Seminar by local immigration attorney

[JulieC]

L-1 - INTRA-COMPANY TRANSFEREE
E-1 - TREATY TRADER E-2 - TREATY INVESTOR

1st Annual I.C.A.T.
Strategic Planning Seminar

Thursday, October 26th - 2006

Celebration Hotel - Sabal Room
Celebration, FL 34747

This Immigration, Corporate, Asset Protection and Tax (I.C.A.T.) seminar is designed for the foreign national who resides in the U.S., and either has, or plans to obtain, an investor or intracompany transferee visa (E or L visa) with the intent of owning and operating his or her own U.S. based company.

Please join our distinguished panel of speakers as we provide strategic I.C.A.T. solutions that will:
1. Maximize your chances of obtaining or extending your E or L visa;
2. Properly structure your foreign and U.S. based company and investments;
3. Protect your U.S. based assets through Estate and Trust planning;
4. Understand and minimize U.S. based taxation.


I.C.A.T.
Date:
Time:
Location:


Seminar Itinerary:
Thursday, October 26, 2006
6:30pm-9:00pm
Celebration Hotel (700 Bloom Street, Celebration, Florida 34747)
See below for directions.


Cost: None. However, space is limited and you must RSVP by emailing (j.kennedy@maneygordon.com) or calling (813-221-1366 ext. 110) John Kennedy on or before Friday, October 21, 2006. This is a first come, first serve seminar, so please RSVP immediately to ensure your seat.

Attendees: Open to everyone, however you must RSVP on or before Friday, October 21, 2006.

I.C.A.T. Seminar Format:
Moderator, Mark Weiner, will pose an E visa hypothetical and L visa hypothetical. The panelists will discuss the hypotheticals, followed by a Question and Answer session from the audience.

Moderator:
Mark Weiner, a Board Certified Immigration Attorney .

Panelists :
I: Immigration: Attorney Christian Zeller (Business Immigration)
C: Corporate and Investments: Attorney Gil Sanchez (Corporate); Russ Rodgers (Investments)
A: Asset Protection: Attorney Rick Giglio (Estates and Trusts)
T: Taxation: Certified Public Accountant Tom Roberge (Tax Specialist)

On behalf of the attorneys and staff at Maney & Gordon, P.A.'s offices in:

Tampa, FL;
Orlando, FL;
St. Petersburg, FL;
El Paso, TX; and
Albuquerque, NM

we look forward to seeing you at our 1st Annual I.C.A.T. Strategic Planning Seminar 2006.

Sincerely,


Richard H. Maney, Esq.

P.S. I invite you to visit our website at www.maneygordon.com for details on the firm's various practice areas:

Immigration and Nationality Law
Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice
Family Law
Estates & Trusts
Corporate & Business Law
Civil Litigation & Criminal Defense

Celebration Hotel
700 Bloom St.
Celebration, FL 34747
Tel: 407-566-6000
Fax: 407-566-1844
Toll-free: 888-499-3800

[Susie]

Hi Julie

Thanks for sharing

I will do my very best to attend and hopefully will learn from it

If anyone else would like to join me I can take 4 people, maybe a drink or two afterwards?

Will be very interesting to know about trusts and estate asset protection

How about it Em, Zoe?

[Emmalee25]

Sue, RSVP for me,
It will defp be interesting, ill catch a lift and there is an irish bar in celebration now :angel:
Em x

[Susie]

Hi

It was nice to see some members at the meeting.

Some interesting points were made.

The responsibility of employers

You must get I 9 form (I think that was the form) from your employees to prove they are legal to work. Failure to get proof could result in your company being shut down.

Taxation

LPR or anyone residing in the USA for more than 183days in a tax year are subject to pay tax on their world wide income and complete US tax return

Domocile

Normally your domocile is where your roots are and providing you still have financial roots in home country then that is where your are considered to be domocile


Please can we discuss here of Q and A here for the benefit of those who could not attend.

Especially the comment that if you are requested to attend American Embassy for a 221g interview, you should not go

Any comments ?

[JulieC]

Re the 221g interview that was certainly what they said wasnt it, Susie? They also said they were looking into sending people to Nassau or Hamilton embassy instead of London for renewals. I thought the loophole in the Bahamas had been plugged? Wheres Hamilton?

The other bombshell was on death duties for visa holders. They said somone owning a $150,000 asset whose husband died would owe $25,000. The option is to set up a trust, which they were pushing. And such a person would be given NO time to leave if a dependant rather than co visa holder.

They also said that the option of going as dependant to get a job on EAD and then get the employer to apply for labour certification and sponsor you was a valid one but the whole process could take years, was in 7, Susie??

Re selling a E2 business in the course of a visa, they said you would be ok selling 50 percent but if you sold all of it, your visa would be invalid and you should re-apply.

[victoria]

The Domicile point is of most interest to me. Assuming you were born in the UK from the Inland Revenue's perspective it takes quite a bit to abandon your domicile of origin. (They're not about to give up an opportunity to levy taxes lightly). What financial roots were discussed?

From what I have seen in order to abandon your domicile of origin you have to make relatively large steps to establish a domicile of choice - not only for example buying a house or entering into a long lease but also having the intention to permanently remain. For those of us on temp visas seems to me unless you've put your hand out for a Green Card and mean it when you tell the Embassy that you intend to return then you haven't abandoned your domicile of origin - was the advice at the meeting different? thanks

[Susie]

Hi Julie

Yes, the attorney said

If you get interview for renewal of E visa on 221g do not leave the USA or go to it.

I cannot see the difference for people to renew in Nassau or anywhere else except this is a shorter journey and wait times may be quicker.

You still depart the USA and if denied you will be stuck in that country

With regards to E visa holders selling half of their company to their family members, this would not work and be frowned on. Also you cannot sell the business that qualified for the E visa, making a substaintal change, this would null and void your visa

[victoria]

I'm confused - why on earth wouldn't you attend the 221g to defend your case - he can't be telling pple to stay when their visas have expired?

[kebab king]

Sue-

The Attorney actually said that if you are called for interview under section 221(g) you should not leave the USA or attend the interview?

So what, if anything, did they suggest that someone called for this should do then?

I would of thought that if you do not attend the interview, you would have no closure on the application, and no way of going forward either...

-Kristina

[Susie]

Sue-

The Attorney actually said that if you are called for interview under section 221(g) you should not leave the USA or attend the interview?

So what, if anything, did they suggest that someone called for this should do then?

I would of thought that if you do not attend the interview, you would have no closure on the application, and no way of going forward either...

-Kristina


Hi

I think he mean't that if all paperwork is in order there is no need for a 221g interview

So if you get a 221g, find out exactly what is needed , then supply the extra documents so there would be no need for a 221g interview you would just get approval notice.

Once you got approval you could then book appointment for passport stamping


Others, what do you think ?

[Susie]

Hi

I have just phoned my CPA

It appears that a tax free lump sum from a UK pension fund may be taxed in the USA

It is so confusing ! It depends if the USA treat this payment like a social security benefit or not

So

My widows pension and death grant would be free of tax as a social security benefit

Therefore , I doubt if a tax free lump sum from Police, fire, ambulance or council pension would be tax free in the USA

[haytonmac]

Hi susie on your last posting I would agree that is the position but as I've said Ido use a cpa that is uk trained and best able to give the answers everyone is looking for so call me and I'll pass it on

[victoria]

From what I've read here Redsoxs queried his 221g & it was confirmed that it wasnt really a 221g & Emma has simply been asked to provide a list of updating docs & the Embassy has said that they're using 221gs as a way of moving the process along... I think you must be right in your clarification - I can't imagine an attorney advising do nothing & stick your head in the sand! Although, actually given the calibre of some of the VAs out there maybe...

Nothing on our invite to the Embassy referred to a 221g but they did ask for one extra doc. Whilst of course I'm hoping that our interview is very much a formality still have that awful fear that they could say no - presumably other pple have been called for an interview & been turned down with no advance warning?? (You can always count on me to look on the bright side..)

[Susie]

Hi

Another important point to note


If one partner is main visa holder (either E L or HIB ) and partner dependant if main visa holder dies the partner has to leave the USA straight away.

I did post on another thread that I knew of a lady (E 2 dependant) whos husband was terminal and when he died she was given 30 days to leave the USA, the attorney at the meeting did not agree with this statement. But all I can say is I heard this directly from the lady concerned

[Susie]

Hi

Here is another point


The immigration attorney suggested that one partner is main visa holder and spouse/partner be dependant

The dependant could get work autho. If their employer wanted to they could sponser dependant for green card.

He made this sound very simple, my guess is it would be difficult unless the partner/spouse had an unusal skill or degree. The employer would have to get labour certification approved and doubt whether it would be sucessful for a shop assistant (the senario the IA used)