New Online Form to Request an In-Person Appointment at USCIS Breaking News: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (or USCIS) has launched a new online form for you or your attorney to request an in-person appointment at their local field office. Here's where to access it: https://my.uscis.gov/en/appointment/v2 You can request a specific date and time for an in-person appointment, but USCIS cannot guarantee that the requested appointment date will be scheduled. They'll will review your request form, confirm receipt, and schedule you for an available appointment date and time. Once again, in case you missed it, here's where to find the new, online in-person appointment request form from USCIS: https://my.uscis.gov/en/appointment/v2 I'm Joseph Bovino, U.S. immigration and business attorney. Use the link in my bio to schedule a video consultation with me if you need legal assistance with your specific case (whatever it is) Otherwise, feel free to leave a comment below. And follow for more. #uscis #uscisnews #immigration #immigrationlawyer #usimmigration #fyp

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A MILLIONAIRE TO GET AN E2 INVESTOR VISA Do you think the U.S. only grants investor visas to foreigners who invest a million dollars or more? Not true. An E2 visa requires only that you make a substantial investment in a U.S. business or franchise that is likely to be successful. It can be almost any business. In practice, that tends to mean an investment of $100,000 or more, in part because smalller investments lsuggest that you're not fully committed to making it work in the long-term. I know $100,000 isn't chump change, but's it not a million dollars either, and it's a winning ticket to the American dream for many. The E2 investor visa is only available to nationals of E2 treaty countries, including Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and the UK, for example. Interested? Use the link in my bio to schedule a consultation. And follow for more. #e2visa #e2visarequirements #immigration #immigrationlawyer #investorvisa #fyp

90 DAYS TO YOUR OWN US FRANCHISE (AND E2 VISA) How would you like to become a US franchise owner in as little as 90 days? Then, if you like, you could use your Investment in that franchise as the basis of an E2 investor visa application, which is arguably the best US visa for foreign entrepreneurs. I’m Joseph Bovino, US immigration and business attorney, and I work closely with reputable companies that can help you find and own your own US franchise in as little as 90 days. That’s an exceptionally fast way to become your own boss in the United States and position yourself nicely for an E2 investor visa, assuming you otherwise qualify. Interested? Use the link in my bio to schedule a video consultation. Leave a comment below. And follow for more #e2visa #e2visaprocess #franchise #immigration #immigrationlawyer #fyp

HOW TO GET AN EB2 NATIONAL INTEREST WAIVER GREEN CARD Do you want a work permit in the United States? Did you know that there's an employment-based green card that doesn't require a job offer in the United States? It's called the EB2 National Interest Waiver visa. An employer can apply for you OR you can apply for it yourself. To be eligible, you must have EITHER An Advanced Degree OR Exceptional Ability in your field AND your business endeavor in the United States must meet these three criteria: 1. Your endeavor has substantial merit and national importance. 2. You are well-positioned to advance the proposed endeavor; and 3. It is in the national interest of the United States to WAIVE the typical requirements of a job offer and labor certification. Let me know what you think in the comments below and follow for more. #eb2niw #nationalinterestwaiver #immigration #immigrationlawyer #workpermit #fyp

6 Things You Should Know about Seeking Asylum in the United States Here are 6 things you should know about seeking asylum in the United States: 1. Eligibility and Credible Fear To be eligible for asylum, you must be able to show that you have a credible fear of persecution or torture in your country of origin due to your race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. 2. Deadlines: You must file your asylum application within 1 year of your arrival in the United States. 3. Defensive vs. Affirmative Asylum If you entered the United States through the border and are subject to removal or deportation, you must apply for defensive asylum and wait for your hearing before a U.S. immigration judge. If you entered the United States legally and are not subject to removal or deportation proceedings, you can apply for affirmative asylum with USCIS. 4. Work Authorization Asylum seekers who apply for defensive asylum must wait at least 180 days before requesting a work permit. Those who apply for affirmative asylum with USCIS must wait at least 150 days to do so. 5. The CBP One App Under new rules put in place by the Biden administration, if you’re not already in the United States legally, you are required to use the new CBP One mobile app to make an appointment for the purpose of entering the US and requesting asylum. 6. Bars to Asylum You may be barred from being granted asylum if you violate the new CBP One rules, are a danger to U.S. national security, or have been convicted of certain crimes. I’m Joseph Bovino, U.S. immigration and business attorney. Contact me if you’re interested in making a good faith application for asylum in the United States. And follow for more. #asylum #defensiveasylum #immigration #immigrationlawyer #asylumseekers #fyp

3 NEW & NOTEWORTHY EB5 IMMIGRATION BENEFITS Here are 3 new and noteworthy immigration benefits of the EB5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (or RIA): 1. Expedited Processing for Rural EB5 Pojects Under the RIA, investors in rural EB5 projects qualify for priority, expedited processing of their EB5 petitions. This can potentially reduce the EB5 immigration process by many years, particularly for Indian and Chinese investors. In fact, USCIS recently approved a rural EB5 petition in only 11 months. 2. Set-Aside EB5 Visas EB5 investors in rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure projects are now potentially eligible for special set-aside visas. These allow investors from countries with an EB5 visa backlog - that is, India and China as of today - to get their green cards a lot faster. 3. More Fraud Protection USCIS may now scrutinize EB5 projects and regional centers more closely in order to prevent fraud and misappropriation of funds. Use the link in my bio to schedule a video consultation if you're interested in obtaining a green card through the EB5 visa program And follow for more. #eb5 #eb5visa #immigration #immigrationlawyer #investorvisa #fyp

4 STEPS TO SPEAK WITH A LIVE AGENT AT THE IRS ABOUT YOUR US BUSINESS Here's how to call the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) about a tax issue relating to your U.S. business and speak with a live agent instead of an annoying machine: Step 1: Call +1 800 829 4933 during the week. The best time to get through seems to be in the late morning or early afternoon. Step 2: Press the correct button for English or Spanish Step 3: Listen to the list of business-related tax issues, and select the one that relates to yours For example, if you have a problem with the Employer Idenfication Number (or EIN) of your U.S. business, press 1. Step 4: Either wait on hold or, upon request, type in your phone number to get a return call from an IRS agent Obviously, if you've requested a return phone call, be ready to answer it. In my experience, the agents tend to be pleasant and eager to be of assistance. This is Joseph Bovino, U.S. immigration, business and trademark attorney. Use the link in my bio to schedule a video consultation if you’re interested in establishing your own American Dream company or need other legal advice.. And follow for more. #ein #irs #businesstaxes #businessattorney #immigrationlawyer #fyp

7 STEPS TO APPLY FOR AFFIRMATIVE ASYLUM IN THE UNITED STATES Here are the 7 steps to apply for asylum in the United States through the "affirmative" asylum process. By the way, the steps to apply for "defensive" asylum - i.e., when you are placed in removal proceedings before a U.S. immigration judge and use asylum as a means to avoid deportation - are different. Step 1: Arrive in the United States To apply for affirmative asylum, you must be physically present in the United States Step 2: File Form I-589 You must file Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, with USCIS within 1 year of your last arrival in the U.S. (unless you qualify for an exception). Step 3: Comply with Fingerprinting and Security Checks You should receive an Application Support Center (or "ASC") appointment notice in response to your asylum application. Read and take it with you to your fingerprinting appointment at the ASC. Step 4: Receive an Asylum Interview Notice USCIS will send you a notice scheduling you for an interview with an asylum officer at one of its offices. Step 5: Attend Your Asylum Interview You must bring your spouse and any children seeking derivative asylum benefits to the interview. If you cannot proceed with the interview in English. you must bring an interpreter. And you may bring an attorney or an accredited representative, and even witnesses to testify on your behalf, if you have any. Step 6: A Decision Is Made in Your Case Your asylum officer will make a decision about your eligibilty for asylum and a supervisory officer will review the decision. Step 7: Receive the Decision In most cases, you will be invited to return to the asylum office to pick up the decision about 2 weeks after the asylum officer interviewed you. And, of course, you can always check the status of your case online as long as you have your USCIS receipt number. I'm Joseph Bovino, U.S. immigration and business attorney. Contact me if you’re interested in making a GOOD FAITH application for affirmative asylum in the US. And follow for more #asylum #immigration #immigrationlawyer #uscis #fyp #i589

10 CLICKS TO REACH A LIVE AGENT AT USCIS Here’s how to escape from Emma, the pesky USCIS virtual assistant, and chat with a live agent at USCIS about your immigration case: I recorded a video about this several months ago, but the USCIS website has changed since then. So, here we go: First, Google “Ask Emma" Click on the link that says "Meet Emma" Next, click on the pop-up box that says "Need Help? Ask Emma” in the top right hand corner of the web page Type "Infopass appointment" into the box and click SEND Click on "Make an Infopass Appointment" When asked to "Briefly Describe the reason for your appointment," type “Expedite request” Next, when asked to select the category that best describes your question, click "Connect to Live Chat” Then either click on “Live Chat” or, for Spanish, “Conectar con Chat en Directo en Español Finally, when asked if you have an application or case on file with USCIS, click “Yes” if you have one Then just enter your USCIS receipt number, and you should be connected with a live agent at USCIS, most of whom are very nice. This is Joseph Bovino, US immigration and business attorney. Good luck, and follow for more. #uscis #askemma #immigration #immigrationlawyer #usciscase #fyp

6 STEPS TO SPEAK WITH A LIVE AGENT AT USCIS Here’s how to call USCIS and talk to a live agent instead of an annoying machine. Step 1: Call +1 800 375 5283 Step 2: When the machine asks "how can I help you?", say "I want to know about my case." Step 3: When the machine asks for your receipt number, say “I never received a receipt number.” Step 4: When asked about a service center, say “At a service center”. Step 5: When asked whether 30 days have passed, answer “Yes” Step 6: When asked about a tracking number, answer "Yes" At this point, you should be connected with a live agent at USCIS. So be ready with all of your key information and questions because you don’t want to waste the agent’s time or yours. This is Joseph Bovino, US immigration, business and trademark attorney. Good luck, and follow for more. #uscis #usciscase #immigration #immigrationlawyer #askemma #fyp