US Immigration Podcast

Interviews with Leaders in Immigration

Archives for July 2014

Ryan Barshop: From the front lines front lines at the Consulate in the Philippines (Ep. 18)

by Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Ryan Barshop on how he supports Immigration on the front lines at the Consular office at the US Embassy in Manila, Philippines

 

 

Ryan BarshopRyan Barshop, Esq., is a American national educated at Suffolk University (B.S. American History, Cum Laude) and Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Juris Doctor, Cum Laude). Originally from New York City, Ryan first arrived in the Philippines in 2003 as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer working with underprivileged youth through the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development in Tarlac City, Tarlac. After successfully completing Peace Corps, Ryan moved to Hong Kong where he spent two years working in education before entering law school. While in law school, Ryan was the receipt of several academic awards, served as an associate editor of law journal, and externed at the Superior Court of Guam where he drafted numerous Decisions and Orders for the court.

A member of the New York State Bar and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Ryan is licensed to practice immigration law throughout the United States and federal territories. He serves as a U.S. Immigration and Consular Practice/ Direct Consular Processing Lawyer providing in-depth U.S. immigration services and consular processing advice to clients in the Philippines and abroad. He is well-versed and highly knowledgeable in the complex system that composes U.S. immigration law and consular processing at the US Embassy in Manila.

In this episode you will hear:

  • How the consulate office fits into the overall immigration process
  • What Consular officers look for in various petitions
  • Recent Changes to the Embassy in the Philippines
  • How engaging a US Immigration Attorney at the consulate can strengthen an established immigration team

Ryan also shares with us:

  • Best Business Advice: It is called the practice of law for a reason – there is always room to learn
  • Personal Success Habits:  He is always available
  • Parting Thoughts: Feel free to reach out to him if you need help from the Philippines

Rebecca Black: I-9 Compliance (and Consequences) (Ep. 16)

by Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Rebecca Black about I-9 Compliance and how to avoid the costly consequences that could arise from an audit.

Rebecca BlackAfter 15 years in the restaurant business and 5 years doing outside sales for a light industrial temporary business, Rebecca realized she was destined to become an immigration attorney. With her MBA and business experience, she started working on business immigration cases and have since represented clients on family as well as business issues in front of the immigration service, prepared asylum cases and represented clients in deporation court.

In this episode you will hear:

  • The I-9 form can look deceptively simple
  • How a business employing legal workers still received a $40k fine
  • My own personal I-9 story
  • How I-9 enforcement has stepped up since 9/11/01
  • Types of verification documents accepted (A or B and C documents)
  • Common mistakes made on the I-9 form
  • Common I-9 audit ‘red flags’

 

Here are the government forms mentioned on this show.

 

Rebecca also shares with us:

  • Best Business Advice: Always check the most recent regulations
  • Personal Success Habits: Great work ethic coupled with a lot of energy
  • Parting Thoughts: She encourages support for Immigration reform and gives reasons why

Guillermo Wasserman: International Business Practice Opportunities, Best Practices and Legal Challenges (Ep. 15)

by Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to Attorney Guillermo Wasserman International Business Practice Opportunities, Best Practices, and Legal Challenges.

Guillermo WassermanGuillermo is a seasoned international lawyer, fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese, trained in both civil and common law legal systems, with significant experience in international business transactions, particularly with respect to Latin American markets.  He regularly assists his clients to bridge business, legal and cultural gaps in international business transactions involving a wide-range of industries and business sectors in the U.S., Latin America and beyond. He is admitted to practice law in Georgia, USA and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In this episode you will hear:

  • What is “International Business Practice”
  • How political boarders create opportunities
  • Best practices when researching, crafting and executing a cross boarder agreement
  • Legal challenges with enforcement and other unforeseen issues
  • How to strategically protect intellectual property

Guillermo also shares with us:

  • Best Business Advice: Due diligence, due diligence, due diligence
  • Personal Success Habits: Be thorough and exercise patience
  • Parting Thoughts: The world is full of opportunities… for those that prepare and are ready to work hard

Teri Simmons: E-2 Visa Requirements, Pitfalls, and Best Practices (Ep. 14)

by Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Teri Simmons about the E-2 Visa requirements, some pitfalls, and insightful best practices

Listen to this show using the web player below or your podcasting app of choice.

 

 

Teri SimmonsTeri Simmons is a partner at Arnall Golden Gregory in Atlanta, Georgia, where she has practiced for over 23 years. She directs the International and Immigration Practice Group as well as serving as Co-Chair of the German Business Practice. She has represented companies as large as the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, for which she managed visa processing for thousands, as well as middle-sized companies and individual Investors. Teri focuses her practice on the management of legal services supporting foreign-owned business entities and individuals investing in the United States in the areas of corporate, employment and immigration law. She manages companies’ global immigration needs, as well as both U.S. immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for businesses and families (temporary work visas and green cards) and the immigration consequences of mergers and acquisitions. Active in the international community, and fluent in both spoken and written German, Teri serves as AILA’s CBP liaison for Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, the Mayoral appointed Chair of the Atlanta Sister Cities Commission, the Chair of the Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, and on the Boards of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeastern U.S., the German American Cultural Foundation and the German School of Atlanta.

In this episode you will hear:

  • Basic E-2 Requirements
  • Some countries that are NOT eligible for the E-2 visa
  • What a ‘substantial’ investment really means
  • What constitutes a ‘commitment’ of funds
  • Spouse work authorization for E-2 visa holders
  • The difficulty of tracing E-2 top level ownership
  • Why some E-2 visas only get approval for a year or two
  • What independent sources of documents help build the strongest petition possible
  • International tax advantages of E-2 visa holders
  • Paths to other visas

 

Teri also shares with us:

  • Personal Success Habits: Multitask orientated, but with a strong sense of urgency and priority
  • Parting Thoughts: Feel free to reach out to Teri (and she thanks me for the work I have done in this space)

Adel Elmankabady: Working with EB-5 Regional Centers (Ep. 13)

by 1 Comment

In this episode we talk to Adel Elmankabadyon on the advantages of developing an EB-5 project within an established Regional Center.

 

Adel ElmankabadyAdel has twenty years of sales, managing, marketing, and real estate teaching experience in the USA and the Middle East markets.  He is a Real Estate Investment Specialist with unsurpassed level of marketplace knowledge in our local Atlanta Market.  He is also been part of six EB-5 Investment Projects in Georgia.

 

In this episode you will hear:

  • The increasing number of EB-5 Regional Centers
  • The four documents needed to create n EB-5 Regional Centers 
    • Private Placement Memorandum
    • Subscription Agreement
    • Limited Partnership Agreement
    • Escrow Agreement
  • The advantages of working with an established Regional Center for your EB-5 project
    • Leverage preexisting approval by USICS (saves time)
    • Leverage Marketing scope of the EB-5 Regional Centers
  • How to approach an EB-5 Regional Centers for your EB-5 program proposal
    • Experience of business owner
    • Personal Equity of business owner (and other domestic source of funds)
    • The EB-5 fund raise target
    • The total amount of project funding
    • Direct Job creation
  • Indirect Job creation by a third party (such as EB-5 Economist like Dr. Fernandez from Ep. 7)
  • The risks and pitfalls of EB-5 projects

Adel also shares with us:

  • The best advice he has ever received:  Do you homework and do the steps in order
  • His personal habits that attributes to his success: Exercise (give the brain a break and work out the body) 
  • Parting Thoughts:  Success does not come at a cheap price, you have to work hard for it.

Additional Resource:

We touched on the payback of EB-5 investors, but not how.  Here is a popular article I wrote last year on 10 Payback Strategies for EB-5 Investors