TOP IMMIGRATION AT TORNEYS
ELSIE HUI ARIAS
STONE GRZEGOREK & GONZALEZ LLP | PARTNER
Elsie Hui Arias is a partner of
Stone Grzegorek & Gonzalez
LLP, a full-service immigration
law firm in Los Angeles,
California. The State Bar of
C a l i fo r n i a h a s d e s i g n a te d
Arias as a certified specialist in immigration and nationality
law. She advises regional centers and developers in
preparing EB-5 investment offerings, applying for initial
regional center designations and I-526 exemplar approvals,
maintaining compliance, and developing strategies in
tackling complex issues that emerge during the I-526
and I-829 process. She is a graduate of the University of
California, Berkeley and the University of California, Davis
School of Law.
WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING
IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY?
I have represented EB-5 clients since 2007, so I have
observed how USCIS adjudications have evolved. First,
USCIS is revising substantive legal requirements through
issuance of policy with little notice or opportunity for
meaningful feedback from stakeholders, which is hugely
problematic for pragmatic and due-process reasons. Also,
USCIS is more closely scrutinizing investor source of funds
and currency exchange issues, especially where a third
party is involved. A cursory presentation addressing the
sources and transfers of capital will not pass muster with
USCIS, even under the preponderance of the evidence
standard. Transparency and consistency with investor
documents are paramount.
WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED
IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY?
I spent the first several years of my career focused on
family- and employment-based immigration, as well as
preparing appeals and motions for removal (deportation)
cases. I joined Stone & Grzegorek LLP approximately 11
years ago, where I learned directly from Lincoln Stone, a
renowned expert in EB-5 who has been practicing in this
field since the early 1990s. I find the work to be rewarding
because of the positive impact that EB-5 capital can have on
the economy and job creation, and I get to play a small role
helping investors and their families realize their American
dream.
EDWARD BESHARA
BESHARA GLOBAL MIGRATION LAW FIRM | MANAGING PARTNER
E d wa r d B e s h a r a m a n a g e s
Beshara Global Migration Law
Firm in Orlando, Florida. He
has been exclusively practicing
U.S. business immigration law
and offering approvable solutions since 1983. Beshara is an
active member of AILA and achieved AILA’s highest award
for outstanding contributions. He is also an active member of
IIUSA’s Best Practices Committee and New Investor Markets
Committee. He serves on the advisory committee of the
Investment Migration Council based in Geneva, Switzerland.
For several years Beshara was an adjunct professor of
business immigration law at the University of Florida Levin
College of Law. The firm also offers global migration services.
WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING
IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY?
The residency-by-investment laws are here to stay. The EB-5
program offers an effective way for foreign investors to obtain
U.S. residency while creating U.S. jobs. The program also
allows U.S. businesses to obtain financing for their projects. To
approach new investor markets and compete globally with
other countries’ residency-by-investment programs, regional
centers will need to develop competitive projects and
processes that will still be successful, even though the
minimum investment amounts may increase. There must be
advising regional center clients on how to be competitive and
predictable, and how their projects can become the most
popular globally.
WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED
IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY?
For 35 years, I have been helping foreign investors obtain E-2
and L-1 visas so that they may direct their U.S. businesses.
The cost of running these businesses is substantial. The EB-5
regional center program in comparison may not be as costly
and will be more predictable. The EB-5 investor does not have
to worry about directing his own business but can rely on a
credible U.S. business project managed by experienced
operators. I began representing EB-5 investors 27 years ago,
which was a natural and compatible progression for providing
better options to clients contemplating E-2 or L-1 visas.
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