Ian R. Macdonald, co-chair of Greenberg Traurig LLP’s Immigration & Compliance Practice, as well as Jennifer Hermansky and Courtney B. Noce, shareholders in the practice, were each recognized by the National Law Journal (NLJ) with the 2019 Immigration Trailblazer award. The award recognizes movers and shakers in the legal industry who have made an impact… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Greenberg Traurig
New Leadership at USCIS; Former VA AG Ken Cuccinelli Named Acting Director
Posted in Department of Homeland Security, Immigration, President Trump's Administration, USCISFormer Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has been appointed acting director of USCIS, replacing Acting Director Koumans. Director Koumans replaced Director Cissna on June 3 as acting director. Below is the USCIS release: WASHINGTON— Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan today announced that Kenneth T. (Ken) Cuccinelli will serve as the new acting director of… Continue Reading
The United States Will Now Require Visa Applicants to Provide Social Media Information
Posted in Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, VisaUnder a new State Department policy, virtually all visa applicants to the United States are now required to submit information about social media accounts they have used in the past five years. Applicants for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas must use the State Department’s Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) to complete online forms for nonimmigrant (DS-160)… Continue Reading
USCIS Names Acting Director as Director Cissna Exits After Posting Metrics Report
Posted in USCISUSCIS Deputy Director Mark Koumans has been appointed acting director following L. Francis Cissna’s departure. Mr. Koumans has experience in Custom Border Protection and the U.S. Foreign Service. Prior to his exit from USCIS, former Director L. Francis Cissna released a report highlighting agency programs, workload and accomplishments, in which he states the following: The 2018… Continue Reading
EB-5 Industry Stakeholders Unveil Consensus Principles to Reform and Reauthorize the EB-5 Program
Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Industry stakeholder groups, EB-5 Program, Reform and Reauthorization of the EB-5 Regional Center ProgramOn May 17, 2019, EB-5 Industry stakeholder groups, led by the EB-5 Investment Coalition, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The Real Estate Roundtable, IIUSA, Rural Alliance, Real Estate Board of New York, AILA, among others, submitted a joint letter to Senate and House Judiciary Committees leadership in support of principle reforms and reauthorization of the EB-5… Continue Reading
OMB Releases Spring Unified Regulatory Agenda; Provides Update on EB-5 and Other Pending Regulations
Posted in EB-5, OMBOn May 22, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the bi-annual Spring 2019 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. As set forth in a Federal Register notice and using the Department of Homeland Security as an example, the Unified Agenda is explained as follows: This regulatory agenda is a semiannual summary of… Continue Reading
New Version of I-526 Form Is Available
Posted in I-526, USCISUSCIS released a new version of I-526 form on its website on April 23, 2019. Starting June 25, 2019, USCIS will only accept the new version Form I-526 (edition 04/15/19). Until then, investors can use the 05/30/2017 edition. Both editions of Form I-526 are available to download on the USCIS website. There are no substantial… Continue Reading
June 2019 Visa Bulletin Updates on EB-5 Retrogression
Posted in China, EB-5, I-526, India, Vietnamese, Visa, Visa BulletinThe U.S. Department of State just released the updated Visa Bulletin for June 2019. The monthly updated waiting list provides the latest information for foreign nationals who seek to become U.S. permanent residents by applying for immigrant visas at U.S. consulates and embassies abroad or filing adjustment of status applications. The Visa Bulletin for the… Continue Reading
Post Offering Obligations for EB-5 Issuers: “You Closed, Now What?”
Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, GT AlertCongratulations! You have subscribed EB-5 investors, closed your offering, and provided the EB-5 funds to the project. Now what? As a general matter, EB-5 investors are either non-managing members of a limited liability company or limited partners of a limited partnership. In either situation, the EB-5 investor has limited managerial and voting rights, yet does… Continue Reading
May 2019 Update on Visa Backlog Times from U.S. State Department
Posted in China, EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, India, State Department, Vietnamese, Visa BulletinOn May 6, 2019, Charles Oppenheim, chief of the U.S. State Department Visa Control and Reporting Division, presented at the IIUSA Conference in Washington, D.C. on the state of visa backlogs for EB-5 immigrant visa applicants. Mr. Oppenheim reported on a number of important issues summarized in this blog. Between approximately Oct. 1, 2018, and… Continue Reading
New Bill Introduced to Use Economic Abilities of EB-5 to Assist Disaster Recovery in Declared National Disaster Areas
Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Job Creation, EB-5 Legislation, LegislationOn April 9, 2019, Rep. González-Colón (R-PR-At Large) introduced H.R.2173 – a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to reserve EB-5 visas each fiscal year for investors in new commercial enterprises in areas where a major disaster has been declared by the president. The bill is not publicly available as of this writing,… Continue Reading
EB-5 Capital Redeployment: Top 10 Considerations for Investors When a Project Announces Redeployment
Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Investment, UncategorizedIn a June 14, 2017 policy alert, USCIS updated its Policy Manual to provide further guidance regarding capital at risk requirements. Pursuant to the most recent Volume 6 of the Policy Manual, USCIS has confirmed and clarified that an EB-5 investor’s funds must sustain his or her investment “at risk” throughout the two-year conditional permanent… Continue Reading
Current EB-5 Processing Times
Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Processing Times, UncategorizedCurrently, the average processing time for an I-526 petition ranges from 20.5 to 27 months, as shown in the screenshot from USCIS website below. For cases filed with an receipt date of January 29, 2017 or earlier that remain pending with USCIS, the investors or the attorneys of record can submit an “outside normal processing… Continue Reading
Israel to Join Countries Qualified for E-2 Treaty Investor Visa
Posted in E-Visa, Visa, Visa IssuanceOn May 1, 2019, the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa may be available to Israeli citizens wishing to make a substantial investment in or set up a business in the United States. After several rounds of negotiations between the two countries and U.S. citizens already able to obtain a B-5 Israeli Investor visa, the United States… Continue Reading
New Report Details Economic Value and Job Creation Impacts Under the EB-5 Program
Posted in EB-5On March 14, 2019, the EB-5 Investment Coalition, in cooperation with Invest in the USA (IIUSA), released the most comprehensive economic analysis of the EB-5 program to date. Laura Reiff, co-chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Immigration & Compliance Practice, commented on the report: “Without the typical data limitations and constraints on economic analysis, premier industry economists… Continue Reading
Greenberg Traurig Business Immigration Attorney Nataliya Rymer Elevated to Shareholder
Posted in Awards & RecognitionsGlobal law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP elevated environmental attorney Jillian C. Kirn and business immigration attorney Nataliya Rymer to shareholder. The firm also announced the elevation of litigation attorney Gregory T. Sturges to of counsel. All three attorneys are based in the firm’s Philadelphia office. To read the full press release, click here.
Greenberg Traurig Attorneys, Practices Recognized by Prestigious Chambers Global 2019 Guide
Posted in Awards & Recognitions, Chambers Global, Immigration LawGlobal law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has 37 attorneys recognized in the 2019 edition of the prestigious legal services directory, Chambers Global. In addition, 13 practices were ranked across seven regions including Immigration and Compliance. Laura Reiff and Martha Schoonover were ranked under USA Immigration: Business. To read the full GT press release, click here.
USCIS moves EB-5 Modernization Rule to OMB
Posted in EB-5 Modernization Rule, Office of Management, OMB, RIN 1615-AC07On 2/22/19, USCIS forwarded the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program Modernization final rule (RIN 1615-AC07) to the Office of Management AGENCY: DHS-USCIS RIN: 1615-AC07 Status: Pending Review TITLE: EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program Modernization STAGE: Final Rule ECONOMICALLY SIGNIFICANT: No ** RECEIVED DATE: 02/22/2019 LEGAL DEADLINE: None OMB will now begin assessment of the final rule… Continue Reading
President Signs Appropriations Legislation Extending EB-5 and More Government Functions
Posted in E-Verify, EB-5, EB-5 Program, Government Shutdown, President Trump's AdministrationCongress approved the Omnibus Appropriations legislation on Feb. 14, 2019. On Feb. 15, the president signed the legislation into law and announced additional executive actions to further address needs the Administration has identified at the southern border. Now, all 12 Appropriations bills for this fiscal year are complete and extended through Sept. 30, 2019, and… Continue Reading
Congress Prepares Action to Avoid Government Shutdown and Fund Vital Programs Such as EB-5
Posted in EB-5, Government ShutdownLate on Feb. 13, 2019, House and Senate Conferees on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations announced an agreement on DHS Appropriations for FY 2019 and the remaining six other outstanding FY 2019 Appropriations measures. The measure, HJ Res 31, or “the Omnibus,” is over 1,000 pages and deals with many areas of government, ranging… Continue Reading
Greenberg Traurig’s Kate Kalmykov Recognized as one of NJBIZ’s 2019 Best 50 Women in Business
Posted in Awards & RecognitionsKate Kalmykov, an Immigration & Compliance shareholder the New Jersey office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, has been recognized as one of NJBIZ’s “2019 Best 50 Women in Business.” According to NJBIZ’s website, the award honors women business leaders that are prominent in their companies and industries, as well as their communities. The… Continue Reading
Changes in H and L Visa Processing in China
Posted in China, H-1B, Immigration, Immigration Law, L visa, State Department, U.S. State DepartmentThe Department of State (DOS) and Mission China announced that changes have been made to consolidate the processing in China of H and L visa applications for foreign nationals seeking to work in the United States. Starting March 1, 2019, all interviews for H and L visas will be conducted only at the U.S. Embassy… Continue Reading
Congress Passes Continuing Resolution Opening Government and Vital Programs such as EB-5 and E-Verify
Posted in Conrad 30 Waiver Program, Continuing Resolution (CR), E-Verify, EB-5As a continuation of an earlier posting, the U.S. Senate initiated a process by voice vote opening the US Government through February 15, H.J. Res 28, and providing for House and Senate consideration of Department of Homeland Security Appropriations, H. J. Res 31. These actions will provide funding for all remaining Appropriations bills subject to… Continue Reading
UPDATE: Government Lapse of Appropriations and Shutdown Status
Posted in Department of Homeland Security, EB-5, Government Shutdown, Legislation, President Trump's Administration, shutdown, UncategorizedAfter 35 days of closure, with multiple House bills debated and passed, and Senate bills debated, President Trump called a press conference the afternoon of Jan. 25 relating to ending the government shutdown. Standing in the Rose Garden, the president announced a deal to reopen the government for three weeks and provide for ongoing fiscal negotiations:… Continue Reading