Lawyer Monthly Magazine - April 2019 Edition

75 SUPER LAWYERS APR 2019 www. lawyer-monthly .com P Visa The P visa is available for an internationally recognized athlete or a member of an internationally recognized entertainment group. On occasion, an internationally recognized athlete or entertainer is also an entrepreneur or investor. M Visa The M-1 visa is a vocational student visa to enter the US in vocational or other nonacademic programs. The most common path to US permanent residence is M-1 student to M-1 OPT, then employer sponsorship green card sponsorship through PERM labor certification. F Visa The F-1 Visa is an academic student to enter the US as a full- time student at an accredited college or university, seminary or conservatory, academic high school or elementary school. The first F-1 student visa is often an English language program. The most common path to US permanent residence is F-1 student to F-1 OPT, then employer sponsorship as an H1B professional and then green card sponsorship through PERM labor certification. J Visa The J visa is an exchange visitor visa that serves many purposes and is authorized for those who intend to participate in an approved program for many purposes from au-pair to teaching, from studying and conducting research to training, or to receive graduate medical education or training. B Visa The B visitor visa is the most common visa for an entrepreneur or investor to visit the US. The visa is issued as B1/B2. The B-1 visa admission to the US permits the entrepreneur or investor to participate in business activities of a commercial or professional nature in the US. The B-2 visa permits the entrepreneur or investor to participate if various tourist activities. An entrepreneur or investor admitted to the US under the B visa may transition to an E treaty trader or investor visa if available, any other applicable non-immigrant visa, or any applicable immigrant category for US permanent residence including EB1. An extraordinary immigrant, EB-5 immigrant investor, or employer sponsorship through PERM labor certification. Family Immigration Family members of US citizens and lawful permanent residents living outside the US may be sponsored to become US permanent residents based on specific family relationships. Persons who are not the spouse, minor child or parent of a US citizen are considered a preference relative; unlike the spouse, minor child or parent of a US citizen, preference relatives have limited immigrant visa numbers available. As a result of the limited visa numbers, some preference relative categories have long wait times. Where there are a long family preference category wait times, it is often advantageous to consider strategies that include non-immigrant and immigrant categories. ABOUT DONALD E. SMITH Donald E. Smith is Shareholder and Managing Attorney at Litwin & Smith, ALC. Litwin & Smith is a prestigious business immigration law firm established in 1989. For 30 years providing excellent service at a competitive price. Litwin & Smith limits its practice to U.S. business immigration law and related filings. Our firm is nationally recognized as a premier immigration law firm. We are fanatically detailed in our filings and known for our expertise, availability, responsiveness, and history of successful filings for difficult matters. We have an impeccable record in successful business-based immigration filings, alternative strategies, and actions to achieve immigration goals from EB-5, EB1, EB2 NIW, EB3, and nonimmigrant H, E, L, and O visas as well as difficult RFEs, NOIDs, and Appeals. Mr. Smith’s past and present professional affiliations, activities, and accomplishments include AILA, ABA, the Florida Bar. Mr. Smith has spoken in the U.S. and internationally before trade groups, associations, investment and professional groups on a variety of immigration topics. His publications and presentations include Professional Visas (H-1B) and Intracompany Transferee Visas (L-1), The E Visa, EB-5 Investment vs. L-1 Intracompany Transfer, and EB-5 investment Conference and Presentations. ABOUT LITWIN & SMITH Litwin & Smith experts provideadvice topersons seeking to liveand work in the US. Many individuals find US immigration regulatory requirements daunting. We at Litwin & Smith point the way how an individual entrepreneur, investor, employer, employee, or family can meet the evidentiary requirements of their U.S. immigration goals including EB-5, EB1, EB2 and NIW, EB3, nonimmigrant H, E, L, O and P visas, Family Based immigration, as well as non-immigrant and immigrant categories.