Big news for H4 spouses. Effective May 26, 2015, some H-4 spouses can apply for a work permit or EAD.

Big news for H4 spouses: USCIS announced today that, effective May 26, 2015, the DHS is extending eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. DHS amended the regulations to allow these H-4 dependent spouses to accept employment in the United States. 

Eligible individuals include certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who: 

• Are the principal beneficiaries of an approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker; or 
• Have been granted H-1B status under sections 106(a) and (b) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 as amended by the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act. The Act permits H-1B nonimmigrants seeking lawful permanent residence to work and remain in the United States beyond the six-year limit on their H-1B status.

Under the new rule, eligible H-4 dependent spouses must file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, with supporting evidence and the required $380 fee in order to obtain employment authorization and receive a Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document (EAD). USCIS will begin accepting applications on May 26, 2015. Once USCIS approves the Form I-765 and the H-4 dependent spouse receives an EAD, he or she may begin working in the United States.

See also at: http://law-visa-usa.com/1/post/2015/02/effective-may-26-2015-some-h-4-spouses-can-apply-for-a-work-permit-or-ead.html

Read more at DHS Extends Eligibility for Employment Authorization to Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses of H-1B Nonimmigrants Seeking Employment-Based Lawful Permanent Residence | USCIS

Treaty Trader and Treaty Investor E-1 and E-2 visas: effective May 1, 2015, electronic visa application process at the US Consulate in Vienna, Austria.

Treaty Traders and Treaty Investors Visa E-1 and E-2 visas: new application procedures when applying at the US consulate in Vienna, Austria. Effective May 01, 2015, only electronic submissions will be accepted.

The Immigration and Nationality Act provides non-immigrant visa status for a national of a country with which the United States maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation who is coming to the United States to carry on substantial trade, including trade in services or technology, principally between the U.S. and the treaty country, or to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which the national has invested, or is in the process of investing a substantial amount of capital which is at risk in a commercial sense. 

TREATY TRADER (E-1) REQUIREMENTS:

• The applicant must be a national of a treaty country;
• The trading firm for which the applicant is coming to the U.S. must have the nationality of the treaty country. Please note that the nationality of an enterprise is determined by the nationality of the enterprise's owner(s);
• The international trade must be "substantial." There must be a sizeable and continuing volume of trade (trade means the international exchange of goods, services, and technology). Title of the trade items must pass from one party to the other;
• The trade of the U.S. enterprise must be principally between the U.S. and the treaty country. More than 50 percent of the international trade involved must be between the U.S. and the country of the applicant's nationality;
• The applicant must be employed in a supervisory or executive capacity, or possess highly specialized skill essential to the efficient operation of the firm. Ordinary skilled or unskilled workers do not qualify. Please note that a detailed explanation of why the applicant's skills are essential for the enterprise in the U.S. is required.

TREATY INVESTOR (E-2) REQUIREMENTS:

• The investor, either a real or corporate person, must be a national of the treaty country;
• The investment must be substantial and placed "at risk" and the funds have to be "irrevocably" committed. The investment must be sufficient to ensure the successful operation of the enterprise. If the funds are not subject to partial or total loss if business fortunes reverse, then the investment is not an investment in the sense intended by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 101(a)(15)(E) and in 9 Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) 41.51.;
• The investment must be in a real operating enterprise.Speculative or idle investment does not qualify. Uncommitted funds in a bank account or mere ownership of undeveloped land are not considered an investment. Payments in the form of leases or rents for property or equipment may be calculated towards the investment in an amount limited to the funds devoted to that item in any one month;
• The investment may not be marginal. Based on 9 FAM 41.51, the enterprise must either show a financial return that significantly exceeds what is necessary to support a living for the investor or else the enterprise must have the capacity, present or future, to make a significant economic contribution;
• The investor must have control of the funds. Loans secured with the assets of the investment enterprise are not allowed. Loans secured with personal assets are acceptable;
• The investor must be coming to the United States to develop and direct the enterprise. If the applicant is not the principal investor, he or she must be employed in a supervisory, executive, or highly specialized skill capacity. Based on 9 FAM 41.51 Note 14.3 a detailed explanation of why the applicant's skills are "essential" for the enterprise in the United States is required or based on 9 FAM 41.51 Note 14.2 a detailed explanation of why the applicant possesses qualifying "executive or supervisory" experience.

E VISA APPLICATION PROCESSING:

• As of May 1, 2015 electronic submission is the only acceptable method for E visa submission! Cases must be submitted to: ViennaEvisas@state.gov.
  Please use the e-mail subject line: “Surname, Given Name, Business Name, E Visa Application”. Use this email address for specific E visa questions as well as regarding E visa cases already submitted.
• E visa package, submitted electronically, should not exceed 7MB (about 100 pages, pdf only). You may use multiple attachments. Do NOT send “linked” files, as we cannot access or open these. Please scan documents with a maximum of 300 DPI to keep file size small.
• Between now and May 1, 2015 E visa applications may either be submitted electronically or as a printed paper version.Please limit paper versions to 100 pages and note that the review for paper versions might take longer. The mailing address for paper applications is: U.S. Embassy, Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090 Wien, Att: Consular Section/E Visa Unit.

To begin the process to obtain your E visa, follow the instructions (step 1 and step 2) provided on our homepage at:http://austria.usembassy.gov/niv_applic.html. You may submit your E visa package only once you have completed the visa application form DS-160 and paid the application fee. 

Case review begins upon receipt of a complete application. Incomplete applications will delay processing. Should your case require additional documentation, this office will contact you or your attorney via e-mail. 

Interview scheduling: Please note that all applicants for Treaty Trader/Investor visa will only be able to schedule their appointment for the visa interview only after submitting the request and receiving the approval for appointment from the Embassy. The request can only be approved once the review has been completed. 

Formal adjudication of the case begins with the in-person interview. If, after the interview, the case should require additional documentation, you will receive clear guidance from the Consular Officer on what to submit, and by what method. 

There are three different categories of E visa submission:

1. If this is your first E visa, and you are either applying to work as an employee for a new E visa enterprise or you yourself are the investor, you must submit following documentation: Forms DS-160 and DS-156E; the statement about your intent to return upon termination of your E status; and the full E visa documentation package. Full instructions to build an appropriate E visa package are available here:Instructions for Applying for Nonimmigrant E1/E2 Visas.
2. If you are renewing your E visa, provide the following documentation: Forms DS-160 and DS-156E; the statement about your intent to return upon termination of your E status; a letter from your employer/the U.S. enterprise containing a detailed description of the enterprise’s past and planned activities; proof that the enterprise is still operating, such as copies of the last available U.S. corporate tax returns/updated profit and loss statement/balance sheet/W-2 forms for employees and/or payroll documentation and. Only if there has been a change in the enterprise’s ownership the new ownership documentation needs to be submitted as well.
3. If this is your first E visa, but you are applying to work as an employee for a previously- qualified E visa enterprise, provide the following documentation: Forms DS-160 and DS-156E; the statement about your intent to return upon termination of your E status; a detailed resume or CV and documentation of your professional qualification (such as copies of education degrees, job training certificates and/or letters from previous employers); a letter of support from your prospective U.S. employer containing a detailed position description; proof that the enterprise is still operating, such as copies of the last available US tax return/updated profit and loss statement/balance sheet/W-2 forms for employees and/or payroll documentation and. Only if there has been a change in the enterprise’s ownership the new ownership documentation needs to be submitted as well.

Read at: Non-Immigrant Visa Section | Embassy of the United States Vienna, Austria

	Non-Immigrant Visa Section | Embassy of the United States Vienna, Austria   Treaty Traders and Treaty Investors Visa
	View on austria.usembassy.gov	Preview by Yahoo

New immigration law in Russia: effective January 10 2015, introduced 3, 5 and 10-year bans on admission.

Immigrations news from Russia: 

Effective January 10, 2015, foreign nationals who overstayed their period of authorized stay in Russian by 120 days will be banned from re-entry to Russia for 3 years; who who overstayed by over 270 days will be banned for 5 years; and those who oversted by over 360 days will be banned for 10 years.

This new law can potentially affect millions of foreign nationals living and working in Russia without appropriate visa or work authorization.

Более чем 1 млн иностранцев может быть закрыт въезд в Россию на 10 лет за превышение срока законного пребывания. Об этом заявил в интервью"Интерфаксу" в четверг глава Федеральной миграционной службы России Константин Ромодановский. По словам руководителя ФМС, это предусматривают поправки в законодательство, которые вступают в силу 10 января.

"Наша информационная система показывает, что на территории РФ в настоящее время находятся почти 3 млн иностранных граждан, значительно превышающих срок законного пребывания — 90 суток", — сказал Ромодановский.

"Эти господа не соизволили обратиться в ФМС. Считают, что могут здесь спокойно и безнаказанно пребывать и, скорее всего, подрабатывать, — отметил он. — Однакоинформационная система ФМС знает их поименно. Исключительное большинство — граждане стран СНГ".

По его словам, более 734 тысяч иностранцев находятся в России с нарушением более 270 суток, но менее 360 дней. "Еще 1 млн 28 тысяч 62 иностранных гражданина — более 360 суток", — сообщил руководитель ФМС.

"С 10 января 2015 года вступают в силу новые нормы законодательства, предусматривающие именно такое дифференцирование для определения степени нарушения, — подчеркнул Ромодановский. — За превышение срока пребывания с учетом установленных критериев последует и различное наказание".

Глава ФМС сказал, что превышение 120-дневного пребывания приведет к автоматизированному закрытию въезда на 3 года, за превышение 270 дней въезд будет закрыт на 5 лет. "Незаконное нахождение более 360 дней — шлагбаум закроется на 10 лет", — добавил он.

"Для тех, кто превысит срок пребывания в 120 суток, но выедет до истечения 270 суток, а эта категория составляет 1 млн 196 тысяч 619 иностранцев, предусмотрена возможность пересмотра решения информационной системы, правда, исходя только из гуманитарных соображений", — сказал руководитель ФМС.

Ромодановский заявил, что в начале 2015 года ФМС отмечает уменьшение почти на 70% миграционного потока в Россию. При этом по данным ФМС, меньше мигрантов едут в Россию из Средней Азии, но больше — из Молдавии и Украины.

За последние два года Россия уже закрыла въезд для более чем 1,2 млн иностранцев. Причина — неоднократное совершение административных правонарушений, нарушение режима пребывания в стране.

Read more at http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=2260685&cid=7

US Embassy and Consulates in Russia to replace all Russian staff in supervisory positions with US citizens.

The U.S. government announced it will replace all Russian nationals holding supervisory positions at its embassy and consulates in Russia with American citizens. The move, coming at a time when Russia-U.S. relations are at a new low, is considered an attempt by the U.S. to reduce its dependence on Russian staff, while some speculate the decision could be aimed at creating a network of undercover agents within the embassy.

The move is part of the new 2015 Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 4681).

“The Secretary of State shall ensure that, not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, every supervisory position at a United States diplomatic facility in the Russian Federation shall be occupied by a citizen of the United States who has passed, and shall be subject to, a thorough background check.” 

“They [the authorities] may assume that some of the Russian staff might leak information to Russian intelligence,” Yuri Rogulev, head of the Franklin Roosevelt Center of American Studies at Moscow State University, told Izvestia. “The reform will lead to an increase [in the number of] U.S. citizens in the embassy, which will allow the U.S. to create an agent network undercover within the embassy.”
Read more at: http://www.ibtimes.com/us-replace-russians-americans-its-embassy-consulates-russia-1764490

Russian investments to USA increased this year because of falling ruble and weak economy in Russia.

Buying or starting a business in the U.S. is a popular investment for Russians, Chinese and other foreign nationals. 

The number of wealthy Russians investing in the U.S. has ballooned this year as geopolitical turmoil and a disintegrating ruble have spurred Russians to seek havens for their wealth abroad. The best place right now: the U.S.

Read more at http://www.marketwatch.com/story/collapsing-ruble-has-wealthy-russians-scrambling-to-invest-in-the-us-2014-12-17?page=1

IN RUSSIAN:

"Они возвращаются": в США отмечают новую волну шквального интереса богатых русских к местной недвижимости

Число состоятельных граждан России, инвестирующих в США, резко увеличилось в 2014 году на фоне геополитической напряженности и ослабления рубля, пишет "Интерфакс" со ссылкой на MarketWatch.
По словам юриста Gusrae Kaplan Nusbaum PLLC Марлена Кружкова, помогающего российским клиентам найти возможности для инвестиций в США, число обращений со стороны россиян, оценивающих инвестиции в США, в этом году увеличилось более чем вдвое по сравнению с 2013 годом.
"По крайней мере, вдвое больше людей, чем обычно, обращаются к нам, и многие из тех, кто раньше скептически относился к инвестициям в США, теперь неожиданно начали говорить о желании провести сделки как можно быстрее", - говорит Кружков.
Согласно оценкам исследовательской организации Capital Economics, чистый отток частного капитала из России к концу 2014 года достигнет 120 млрд долларов против 61 млрд в 2013 году. Более существенный отток - 130 млрд долларов - был отмечен лишь в 2008 году, в период финансового кризиса.
Наиболее популярными среди граждан РФ являются инвестиции в недвижимость нью-йоркского района Манхэттен, однако они также вкладывают средства в частный бизнес и недвижимость в различных регионах США, сообщают частные лица, помогающие россиянам осуществлять инвестиции в США.
По словам Кружкова, российские инвесторы также начинают вкладывать средства в недвижимость и землю в Северной Дакоте и Оклахоме, ставших в последние годы эпицентром сланцевого бума, который привлек в эти штаты множество людей.
"Один человек приобрел землю в Северной Дакоте и построил жилье для рабочих, - отмечает Кружков. - Построенные им дома заняты на 98%, и он счастлив, что пошел на это, взяв на себя риск".
Джоан Бразерс, сотрудник агентства недвижимости Manhattan Boutique Realty, отмечает растущий интерес к недвижимости Манхэттена со стороны российских покупателей.
"Возможно, 10-15 лет назад россияне активно инвестировали в манхэттенскую недвижимость, потом более популярным стал Лондон и юг Франции, однако теперь они возвращаются", - говорит она.
По ее словам, типичным для гражданина России является покупка кондоминиума в Манхэттене стоимостью 2 млн долларов.
Приобретение уже действующего бизнеса или запуск его с нуля также является популярным среди российских, китайских, а также других иностранных инвесторов

Luba Smal.

Immigration Attorney.

Люба Смаль, иммиграционный адвокат.

Note: This information is provided for legal information purposes only and should not be considered a legal advice; it doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. In some jurisdictions it might be considered an attorney advertising. For more information or to schedule a consultation please visit http://www.law-visa-usa.com/contact_us.html or email at Attorney@law-visa-usa.com.