De nombreux individus préfèrent rester résident permanent que de faire la demande de citoyenneté américaine, pourquoi cette retissance ? Tout d’abord, une certaine partie pense qu’en devenant citoyen, on renonce à sa citoyenneté d’origine. Cela est vrai pour les natifs de certains pays, mais le fait est que la décision de retirer la citoyenneté d’origine relève du droit du pays d’origine, et non celui des États-Unis. Même si l’individu faisant la demande de naturalisation américaine renonce techniquement à tout attachement au pays d’origine, le gouvernement américain autorise tout de même la double nationalité. En général, la plupart des gens ne reconnaissent pas les bénéfices de devenir citoyen si ce n’est que d’obtenir un autre passeport. En plus, cela coûte cher, alors pourquoi s’embêter à entamer cette procédure ?

Tout d’abord, un citoyen américain ne peut être exclu des États-Unis, contrairement au résident permanent. Les lois d’immigration sont très strictes et de nombreux individus se retrouvent en procédures d’exclusion devant le juge d’immigration car ils n’étaient pas au courant de certaines de ces lois. Par exemple, vous ne pouvez pas rester en dehors des Etats-Unis pendant plus d’un an sans autorisation préalable des services d’immigration, ou vous venez sûrement d’abandonner votre statut de résident permanent. Cette décision est prise par le juge d’immigration. D’autres causes amenant un résident permanent à être poursuivi en justice par les services d’immigration sont : la commission d’une infraction lourde, délit ou crime sur le territoire américain ou en dehors (même si cela s’est passe il y a de cela 20 ans), comportements pouvant démontrer l’absence d’un bon caractère moral, et mentir pour obtenir des avantages d’immigration ou du gouvernement américain.

Il est vrai que les résidents permanents américains jouissent en grande partie des mêmes droits que les citoyens américains, mais il existe des raisons importantes de devenir un citoyen américain.

Montrer son patriotisme devrait être la raison principale. En devenant citoyen américain, vous montrez votre engagement envers votre nouveau pays.

Deuxièmement, la citoyenneté américaine permet à l’individu de voter aux élections locales, étatiques et fédérales. Sachez que vous n’avez généralement par le droit de vous inscrire ou de voter aux élections en tant que résident permanent quel que soit les élections, et qu’au contraire, vous pouvez vous faire exclure des Etats-Unis pour violation des lois d’immigration.

Vous pouvez aussi faire venir des membres de votre famille aux États-Unis car en tant que citoyen, les délais d’attente seront souvent moins long (par contre il arrive que les délais d’attente pour l’immigration de l’époux ou enfant d’un résident permanent soient moins long que si la personne était citoyen américain !).

Aussi, le fait de pouvoir obtenir un passeport américain peut être un atout essentiel pour ceux voulant voyager à l’étranger sans faire une demande de visa. En effet, les Etats-Unis ont un accord avec de nombreux pays qui permettent à leurs citoyens de voyager sans visa. Au contraire, les natifs de certains pays, même si résidents permanents américains, peuvent être requis de faire une demande officielle de visa de touriste.

Un citoyen américain peut obtenir la citoyenneté pour ses enfants nés à l’étranger, et ses enfants résidents permanents aux États-Unis de moins de 18 ans.

D’autres bénéfices incluent l’éligibilité pour un poste de travail au sein du gouvernement fédéral, devenir un représentant officiel élu, éligibilité pour les bourses et dons fédéraux, obtention de prestations du gouvernement, et faire partie d’un jury,

Vous pensez que devenir citoyen américain peut vous être bénéfique? N’attendez-pas et contactez-moi pour plus d’informations et pour déterminer si vous êtes éligible. Mon adresse email est m.poudat@mpoudatlaw.com et mon numéro de téléphone est le 407-373-0994. Vous pouvez aussi obtenir plus d’informations sur mon site internet à www.mpoudatlaw.com et sa version française www.maud-poudat-immigration-usa.fr.

Cet article a été écrit par Maud Poudat, avocate spécialisée en Immigration, admise au barreau de Floride.

De plus en plus de ressortissants français sont amenés à investir aux Etats-Unis, pousses par un taux de change préférentiel entre l’euro et le dollar. De plus, les bas prix des logements et baux commerciaux dans certains états d’Amérique du Nord sont une raison supplémentaire pour s’installer et ouvrir une nouvelle société aux fins d’immigration.

Un visa investisseur E-2 permet à certains étrangers, ressortissants d’un pays signataire d’un traite de commerce avec les Etats-Unis, qui investissent un minimum d’environ $70,000 dans une nouvelle entreprise, établie sur le territoire, d’immigrer temporairement moyennant la gérance de cette même entreprise. Ce visa est typiquement octroyé pour une durée de 5 ans et est renouvelable indéfiniment suivant l’activité de l’entreprise.

Les Consulats des Etats-Unis établis dans ces pays signataires sont en mesure d’octroyer un visa E-2, a conditions  de remplir certains critères bien déterminé. Tout d’abord, l’investisseur doit pouvoir justifier de la source des fonds investi, c’est-à-dire prouver que l’argent n’a pas été blanchi. L’individu doit ensuite mettre en place une société, qu’il va détenir a plus de 50%, puis, une fois l’obtention d’un bail commercial, le demandeur doit pouvoir justifier dans un business plan détaille projetant l’activité commerciale pour 5 années, que celle-ci pourra générer des profits suffisant pour la subsistance de l’individu et de sa famille, et de plus, employer du personnel sur le territoire américain. Finalement, l’argent doit être investi dans un fonds de commerce, et ne peut demeurer sur un compte bancaire.

Du fait de la complexité de ces dossiers, il est souvent recommande de faire appel à des professionnels, comme un avocat spécialise en immigration, un comptable, et un agent immobilier. L’avocat s’occupera de rassembler tous les éléments nécessaires à l’envoi du dossier au Consulat et s’assurera que tous les critères d’éligibilité sont remplis.

Au cabinet de Maitre Poudat, nous avons ample expérience avec le traitement des dossiers de demande de visa E-2 auprès du Consulat des Etats-Unis à Paris et auprès des Consulats américains dans le monde entier. N’hésitez pas à nous contacter par email à info@mpoudatlaw.com ou par téléphone au +001-407-373-0994.

Many foreign nationals are prey to immigration fraud when they consult with non-lawyers such as notarios and immigration consultants. These so-called specialists will, more often than not, give you legal advice which, by law, they are not authorized to do, take your money and file the wrong applications for you. In my legal practice, I have seen foreign nationals who were given the wrong advice by such notarios and have either become illegal in the United States for lack of proper consultation with an immigration attorney, or have ended up in removal proceedings because of their wrongful advice. Unfortunately, it is usually too late to remedy those situations by the time an experienced immigration lawyer steps in. There is little recourse one can take once he or she has become the victim of immigration fraud. In Florida for example, one can file a complaint for Unauthorized Practice of law with the Florida Bar, which will have the Bar investigate the activities of the notario or consultant and perhaps lead to a cease and desist order, stopping any future activities of that notario.  

One can also file a lawsuit for civil damages against that person to recover fees paid in exchange for the service, as long as proof of payment and evidence of detrimental reliance and damages is presented. However, remember that one who is not a lawyer does not have the same professional liability than a notario or consultant does, thus it may be harder to show that the notario did not fulfill his portion of the contract.

If already placed in removal proceedings, the foreign national, with the help of the newly hired immigration lawyer, can, depending on the situation bring up the ineffective assistance of counsel/notario before the Immigration Judge. The Immigration Judge may take this into consideration when discretionary decisions are involved.

Notarios and legal consultants have recently preyed on foreign nationals after Secretary Napolitano’s announcement of August 18, 2011 which has been wrongfully interpreted as an amnesty. Such announcement only applies to existing cases that are already in the system and is aimed at prioritizing serious immigration violators over others which clog up an already overburdened immigration court system. One should be extremely careful not to fall for notarios’ misleading representations that this change leads to grants of employment authorization or legal status. If you want more information on this announcement, you can visit the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)’s consumer advisory or consult an experienced or specialized immigration lawyer.

Maud Poudat is a Board Certified Immigration Attorney with the Florida Bar and can assist you if you have been the victim of immigration fraud.

NEW E VISA PROCESSING FOR MISSION ITALY

Effective December 1, 2011, all E visas applications will be processed in Rome.  Therefore, all new E visa applications submitted after December 1, 2011 should be sent to the E Visa Section in Rome following the directions on the web. (http://italy.usembassy.gov./visa/vis/vis-6-en.html) All cases will be processed in the order received.  All pending cases sent to Milan prior to December 1, 2011, will be processed to conclusion in Milan, in the order they were received. 

For questions regarding cases that are pending in Milan, please contact Milanevisas@state.gov

For general questions on E visa processing in Mission Italy or specific questions regarding E visa cases submitted in Rome please contact RomeEvisas@state.gov

Effective December 1, 2011 all E Visa application packets must be mailed or couriered to the Rome Consular Section at the following address:

E Visa Processing
c/o Non-Immigrant Visa Unit
Consular Section
U.S. Embassy Rome
via V. Veneto, 121
00187 Roma

Prior to December 1, 2011 applicants in the Milan Consular district should direct application packets to:

E Visa Processing
c/o Non-Immigrant Visa Unit
U.S. Consulate General Milan
Via Principe Amedeo, 2/10
20121 Milano

All E visa applicants will be notified when the application packet is received.

Treaty Trader (E-1) and Treaty Investor (E-2) nonimmigrant visa

Section 101(a)(15)(E) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides nonimmigrant visa status for a national of any of the countries with which the United States maintains an appropriate 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 United States and the treaty country, or to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which the national has invested, or is actively in the process of investing substantial amount of capital.

Requirements for a Treaty Trader (E-1) nonimmigrant visa

• The applicant must be a national of a treaty country.
• The trading firm for which the applicant is coming to the United States must have the nationality of the treaty country.
  Note: At least 50% of the ownership of the company must have the nationality of the treaty country. Local permanent resident aliens do not qualify as majority holders of US companies for E visa purposes.
• The international trade must be “substantial” in the sense that there is a sizable and continuing volume of trade.
• The trade must be principally between the United States and the treaty country, which is defined to mean that more than 50% of international trade involved must be between the United States and the country of the applicant’s nationality.
• Trade means the international exchange of goods, services and technology. Title of the trade items must pass from one party to other.
• The applicant must be employed in a supervisory or executive capacity, or possess highly specialized skills essential to the efficient operation of the firm. Ordinary skilled or unskilled workers do not qualify.

Requirements for a Treaty Investor (E-2) nonimmigrant visa

• The Investor, either a real or corporate person, must be a national of a treaty country.
• The investment must be substantial. It must be sufficient to ensure the successful operation of the enterprise. The percentage of investment for a low-cost business enterprise must be higher than the percentage of investment in high-cost enterprise.
• The investment must be a real operating enterprise. Speculative or idle investment does not qualify. Uncommitted funds in a bank account or similar security are not considered an investment.
• The investment may not be marginal. It must generate significantly more income than just to provide a living to the investor and family, or it must have a significant economic impact in the United States.
• The investor must have control of the funds, and the investment must be at risk in the commercial sense. Loans secured with assets of the investment enterprise are not allowed.
• The investor must be coming to the U.S. 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 skills capacity. Ordinary skilled and unskilled workers do not qualify.

To apply for a Treaty Trader (E-1) or a Treaty Investor (E-2) visa, an applicant must first establish that the trading enterprise or investment enterprise meets the requirements of the law. To establish entitlement to the E visa status, please refer to the guidance and to the requirements listed on this page above.

Holders of E visas may reside in the United States as long as they continue to maintain their status with the enterprise. Spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age, regardless of nationality, may receive derivative visas in order to accompany the principal alien. The spouse of an Evisa holder may apply to DHS for employment authorization. Dependent children of an E visa holder are not authorized to work in the United States.

To ensure efficient processing of your E1/E2 visa the Visa Unit of Mission Italy encourages you to click on the link below and follow instructions: Instructions for Applying for E1/E2 Nonimmigrant Visas (PDF 94kb)

ATTENTION:

The most common reason causing delays in processing Treaty Trader and Treaty Investor visa applications is the failure to submit a Banca Nazionale del Lavoro receipt for the Machine Readable Visa fee payment. Cases submitted without this receipt are not examined or processed until the Machine Readable Visa fee payment receipts are received.

For E visa questions, contact our law firm at www.mpoudatlaw.com or check our section on investment visas.

In my daily practice, I encounter individuals who wonder if they should become citizens of the United States and whether they are eligible to do so. What truly are the benefits of obtaining United States citizenship and is it time for you to apply? I have people coming into my office who have had their green card for more than 10 years and seem to only worry about it when the time comes for them to bring over their spouse, children, parents, or even their siblings. Others never seem to worry about applying. Well, they have been residing here for so long, have been authorized to work, they do not really care about taking part in the next elections, so why bother?

Well, consider the following which may bring some clarity to the issue. If you have experienced a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer’s lengthy interrogation process at the border, who happened to summon you about your frequent overseas travels or would like to spend more time overseas than in the U.S., whether by choice or due to unfortunate circumstances, this may be a good time to end these types of troublesome situations. By becoming a U.S. citizen by virtue of naturalization, you are entitled to travel in and outside of the United States as you please, no more questioning at the border, no need to calculate the number of days before six months of overseas travel has accrued….Many clients come to me when it is too late. “I spent two years outside of the United States because my mom passed away and I had to take care of her estate and settle the inheritance. Then I arrived in the U.S. and Customs asked me for how long I was gone. I told them the truth. The officer told me that I had abandoned my residency. I explained the situation but he didn’t want to hear anything. He took my green card and asked whether I wanted to sign a form confirming that I had abandoned my residency or whether I wanted to see the Immigration Judge. I told him I wanted to see the Judge. They gave me a Notice to appear in Immigration Court, I have a hearing next month. What do I do?”  These types of scenarios happen quite frequently and more often than not to permanent residents who were eligible to file for naturalization for a while but always postponed the dreaded filing.  Indeed, an absence of longer than one year will be deemed an abandonment of the LPR’s permanent resident status. In sum, the LPR may find himself in an unlawful status after signing off on that dreaded “Abandonment of Residence” form at the border or being found by the Immigration Judge to have abandoned his or her permanent residence status. Even though there are exceptions that exist within our immigration and nationality laws to avoid the abandonment of residency, including the filing of a reentry permit, one should take his precautions before thinking about prolonged absences outside of the United States.

Our laws allow for foreign nationals to naturalize if they have spent at least half of the required statutory period (five years prior to filing or three years, if they apply based on marriage to a U.S. citizen) on our soil, as well as abide by the strict continuous presence requirement during the same statutory period, up until the oath ceremony. One must not make a trip outside of the United States for longer than six months, or else a presumption of break of the continuous presence applies, which ultimately may prevent the potential applicant from applying for the benefit. Documentation needed to rebut the presumption of loss of continuous residence includes “…but is not limited to, evidence that during the absence: (A) The applicant did not terminate his or her employment in the United States; (B) The applicant’s immediate family remained in the United States; (C) The applicant retained full access to his or her United States abode; or (D) The applicant did not obtain employment while abroad.” 8 C.F.R. § 316.5(c)(1)(i).

Mind you, while an overseas trip of longer than six months but less than one year may presumptively break the continuous presence, absences in excess of one year conclusively break continuous residence for naturalization purposes. Outside of exceptional circumstances, a Legal Permanent Resident (“LPR”) will be able to apply no earlier than four years and one day after return to the United States as a permanent resident following the extended absence.

What else may you take into consideration when making this decision? As mentioned above, a naturalized citizen can petition for his parents to obtain permanent residency, which is otherwise unavailable to permanent residents, and otherwise upgrade the petition process for children and spouse for a faster adjudication of the benefit. One may also be interested in obtaining a federal job, which is the prerogative of a U.S. citizen and of course make your voting rights known by first registering in an election, and then actually participating in one.

More often than not however, I recommend anybody to file for naturalization because an LPR is never safe from removal from the United States. I have seen LPRs being placed in removal proceedings for various immigration violations such as crimes, past misrepresentations, unlawful voting or voting registration, which violations occurred much later after their initial eligibility date for naturalization. Unfortunately, sometimes, there is no relief for some of these violations and our laws mandate the removal of the foreign national. While naturalization does not cure some past immigration violations, it certainly protects an LPR from possible removal in case of a future violation that would deem him or her removable.

Be sure to consult with a qualified immigration attorney, preferably board certified in the field of immigration and naturalization law, to determine your eligibility for U.S. citizenship.

At the Law Office of Maud Poudat, P.A., we handle the naturalization process of legal permanent residents from beginning to end. Contact us at m.poudat@mpoudatlaw.com or via phone at (407) 373-0994, or visit our website at www.mpoudatlaw.com for further information.