Jax Immigration Lawyer to address
Nat’l Assoc. of Realtors in D.C.
The Foreign Buyers: International and Second Home Forum at the NAR Midyear Meetings, Washington, D.C. May 14th will feature Immigration attorney, Stephen H. Davis, who will discuss EB-5, E-2 and L-1 visas that allow foreign nationals to gain conditional permanent residency and/or nonimmigrant worker status in the United States. Hundreds of realtors will attend the two-hour forum to learn about the limitations and opportunities that the current visa programs offer foreign investors, buyers and entrepreneurs.
“In this time of economic downturn, there is an opportunity to focus on attracting foreign investors. With these different investor visa programs, our government is already able to tap the vast financial resources from other countries,” Davis emphasized. A long time visa program is being promoted more than ever. It is referred to as the “EB-5 Investment Green Card “. It helps an investor attain a “Conditional Lawful Permanent Residence” status by investing $500,000 in a limited partnership at various Regional Center Project areas which the government seeks to financially revive a designated geographic area of the United States. Another program is an investment of $1M and must create 10 new full time positions for authorized U.S. workers, Davis pointed out.
Another type of investor visa or status is the nonimmigrant trade or investor visa (“E-2 visa”) that is offered to a person who comes to the U.S. to invest, direct and control an enterprise/investment. For example, ownership of a hotel, restaurant, specialty shop, real estate development or purchase of multiple-unit rental properties or condominiums, franchise business. There is an E-1 Treaty Trader visa for the export/import business.
Lastly, the intra-company transferee or L-1 visa is granted to an executive or manager who wishes to come to the U.S. to work for the U.S. corporate subsidiary, affiliate or branch of the foreign company and who has been employed with the parent company for at least one year within three years prior to filing.
“In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill says that for every adversity there is a seed of equal or greater opportunity. I am optimistic that if we think positive, we can create our own bailout,” Davis remarked with positive energy.
Stephen H. Davis, P.A. has been a full-time immigration lawyer in Jacksonville, Florida for more than 30 years. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (A.I.L.A.) and served on the Board of Directors of its Central Florida Chapter. He has authored many articles on immigration law and co-authored two books entitled Obtaining Lawful Permanent Residence in the United States published by The Florida Bar. He has been an Adjunct Professor of the Florida Coastal School of Law. To date, he has represented clients from 178 different countries worldwide.