Immigration

Employment Based Immigration:

1st Priority:

There are three categories of 1st priority: (1) Managers and executives subject to international transfer to the United States; (2) outstanding professors and researchers with universities or private employers that have established research departments; and (3) aliens of "extraordinary ability" in the sciences, arts, education, business, and athletics.

2nd Priority:

There are two categories of 2nd priority: (1) Aliens of "exceptional ability" in the sciences, arts, or business; and (2) advanced-degree professional.

3rd Priority:

There are three categories of 3rd priority: (1) Professionals with bachelor's degrees not qualifying in the second preference; (2) skilled workers (requiring two years training and experience; and (3) unskilled workers.

Investor Immigration:

Investors who actively in the process of investing at least $1 million in the enterprise and the enterprise must create full-time employment for not less than ten U.S. workers.

Labor Certification:

A Permanent Labor Certification for the Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the avenues which allows an employer to hire a foreign worker to work permanently in the United States. In most instances, before the U.S. employer can submit an immigration petition to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), the employer must obtain an approved labor certification request (Form ETA 750) from the DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA). The DOL must certify to the CIS that there are no qualified U.S. workers available and willing to accept the job at the prevailing wage for that occupation in the area of intended employment.

Non-Immigrant Visas:

B-1, B/2

The B visa covers alien visitors for business (B-1) and pleasure (B-2).

E-1/2:

The E visa is applied by people from a foreign country which has a "treaty of commerce and navigation" or a "bilateral investment treaty" to come to the United States to conduct trade between the two counties (E-1) or to invest in the United States (E-2).

F-1

For foreign students to enter the United States to engage in academic studies.

H-1B:

The H-1B is a nonimmigrant classification used by an alien who will be employed temporarily in a specialty occupation or as a fashion model of distinguished merit and ability.

H-2B:

The H-2B visa is for U.S. companies temporarily employ skilled or unskilled foreign workers in nonagricultural positions for which the employer has a temporary need and for which qualified U.S. workers are unavailable.

H-3:

The H-3 visa is for U.S. companies to bring foreigner employees to the United States for a temporary period in order to participate in an established company training program.

L-1A/B:

The L-1 visa is for international companies to transfer their managers and executives (L-1A) or specialized knowledge worker (L-1B) to work for the company in the United States.

O-1:

The O-1 visa is applied by aliens with extraordinary ability in (1) the science, education, business, and athletics; (2) the arts; and (3) the motion picture or TV industries.

P-1:

The P-1 visa is applied by (1) alien athletes who compete individually or as part of a team at an internationally recognized level; and (2) aliens who perform with, or are an integral and essential part of the performance of, an entertainment group that has received international recognition as "outstanding" for "sustained and substantial period of time."

R-1:

The R-1 visa is for nonprofit religious organizations in the U.S. to employ foreign religious workers to work in religious vocations.

Family Based Immigration:

Immediate Relative of U.S. Citizens:

Spouses, parents, and children (unmarried and under 21 years old) of U.S. citizens are immediate relatives.  There is no numerical limitation on the number of immediate relative of U.S. citizens.

1st priority

Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.

2nd priority:

There are two preferences in this group.  Preference 2A includes spouses and unmarried children (under 21) of permanent residents. Preference 2B includes the rest of current second preference category: unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents.

3rd priority:

Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.

4th priority:

Brothers and sisters of citizens.

U.S. Citizenship Application

Permanent residents who meet the residing requirements can apply for U.S. citizenship.

Corporate & Commercial

Incorporation, Business Contracts and Transactions

We evaluate clients' particular business and goals and to choose the most appropriate buiness entity for our clients to incorporate. Most common business entities include  C Corporation, S Corporation, Limited Partnership (LP), and Limited Liability Company (LLC). We also handle business contracts and transactions for our clients.

Merger and Acquisition

For clients for who wish to acquire an exsiting business instead of establishing a new business.  We help them with the process of purcahsing an existing business.

Real Estate Transactions and disputes

We assist clients to purchase, lease and sell real properties and represent clients in the event of disputes. For clients who wish to invest in U.S. real estate market, Limited liability company is now the most effective means to conduct business.  We set up limited liability companies for our clients, and to use the LLC effectively in tax and asset planning to achieve the maximum benefits.

Trademarks

The U.S. Supreme Court states the objectives of trademark law are as follows: "[T]rademark law, by preventing others from copying a source-identifying mark, reduce[s] the customer's cost's of shopping and making purchasing decisions,' for it quickly and easily assures a potential customer that the this item -- the item with this mark -- is made by the same producer as other similarly marked items that he or she liked (or disliked) in the past. At the same time, the law helps assure a producer that it (and not an imitating competitor) will reap the financial, reputation-related rewards associated with a desirable product."

International

A combination of Business law and immigration law practice.  We assist companies which conduct international trade to establish branch offices in the United States.  We file immigration papers for company executives, managers and special skill workers to obtain U.S. permanant residentcy.

In addition, our firm teams up with tax certified public accountant, Michelle Lin, CPA, who is very experienced in tax planning and tax saving strategies for both business and individuals.  Ms. Lin has many years work experience with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the largest CPA firm in the world.

During years of practice, we found that a client who consults with an attorney only may ignore the tax-saving aspect of the business, and a client who consult with a CPA only may ignore an important legal issue. An effective business planning should cover both legal and tax aspects of the business.  This make us believe a client should work with an attorney and a CPA together to get most benefit from the client's business.

With the joint forces from a CPA specializing in taxation, we are able to provide the one-stop service for all requirements of an international business to set up new branches in the United States.  Clients are being taken care of all aspects of their new business needs in the US in terms of business entity, immigration and tax.  Our goal is to let the clients enjoy the benefits of consideration of both the legal and tax issues in one whole planning.