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EB-5 Insights Where Government Policies and Business Realities Converge

Tag Archives: immigration

By Michelle S. Velasco on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, I-526, Immigrant Investor, Immigrant Visa, Immigration Law, India

Is there a mechanism by which my child or children may continue to be eligible for immigrant visas as my dependents based on my approved I-526 petition and if so, how does it work? Yes, the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) was enacted in order to protect children of petitioners against lengthy petition processing times. Where… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Awards & Recognitions

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

By Ian Macdonald and on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Visa

Under 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

By Bruce C. Rosetto and on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, GT Alert

Congratulations! 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

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in China, EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, India, State Department, Vietnamese, Visa Bulletin

On 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

By Jia Zhao on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Processing Times, Uncategorized

Currently, 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

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Awards & Recognitions

Global 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.

By Yalexa Matos on Posted in EB-3, EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, Visa, Visa Bulletin

The Department of State (DOS) February 2019 Visa Bulletin shows considerably more movement in employment-based categories than in January. The EB-1 category will advance two months in all countries, with China and India advancing to Feb. 8, 2017, and all other countries moving forward to Dec. 1, 2017. The EB-2 category will remain current for all… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Awards & Recognitions

Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 pieces of thought leadership, legal publisher The National Law Review (NLR) recognized global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP as a 2018 “Go-To Thought Leader” for its coverage of business immigration changes and immigration law in general. According to the NLR website, the “‘Go-To-Thought Leadership Awards’ recognize 65 exceptional… Continue Reading

By Dillon Colucci on Posted in EB-3, EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, Visa, Visa Bulletin

The Department of State (DOS) January 2019 Visa Bulletin has resulted in mixed bag of retrogression for some and advancement for others. The EB-1 category moved forward approximately 3 months across the board. EB-3 China and India are both now at Dec. 15, 2016.  The EB-2 category showed minor improvement for China to Aug. 1, 2015,… Continue Reading

By Anita E.J. Ninan on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, Proposed Rule, USCIS, Visa

USCIS has proposed rules that could deny entry to non-immigrants seeking admission to the United States and adjustment of status to permanent residence to immigrants if they rely on public benefits for food, housing or medical care, and other forms of public assistance. The proposed rule – “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds” – is published in… Continue Reading

By Nataliya Rymer on Posted in China, Department of State, EB-5, EB-5 Legislation, EB-5 Processing Times, EB-5 Program, Green Cards, I-526, Immigrant Green Card, Immigrant Investor, Immigration, Immigration Law, State Department, USCIS, Vietnamese, Visa

This coming October, USCIS is allowing a number of foreign nationals to apply for adjustment of status earlier than they would otherwise be eligible. Specifically, USCIS has announced that it will allow individuals with immigrant petitions in employment-based categories to apply for adjustment of status based on the cutoff dates in the “Dates for Filing” Chart… Continue Reading

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Legislation, Immigrant Investor, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, Immigration Reform, President Trump's Administration, Tax Considerations, Visa

This is the fourth post in a series that discusses how EB-5 investors and their dependents can maintain eligibility for permanent residence and I-829 Petition approval. This blog focuses on criminal issues and tax issues. President Trump’s Executive Order, along with a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implementation memorandum, prioritizes removable aliens who: Have been convicted… Continue Reading

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Legislation, EB-5 Program, Immigrant Investor, Immigration, Immigration Law, Immigration Reform, President Trump's Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protections, USCIS

As we previously reported, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Memorandum entitled “Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens”[1] on June 28, 2018.  This Policy Memorandum was issued in response to President Trump’s Executive Order (EO), “Enhancing Public… Continue Reading

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, I-526, Immigrant Investor, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, President Trump's Administration, USCIS

EB-5 investors should maintain their eligibility for conditional permanent resident status, especially during any period of visa backlog occurring in between the time of I-526 Petition approval and when the investor’s priority date becomes current. This is the second post in a series that discusses how EB-5 investors and their dependents can maintain eligibility for… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Program, Immigration, Immigration Law

The National Law Journal selected the 2018 Trailblazers in Immigration. This year, Greenberg Traurig Immigration & Compliance attorneys Laura Reiff and Kate Kalmykov were recognized on the list for their notable achievements in the practice of law. Kalmykov leads the immigration practice group in the firm’s New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia offices.  She has… Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples˘ on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, USCIS

Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary held an oversight hearing on the Immigrant Investor EB-5 program.  The well-attended full committee hearing focused on reported fraud within the current program and the path forward for EB-5.  The sole witness was USCIS Director Francis Cissna. There were a few takeaways from the hearing, including: Director… Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples˘ on Posted in Continuing Resolution (CR), EB-5 Program

Tonight, by a vote of 245-182, the House approved it’s version of the 5th Continuing Resolution (CR), funding government operations and extending government programs, such as EB-5, until March 23.  The bill now proceeds to the Senate for further consideration. As of this writing, it is expected that the Senate will continue overall budget negotiations… Continue Reading

By Kristen W. Ng, , and on Posted in Conrad 30 Waiver Program, E-Verify, EB-5 Program

By a vote of 231-188 on Dec. 21 (before the previous extension deadline of midnight on Dec. 22), the House passed the Senate amendment to H.R. 1370 extending Continuing Appropriations for government services and programs to Jan. 19. Upon passage, H.R. 1370 was sent immediately to the Senate, where it passed by a vote of… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Immigration, President Trump's Administration

Greenberg Traurig Laura Reiff, Co-Chair Business Immigration and Compliance, was recently quoted in the Bloomberg Law article, “Immigration Attorneys on Their toes in the Age of Trump.” The article discusses developments in immigration in 2017 and how attorneys are handling the new environment. Reiff expresses the importance of being proactive as immigration attorneys anticipate the… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in President Trump's Administration, Travel

Ian R. Macdonald and Kristen W. Ng were recently featured in an article on The LexBlog Network titled, “Third Time’s a Charm? Greenberg Traurig’s Team Breaks down Trump’s Latest Travel Ban.” In this Q&A, Macdonald and Ng explore the third version of the Trump Administration’s travel ban and what it means for employers and employees… Continue Reading

By Kristen W. Ng on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Immigrant Visa, President Trump's Administration, USCIS, Visa

On Oct. 8, 2017, the White House released the promised Immigration Principles & Policies (Principles & Policies) which outline the Trump Administration’s position on immigration. This document is broken into three parts: 1) Border Security, 2) Interior Enforcement, and 3) Merit-Based Immigration. A summary of each part is broken down below.

By Robert Y. Maples˘ on Posted in EB-5, President Trump's Administration, Travel

As an update to our recent post late Friday evening, The president signed H.R. 601 – Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017, making  this important government continuance and public safety measure, incuding important Immigration programs, law. All government functions are continued until Dec. 8 under this law, including… Continue Reading