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The Immigration Lawyers Podcast | Discussing Visas, Green Cards & Citizenship: Practice & Policy

In-Depth Discussions, Interviews, and Legal Analysis of Immigration Law and Practice with Professionals in the Field, with Host John Khosravi, Esq. Visas, Green Cards, and US Citizenship. Intended for Immigration Lawyers and Attorneys. Attorney Advertisement, please consult with an attorney. info@ImmigrationLawyersToolbox.com
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The Immigration Lawyers Podcast | Discussing Visas, Green Cards & Citizenship: Practice & Policy
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Now displaying: April, 2016
Apr 30, 2016

Legal Analysis of the USCIS Adopted Decision of AAO L-1A Function Manager Decision (Link to USCIS Decision)

Show Notes​
Send you opinions/comments to info@jqklaw.com

01:40 - Introduction of case (Procedural History)
02:40 - Basic of an L-1A case its regulations
03:30 - Biggest issue L-1A cases have (Qualified U.S. Employment)
05:30 - The Function Manager
07:25 - Details of the Adopted Decision Case
08:30 - Why the case was originally denied (insufficient U.S. employees)
09:00 - Petitioner's claim that was approved by the U.S. (using foreign staff)
10:05 - Differentiation of this case from others (and pointers on helping a case)
14:20 - Hardest part of an L-1 Petition (explaining the job duties, and discussion of red flags)
16:20 - Discussion of what is considered an Essential Function (Here it was Market Development)
17:27 - How practitioners can use this Adopted Decision
19:50 - Effect on EB-1C Immigrant Visa Applications

Apr 30, 2016

Interview and Discussion with Canadian Immigration Lawyers Laurie Tannous (Laurie@laurieTannous.com)

Show Notes​

01:30 - Introduction and bio (started as customs and immigration officer and does various other work - Kitch Law Firm)
03:15 - About her work as a Customs and Immigration Officer on the Canadian Side (Ambassador Bridge) while studying for law school
03:50 - Issues she saw at the border (smuggling drugs and people) as well as dealing with individuals and gaining the ability to judge people and lying well
05:40 - What she did after graduating law school (Articling with law firms to work in different areas) and growth in referrals in immigration which caused her to work in this area
07:10 - Early start to family and practice with own firm, as well as using her firm in different settings (including cross-border transactions) and doing international trade law in the US, and a customs brokerage
08:30 CEO of institute of border logistics at windsor airport
10:10 - Letter of invitation needed sometimes for temporary work meetings in Canada
10:30 - Canada's immigration programs and the point system
11:55 - The point system and necessity for an Immigration Lawyer and needing to clean up work done by regular people or non-immigration lawyers
13:00 - Her focus is on a few areas of immigration (primarily corporate and family and does not include humanitarian)
13:48 - Focusing and specializing on certain areas of immigration law
14:10 - Canada's investment program - Shut down, but pilot program for a venture capitalist program exists (need net worth of $10M, and be investing $2M with post-secondary degree)
15:05 - Other temporary programs for investors and entrepreneurs are not available right now, but an overhaul is coming to include these programs
15:55 - Canada's equivalent of the TN NAFTA Visa and the Management Consultant sub-category - issues with people doing it themselves and making bad admissions and statements
18:23 - People with DUIs trying to enter Canada - temporary resident permits ("TRP")may be required, or if 10 years have passed (deemed rehabilitated). Can be done at border or Consulate
22:10 - Where is she headquartered? And where her offices are (Detroit and Windsor in Canada)
22:35 - Role of Canadian Provinces in their Immigration programs (Quebec and provincial nominee program)
24:00 - What does a typical week look like for Laurie? How does she set up her time?
25:15 - How she balances her work and her personal life/family. Importance of time management
26:15 - How she prevents work from coming home and carving out time
27:00 - Mistakes she made early on that she has learned from: advice for a new lawyer: learn on honing in on strengths (and avoid weaker areas) and knowing when to say "NO" to clients or cases and know how to manage your time
30:20 - Her proudest moment in her practice: Teaching and helping people through education, in particular a course where a student was able to achieve success on a paper related to human smuggling/trafficking
How to learn more about Laure Tannous: www.Kitch.com Laurie@laurieTannous.com

Apr 30, 2016

Interview and Discussion with OFAC Attorney Mehrnoush Yazdanyar. Website: www.YazdanyarLaw.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP_z...
Blog: http://www.yazdanyarlaw.com/blog/

00:00 - Episode Introduction
01:34 - Background of Mernhoush Yazdanyar
02:04 - Initial Legal work and subsequent start of practice (Iran OFAC sanctions works)
02:34 - What she studies in college
03:02 - Her initial real estate legal work and her thoughts about being a lawyer before graduating as opposed to after being an attorney and finding the type of work that she was meant to do
06:25 - Her passion for working/interacting with the client directly which is lacking some types of practices
07:40 - Her experience in Immigration Law, and small family-based immigration practice before starting OFAC work
09:08 - How she got into OFAC work (First OFAC case and saw the effect of sanctions on individuals for personal (non-commercial) transactions
11:30 - How Currency Exchange process works for Iran and how to do it to avoid issues
13:28 - Issues when Moneychangers do Cash Deposits into Client Accounts
15:35 - IRS Scam for those doing money transfers and effect of investigations into individuals involved in the process (Checking to make sure no one is on the designated OFAC list) and general issues with Iran transactions
18:45 - U.S. Bank rejecting the funds and dealing with Currency Exchangers in Iran, and the importance of good wiring instructions
22:41 Typical OFAC Questions: Is OFAC over or gone?
24:50 - General Licenses for OFAC (two biggest are receipt of family money non-commercial person remittance, gift or inheritance and sales of real property that had before becoming a US Person, or after becoming a US person through inheritance)
26:00 - Opening a bank account from an OFAC sanctioned country national, while in the U.S. on a tourist visa.
28:50 - General licenses and Specific licenses for business activities with Iran (e.g. agriculture, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, etc). Also sure to adhere to other export regulations from the U.S.
30:36 - Definition of general v. Specific Licenses from OFAC
31:50 - Errors Iranian make when doing OFAC on their own, and sanctions violations they are not aware of
33:15 - Time frame for getting a specific license
34:30 - About the type of practice she has (sole practitioner)
35:40 - She has Offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Irvine and Sherman Oaks (and does a lot, especially with seminars and conferences)
36:38 - Her focus is on transactional side of OFAC (not litigation)
38:40 - How to deal with the businesses of having a legal practice and balancing work and personal life: Making sure to carve out personal time, working out
41:03 - Where she learned her craft and does continuing education
42:20 - How she did marketing and got clients when first started and how to deal with the volume of calls
46:00 - How to contact her: www.Yazdanyarlaw.com

Apr 30, 2016

Host John Khosravi, Esq. interviews Peyman Attari, Co-Founder, President & CEO of the EB-5 Investment Advisor Firm AISA Investment Advisors, LLC

To learn more about the Immigration Lawyers Podcast, please visit www.ImmigrationsLawyersPodcast.com

Show Notes:

02:00 - Origins: Oil Financial world
03:30 - Work in South Africa
06:00- Work in Emerging Markets
09:42 - Starting own firm and starting a family
11:21 - Learning about the EB-5 Program
12:10 - Decision to work with investors instead of the Regional Centers
14:00 - Registered investment advisor and its fiduciary duty/ Difference with broker dealer and standard of suitability
16:30 - Info about AISA Investment Advisers, LLC and its business model
22:00 - The pay fee structure for EB-5 Immigrant Investors
26:00 - How does the relationship with your firm and the immigration attorney work?
28:30 - What are the steps for the client to go through with you
33:00 - Responses to typical questions that come from the EB-5 investors:
a - Which Investment would you do? The are supposed to recommend.
b - Can you guarantee the investment? Explain why guarantees are not possible.
c - When do I get my money back? Describe "wind down" decisions.
36:50 - Effects of retrogression / Need for redeployment of funds
39:00 - Company holds escrow account and the affect on Source of Funds
45:00 - Preference as to EB-5 model
To learn more, visit: AISAEB5.com

 
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