WhenI first learned to fly airplanes many years ago, an expression which I first foundto sound rather unusual would soon come to be a maxim inculcated into all futuretraining: "Stay Ahead of theAircraft."   Putsimply, "staying ahead of the aircraft" simply means the process of continual awareness of what lies ahead, not just in the next mile or minute but as far ahead as you can reasonably anticipate.  Another phrase was that one should "keep one's headoutside of the cockpit" (figuratively, unless you want to eat goosefeathers) to ensure that you could anticipateanything which would affect your flight pattern and focus…anything Mother Nature, technology, or bumbling pilots could throw your way.Early in my initial training, I learned about…

One of the recurring points when I speak with would-be investors abroad has to do with the timing of their U.S. immigration.  The vast majority are interested in securing U.S. permanent residency, via EB-5 Immigrant Investor status or another category…but just not yet.  Instead, what they seek is a Plan B, a back pocket “Get Out of Jail Free” card (sometimes figuratively…other times NOT!) which gives them the peace of mind they want TODAY via the creation of a structured move to the U.S. tomorrow.Most attorneys, inside-the-box-thinkers we are bred to be, will tell you that you cannot have your cake and eat it, too: because the securing of U.S. permanent residency requires the present INTENT to immigrate, you can’t simply get your permanent residency approved then tu…

Shocked?  Don't be.  We are legion, we are legal residents and citizens of the country, and we are the reason why nothing less than a comprehensive restructuring of the present healthcare system will address the issue of public health in America.Yes, I am uninsured…sort of.  The truth is that Roger, Linda and Regina have an excellent health insurance plan for their employees and the firm is one of few which puts its money where its mouth is as far as this critical benefit.  I have my shiny new card and I am covered…sort of.  You see, I suffer from high blood pressure.  I've had it for years and the medication I am on works perfectly.  But it is an expensive medication and according to my doctor, I will be on blood pressure medication for the…

Got back from Caracas Friday night, spent the weekend moving, had to stay home Monday because it wasn't finished…and now back in my office on Biscayne Boulevard, staring at a formidable number of emails.That's one thing that you can't avoid with these international trips: no matter how much you manage to answer emails and return calls while abroad, the real "work" stays at a standstill while you are gone…and you return to a LOT of stuff.  Sigh.The good news is that we are very busy, and being very busy is a good thing to be during these times, right?…

Things went very well in Caracas for Roger, Carlos, and me.  Our visit this month focused on the "referrers"…the relationships we seek to cultivate with the best lawyers, banks, and financial advisers in Venezuela.  We learned that there is a GREAT DEAL of baloney being promised to would-be EB-5 Immigrant Investors:  impossible returns, "guarantees" (which would violate the EB-5 visa requirements, even if they were not lies) and bogus time frames.In a way, this mountain of disinformation is good because we are coming across like choir boys (sorry, Roger…uh…"Cantors Lite"?? (-;) with our pragmatic assessments, disclaimers, and straight talk.  There is this remarkable thing that happens, this secret that eludes so many folks in our pote…

It's the weekend and I don't often blog but had to share this with you, especially those of you who actually suffered through the horrible audio quality the other morning…check this out: I found a USB lapel mic in England on eBay…USB Lapel Mic for Future Video Blogs Brace yourselves for more EB-5 Investor Visa stories and musings via my terrifying morning commute.  Now that the weather is starting to get really nice in South Florida, I'm working on rigging up the Lambretta… The Immigration Insider Scooter-Cam – coming soon!Have a great weekend and GOOOOOOO Gators!…

Folks, this second attempt at a video blog was shot in my Miata on the morning commute.  While I'm okay with the video (having come to terms with what I actually look like at 48 as opposed to what I THINK I look like) the audio is horrific.  I still posted it because there are a few points who some might want to hear but trust me, the audio is absolutely horrific and annoying due to the little car's vibration, so skip it unless today's topic is of serious interest.BTW, thanks to all of you who gave me positive feedback regarding the concept (and not the execution) of the first video blog.  The numbers on the blog tripled yesterday, although it could simply be the result of people emailing links to each other and saying "you have to see how gray Jose has g…

Okay, so this is how you realize you've been doing something for a loooooooooong time:You are trying to find the answer to a cryptic question you think you once had figured out.You search on Google.You promptly find a long-winded article you wrote on the subject 3 years ago as the 4th link on your Google search, only to realize that the question was as cryptic then as it is now…Oy.All that being said, here is the question and answer for those of you who have better things to do than read a big article:THE QUESTION: How large and established must an employer be to file an H-1B petition? Can a company petition for its owner as an H-1B? THE ANSWER:It depends…(-:FOLKS: please bear in mind that a lot of what was relevant in 2006 is not so today and new worksite issues have arisen.&#160…