCIS.
In this post, attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses filing the I-751 removal of conditions application where the foreign national’s marriage to the US Citizen has ended in divorce.
Who must file?
If you have received a two-year conditional permanent resident card, based on your marriage to a United States citizen, you are required to remove the conditions on your green card before the expiration date, by filing the Form I-751 Application for Removal of Conditions. This petition is typically filed jointly with your spouse, but you may seek a “waiver” of the joint filing requirement if you are no longer married to the US Citizen spouse through which you obtained conditional permanent residence.
Waiver of the Joint Filing Requirement
If you are no longer married to the US Citizen spouse through which you gained conditional permanent resident status, the burden of proving that you entered the marriage in good faith is much higher. These types of applications are called ‘I-751 Waivers’ because you must request a waiver of the joint-filing requirement in your application. Immigration officers scrutinize I-751 waiver applications much more than applications that are filed jointly with your spouse.
It is our great pleasure to announce that on January 12, 2018, our office successfully negotiated the release of Orr Yakobi from the Otay Mesa Detention Center. As previously reported, Orr Yakobi was detained by the United States Customs and Border Protection on January 8th, after he and a friend made a wrong turn that led their vehicle out of the United States and into Mexico.
Yakobi, an Israeli national, was brought to the United States at a young age by his parents and was under the protection of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). Under the conditions of the program, a DACA recipient may not leave the United States unless they have applied for and received a special travel permit from USCIS known as “advance parole” which allows the individual to re-enter the United States without issue. Failure to present an advance parole document will result in the questioning and likely detention of the individual.
Unfortunately for Yakobi, CBP officials refused to consider that his departure was purely accidental. Although Mr. Yakobi explained that he and his friend intended to take the 805 Northbound which would have taken them on their way home, instead of the 805 Southbound, officials still decided to detain him.
With the help of our outstanding community, members of Congress, and the media, our office had the unique opportunity to advocate for Mr. Yakobi, a soon to be graduate of the University of California, San Diego. We are proud to represent Dreamers like Orr Yakobi, who contribute enormously to our economy, and make our country a better place.
For more information about his release please click here.
For more information about the services we offer please visit our website.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick speaks with personal injury attorney Mitch Jackson and gives viewers insights on how to secure a job in the United States as a foreign worker, how to penetrate the market, and stand out from the crowd.
Overview:
Begin researching the different employment visa types to determine which visa is right for you depending on your level of education, skill, and the field that you want to work in. For example if you are a software engineer the H-1B visa will be a good option for you, if you want to start your own business an E-2 visa may be right for you. Once you have done some preliminary research, reach out to an immigration attorney to discuss the pros and cons of different visas that may be available to you
Understand the requirements for the visa you would like to obtain so that you can explain the process to a potential employer
Attend as many networking events as possible in your particular industry, if possible in the United States
Use social media to reach out to potential employers
Show employers how you can build value for their business
Carefully tailor your resume/build a website to show employers your credentials
For more tips please keep watching.
To purchase Jacob’s book My American Job please click here.
Breaking news, a federal judge for the District of Columbia, issued a ruling in the lawsuit, National Venture Capital Association, et.al. v. Duke, et. al, overturning the government’s delay of the International Entrepreneur Rule. This means that international entrepreneurs may now apply for parole under the rule as of Friday, December 1, 2017. The caveat, however, is that since the ruling was just handed down on Friday, no application has yet been released to apply under the rule, and the current parole application is not suited for the rule. It is expected that the government will soon issue a statement regarding the court’s decision and provide further guidance on what form to use.
In its decision, the judge ruled that the Department of Homeland Security unlawfully delayed enforcement of the rule, when it postponed the rule from going into effect just days before the rule was set to go into effect on July 17, 2017, without following the appropriate notice-and-comment procedure required by the Administrative Procedure Act.
Entrepreneurs must keep in mind that the the Trump administration may appeal the federal judge’s decision, or continue with their plans to rescind the rule, but as it now stands the government must accept applications for the international entrepreneur rule, even if the administration continues with their plans to rescind the rule.
What is the IER?
The rule makes it easier for eligible start-up entrepreneurs to obtain temporary permission to enter the United States for a period of 30 months, or 2.5 years, through a process known as “parole,” for the purpose of starting or scaling their start-up business enterprise in the United States. The decision about whether to “parole” a foreign entrepreneur under this rule will be a discretionary determination made by the Secretary of Homeland Security on a case-by-case basis (INA Section 212(d)(5), 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)).
“Parole” will be granted to eligible entrepreneurs who can demonstrate that their company’s business operations are of significant public benefit to the United States by providing evidence of substantial and demonstrated potential for rapid business growth and job creation. Such demonstrated potential for rapid growth and job creation may be evidenced by: (1) significant capital investment from U.S. investors with established records of successful investments or (2) attainment of significant awards or grants from certain Federal, State, or local government entities.
Since a K-1 visa can take anywhere from 6 months or longer, it is imperative that you submit an application well in advance of your intended date of travel. This will provide you with a buffer should your application take longer than expected.
Although a K-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa, the application process is very lengthy due to its inherent benefit of conferring immigrant status to the foreign fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen. As a result, it is important to begin the process as early as you possibly can. This is especially critical, because United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processes applications on a first-come-first-served basis. Given that there are different stages involved in the K-1 visa process, this can potentially increase your overall wait time for the visa. For example, to begin the K-1 process, your U.S. fiancé(e) must first file a Form I-129F petition with USCIS, and it may take a couple months before USCIS approves the petition, depending on the number of cases ahead of yours.
To learn more about the K-1 Fiancé visa please click here.
In this video, attorney Jacob J. Sapochnick sits down with international business students studying at INSEAD, a graduate business school in France. Jacob asks them a burning question: Despite all of the obstacles foreign workers face in immigrating to the United States, and the President’s hard-line stance on immigration, are foreign workers still interested in living and working in the United States? Click here to join the conversation.
To learn more about the different visa services we offer please visit our website.
For a first time consultation please contact our office.
The Treaty Investor Visa (nonimmigrant E-2 classification) is intended for nationals of a foreign country with which a qualifying Treaty of friendship, commerce, navigation, or a similar agreement exists with the United States.
Nationals (individuals or companies) of countries with such Treaties with the United States can obtain visas to work in the USA in order to develop and direct their investment with the USA. E-2 visa is for individuals coming to the U.S. to invest a substantial amount of capital or to direct and develop the business operations of an entity in which the individual has already invested funds.
Do Franchises qualify for E2 Investor Visa?
Yes, most franchises will be a good fit for this type of visa, however not all franchises will qualify. For example, in order for the application to be successful, the investor must assume an active role in the management of the franchise business. If your franchise meets this requirement, then it is possible for your franchise to qualify for the E-2 visa.
Secondly, the franchise must create jobs for U.S. workers. The investor must hire U.S. staff and employees to fill various roles within the franchise. The investor must also hire management staff with the appropriate experience to fill certain key positions in the business.The investor must also ensure that he is involved in some sort of decision making role within the franchise business’s organizational structure.
Third, the amount of money that is required to secure the franchise must be reasonable in order to obtain the E-2 visa. Franchises that require $50,000 or less will likely not satisfy the investment requirements of the E-2 visa. Franchises that require $100,000 or more are more likely to be successful in satisfying such requirements.
Does the investor Need to Buy the Business Before applying for an E-2 Investor Visa?
Establishing a business in the United States is regarded as a key requirement for buyers that are applying for an E-2 visa.
The best course of action is to place the monies that will be used to purchase the business in an escrow account in the United States. In the visa application it is possible to state that the purchase of the business is contingent on the approval of the E-2 Visa and will be finalized once the approval is obtained. It is also important to get all the documents from the Franchise processed, so that a full package can be presented to the US Immigration when filing for the visa application.
In this video, attorney Jacob J. Sapochnick, explains the process of applying for an E-2 visa and the steps involved in that process. The E-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa type (temporary) that allows foreign entrepreneurs from treaty nations to enter the United States and carry out investment and trade activities.
Overview:
The E-2 ‘investor visa’ is available to an applicant who invests a substantial amount of his own money into a U.S. business, which he can control and direct. This visa type is a great option for individuals who wish to invest their money to purchase an existing business or to start up a new one.
In order to qualify for the E-2 visa, you must be a foreign national of a country that has a treaty-trader agreement with the United States.
The following countries have treaties with the United States that allow qualifying nationals to apply for Treaty Trader status:
The L-1A visa classification allows a foreign company to transfer an executive or manager to the U.S. subsidiary or parent company. If an affiliated U.S. subsidiary or parent company does not yet exist, the L-1A classification allows the foreign company to send the executive or manager to the United States for the purpose of establishing the affiliated subsidiary or parent company. The L-1A requires the beneficiary to have worked abroad for the foreign employer for at least one year within the proceeding three years. The great thing about the L-1A visa is that there is no annual limit on the number of L-1A visas issued, and the L-1A visa is a “dual intent” visa meaning that the applicant may apply for a green card and become a permanent resident without jeopardizing his or her L-1 status.
To read more about the L-1A visa please click here.
Immigration Lawyer Blog
