US Immigration Podcast

Latest Episodes:

11: Josh Adams: Immigration iOS app for INA, CFR, Practice Manuals and more Jul 01, 2014

Show notes

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/11

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/INA-CFR-app

Josh AdamsIn this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Josh Adams about the Immigration iOS app he developed for INA, CFR, Practice Manuals and more.

Josh grew up in New England. At age 9, he began creating computer software. During Josh's undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College, he studied computer science but majored in anthropology. After college, Josh worked as a software engineer for five years and through a series of leveraged opportunities and continuous development, he later became an immigration attorney. Based on his experience as both an immigration lawyer and software developer, Josh created an iPhone/iPad app for specifically immigration lawyers.

In this episode you will hear:

Resources discussed on this episode:

Josh also shares with us:

For a limited time, Josh has reduced the price of his app to less than half, you can download here

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/INA-CFR-app

10: Mona Shah: EB5 difference between Regional Centers and Direct Investments Jun 27, 2014

Show notes

http://USImmigrationPodcast.com/10

Mona ShahIn this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Mona Shah on the difference between Regional Center and Direct investments with regard to the actual EB-5 immigration petition

Mona is the managing partner of Mona Shah and Associates located on Broadway in New York City. She has over 19 years of legal experience, with more than 15 years concentrated in U.S. immigration and litigation. Mona has hands-on experience setting up, working with and establishing EB-5 Regional Centers nationwide, as well as an impressive track record of many years handling complex immigration matters, including private non-regional center investor cases.

In this episode you will hear:

A compassion of the EB-5 Direct investments vs. Regional Centers from an Immigration standpoint
How Regional Centers make use of 'indirect' jobs
The indirect job risk of the 'last investor'
How different EB-5 models may work better for various industries (i.e. Hotels vs. Restaurant franchises)
How the paperwork may be reduced for 'self directed' EB-5 investments, but the importance of the business plan is increased. (shameless plug for my firm's free 'Matter of Ho' business plan checklist.)

Mona also shares with us:

Business Advice: The KISS principle: Keep it Simple Savvy Investor (I may have fudged that last part)
His personal habits that attributes to his success: She contentiously reads books not just to expand her professional knowledge, but also to increase her cultural understanding and empathy
Parting Thoughts: She thanks me for my show! (ahhh... I'm flattered)

For a limited time, Mona is offering a free, 30 minute consultation for anyone seeking her firm's immigration services. To take advantage of this offer, please contact her throughour website

http://USImmigrationPodcast.com/10

9: Michael Im: Insight in E-2 renewals without an Immigration Attorney Jun 24, 2014

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Michael Im on what it is like to work on his own E-2 visa renewal without an immigration attorney.

http://USImmigrationPodcast.com/9

Michael Im is Korean National and multiple business owner in the United States. He has worked successful with an immigration attorney in the past, but this time has decided to do it all himself. In this episode you will hear:

His personal immigration story

His initial impressions of his original attorney
What drove him to work on his own visa renewal
Business Advice: Be positive and act positively
His personal habits that attributes to his success: Encourages others around him to also be positive
Parting Thoughts: An immigration attorney is certainly the right choice if you are struggling with immigration issues

Here is a link to download a free checklist to strengthen your E-2 Visa petition with a business plan cover letter written specially to address USCIS’s E-2 concerns.

8: John Gezelius: Proving the Source of US Investment Funds for Foreign Entrepreneur and Investor Visas (E-2 & EB-5) Jun 20, 2014

Show notes

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/8

John GezeliusIn this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney John Gezelius onProving the Source of EB-5 Funds

John Gezelius is an attorney in the Los Angeles suburb of Tustin, California. He is a 1978 graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and attended law school at the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California, where he received both a Juris Doctor degree and then later a Master of Law in transnational business and law. He has a transactional practice and his focus is on investment related immigration.

In this episode you will hear:

A high level description of the EB-5 Visa
Why it is important to fully document the source of investment funds
How his background as a US Air Force Intelligence Officer gave him a unique opportunity to detect fraud
How Money Laundering and Fraud detection is the inverse of proving the source of funds
The three key sources for fund documentation:
- Payment
- Deposit
- Taxes
Why having a trusting and forthcoming relationship with an investor client is key to your mutual success

John also shares with us:

Immigration Services offered: EB-5 visa representation and source of funds documentation
Business Advice: Paint a legal picture so that the only answer will be "of course"
His personal habits that attributes to his success: I'm always afraid of screwing something up, so I often over prepare (and make it easy to find what I have done in the petition).
Parting Thoughts: I wish I had started sooner, the businesses are fascinating and the relationships are great... I'd have more friends (and contacts) if I had.

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/8

7: Ismael Fernandez: EB-5 Targeted Employment Area Designations using GATES Jun 17, 2014

Show notes

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/7

In this episode we talk to Economist Ismael Fernandez, PhD on EB-5 Targeted Employment Area (TEA) Designations using Geographical Alignment of Tract Employment Statistics (GATES) Analysis

For a limited time, Ismael is offering a free Targeted Employment Area feasibility study. To take advantage of this offer, please contact him through his show notes page below

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/7

6: Layli Eskandari: H-1B and Remote Workers Jun 13, 2014

Show notes

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/6

In this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Layli Eskandari on H-1B visas and the challenge of proving Remote Workers are not from staffing Agencies

Layli Eskandari is a founding partner of the Atlanta law firm Levine & Eskandar. Layli’s practice concentrates on business immigration, including temporary employment visas and permanent residence for professionals, international transfers, investors, researchers, and nurses. She has served on the Executive Committee of the Georgia-Alabama Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and has been a Super Lawyers since 2012

In this episode you will hear:

The requirements of the H-1B visa

Family impact of the H-1B process

The changeling with proving a nurse needs a degree (and therefor an H-1B)

Why Staffing Agencies can not apply for H-1B worker Visas

The changeling with proving a remote worker is not a form of ‘Staffed Agent’

Layli also shares with us:

Her 13 year Journey in Immigration law and her experiences at a large firm differ from opening her own law.

Business Advice: Treat clients well, the repeat business and referrals will follow

His personal habits that attributes to his success: Her proficient use of an Immigration database and case management system

Parting Thoughts: Immigration is about people

For a limited time, Layli is offering a free, 30 minute consultation for anyone seeking her firm’s immigration services. To take advantage of this offer, please contact her throughour website.

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/6

5: Phillip Yadidian: Immigration Case Management with eImmigration Jun 10, 2014

Show notes

http://USImmigrationPodcast.com/5 In this episode we talk to Phillip Yadidian on Immigration Case Management with eImmigration

4: Karol Brown: L-1B visas and intercompany experts Jun 06, 2014

Show notes

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/4

In this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Karol Brown on L-1B visas and supporting the Specialized Knowledge Experts of Multinational Businesses.

Karol Brown is the Managing Partner of Karol Brown, Attorneys at Law based in Seattle Washington and has been practicing businesses and family immigration law for 14 years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a law degree from Yale. She has taught Immigration Law at the University of Washington and has founded the Center for Human Rights and Justice at the both the University of Washington and Seattle University law schools.

In this episode you will hear:

The requirements of the L-1B visa

How this visa type compares to L-1A, H-1B and O-1 Visas

The 3 important factors of the L-1B and how to support them in the petition

Microsoft's strategy to leverage the blanket L-1B process by opening a center in Canada

How another company had challenges proving the L-1B visas for two engineers (even after the L-1A executive was working in the US)

Immigration Reform... Immigration reform, immigration reform. Contact your congressman to tell them you want it too

Karol shares with us:

Her firm does L-1Bs... but also so much more (business, employment and family immigration law)

Business Advice: Follow your heart (then work will not seem like work)

His personal habits that attributes to his success: Treat people how you want to be treated

Parting Thoughts: Immigration can be 'ridiculously' complicated. Seek an immigration attorney

For a limited time, Karol is offering a free, 30 minute consultation for anyone seeking her firm's immigration services. To take advantage of this offer, please contact her through our show notes page.

http://usimmigrationpodcast.com/4

3: 'Caroline' and the $40k E-2 visa Jun 03, 2014

Show notes

http://USImmigrationPodcast.com/3

In this episode we talk to “Caroline” about her bootstrapped E-2, Immigration Attorney selection and the importance of a business plan.

On this episode we have “Caroline” as she discusses:

How a $40k start up investment was approved for an E-2 visa
How she selected her immigration attorney (out of 6)
Immigration concerns: Complexity & Scary
The importance of immigration representation that “believes in you and your story”
- Her Business plan development
- Outsourced to a firm that didn’t engage with her on the specifics of her business
- She then recreated the written elements of the plan to align with her story and “vision”
- Engaged Foreign Investor Resource Group to recast the financial projections
- She then understood and supported her business plan during her immigration interview

I usually asks our guests to offer our audience a discount on their product or services. Since “Caroline” wishes to remain anonymous and we did touch on business plans for E-2 visas, I want to link to Foreign Investor Resource Group‘s free resources.

A full sample business plan written for immigration visas

http://www.ForeignIRG.com/Sample

E-2 visa petition business plan cover letter with checklist

http://www.ForeignIRG.com/e2checklist

2: Roy Watson: L-1A visas, RFEs, and the 'Matter of Z' May 30, 2014

Show notes

http://USImmigrationPodcast.com/2

Roy J. Watson, Jr. is a graduate of Brandies University (B.A. Economics), Boston College School of Law (J.D.), and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (M.P.A). Roy has been assisting businesses and individuals solve complex business immigration questions for almost 40 years. He focuses on employment-based non-immigrant and immigrant visa petitions for companies of all sizes, including hospitals, high tech / bio tech, architects, CPAs and Attorneys. Roy is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Boston Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.

In this episode you will hear:

What the immigration landscape was like almost 40 years ago
Roy’s passion and how puts that to use for his clients
L-1As Visa requirements (and what is not required)
L-1A Request for Evidence rate (hint: it is more than you think)
‘Matter of Z’, setting a precedent to standardize what Immigration needs for an L-1A visa petition
The double edged sword of premium processing

Roy shares with us:

His involvement with the Cambridge Innovation Center
Business Advice: Never be afraid to buy file cabinets.
His personal habits that attributes to his success: Thorough Preparation
Parting Thoughts: Immigration Reform needs to happen and it will happen.

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