THE LACC DISTRICT CHAPTER OF AILA PRESENTS:
Righting The Ship – The Path Forward
December 2 & 3, 2021
When you register, you will be given the option of participating in this dinner. There will also be a cocktail party on December 3, 2021, following the CLE.
December 3, 2021– CLE
CLE credit is being applied for the following jurisdictions:
LACC thanks our sponsors!
Friday, December 3, 2021
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Introductory Remarks and State of the Chapter
Chair LACC Chapter, Leigh Ganchan, Esq., Houston, Tx.
Hot Topics - Including Conference Participant Interactive Session on Consulate Adjudication Trends and Alerts+
- Covid Fallout: What Consulates are Fully Operational? What is the Backlog?
- Due Diligence: How to Obtain Information Clients Have Already Provided to Government Agencies and Ethical Issues
- Remote Offices and the Impact on H applicants
- Significant Changes at CIS, CBP, DOS, ICE and Legislation
- Post-Trump, What has Biden Done to Make Our Lives Better?
- Department of Labor Update on Wages
Marketa Lindt, Esq., Past-President AILA, Chicago, Ill. (moderator)
Alexis Axelrad, Esq., AILA Secretary, N.Y., N.Y.
Mike Jarecki, Esq., AILA BOG, Chicago, Ill.
Amanda Brill, Esq., London, U.K.
- We hope everyone in the room will share their positive and negative experiences with different consulates so we can learn from each other.
What Are Consular Officers Really Looking For?
- How to Prepare your Client for the Interview at the Consulate and Ethical Considerations
- Are There Cases Where it is Better to Apply at the Consulate and Avoid USCIS?
- FAM Must-Knows and Surprises
- How Have Consulate Closures impacted Processing?
- Can an NIV be Obtained at Third Country Posts?
- Avoiding Fraud and Inadmissibility Findings
- Dealing with Long Delays at the Consulates
- Specific Consulate Nuances
- Tactics for Obtaining Emergency Assistance
- Suing DOS for Long Delays, When and How?
- Red Alerts
Mahsa Khanbabai,Esq., AILA BOG, North Easton, Ma. (moderator)
Chuck Kuck, Esq., Past- President AILA, Atlanta, Ga.
Stephen Pattison, Esq., Portsmouth, N.H.
Liam Schwartz, Esq., Tel Aviv, Israel
The Eternal Residence Applicant
- Best Ways to Avoid Travel Disruption and Deal with Advance Parole Delays
- Is it Necessary or Advisable to Renew an Underlying H or L visa?
- Will a non-dual intent NIV be Denied if an I-140 or I-526 is approved
- Can a Conditional Resident re-adjust under another Preference Category?
- How to Avoid and Get Organized for a Sudden P.D. Progression
- When is a Child’s Age Protected under the CSPA (before P.D. is current)?
- Dynamics of Converting a Previously Filed Adjustment Application
- Ethical Considerations
Cyrus Mehta, Esq., NY, N.Y. (moderator)
Eleanor Pelta, Esq., AILA Past-President, Washington, D.C.
Greg Siskind, Esq., AILA BOG, Memphis, Tn.
Anis Saleh, Esq., Miami, Fl.
Lunch – Litigation that Will Impact your Practice
Jesse Bless, Director of Litigation AILA
Jeff Joseph, Esq., AILA Treasurer, Denver, Co.
Common NIV Myths
- An H-1B Manager can’t make a Level 1 Wage
- A New H Not Selected in the Lottery Cannot Obtain an H-1B
- Obtaining EB-1C for L-1B client
- Proving that improperly benched H-1B paid below prevailing wage is in status
- Why your L-2 client can work without EAD
- Obtaining extension for client who has spent 9 years in L status
- Obtaining H-1B for J-1 with 2-year return requirement
- Obtaining EB-1C for a 3-person company
- Advising a Client whose salary is below I-129 and LCA wage
H. Ronald Klasko, Esq., AILA Past-President, Phil. Pa. (moderator)
Tammy Fox-Isicoff, Esq., AILA BOG (Miami, Fl.)
David Grunblatt, Esq., NY, NY
Ls and Es, Lord Help us!
- Tips for Proving Your Client is a Manager or Executive
- Do You Really Need an Office?
- How Long is It Taking to Process an E visa at the Consular Posts?
- Consular Nuances (third country processing, investment amount, essential worker, order of documents)
- Are Expedites Available and if so, How to Get One?
- Is There Recourse for E Denials?
- How to Deal with Currency Export Restrictions
- Is Third Country Processing for Blanket Ls or Es available?
- Can a Blanket L-1B be filed at the Consulate with a Degree Equivalency based on Experience?
- Strategies for Getting your L-1A and L-1B Petitions Approved at USCIS
- Does the New FAM Note on Blanket Ls Mean Anything in Adjudications of Blanket Ls?
- Dealing with the RFE from Hell and Ethical Considerations
Teri Simmons, Esq., Atlanta, Ga. (moderator)
Ramon Curiel, Esq., San Antonio, Tx.
David Ware, Esq., New Orleans, La.
Sharon Cook, Esq. Atlanta, Ga.
Labor Certs, Extraordinary Ability, Nationality Interest: The Path of Least Resistance
- Factors to Consider in Evaluating the Case (Sponsor, Timing, Availability of Documents)
- Labor Certifications, Where Are We now, Update on Processing, Wages and Nuances
- Remote Work and Its Impact on the Labor Certification Process
- When to Use Schedule A Group II
- How to File a Labor Certification as Exceptional Ability
- Tips for Proving Your Client is Extraordinary or that Her Residence is in the National Interest
- Ethical Considerations
Susan MacLean, Esq., Chicago, Ill (moderator)
Linda Rose, Esq., Nashville, Tn.
Marcine Seid, Esq., Palo, Alto, Ca.
Susan Fortino, Esq. Chicago, Ill.
Coffee Break
NIV and IV Waivers, Making Your Case
- What if Counsel Believes the Client Shouldn’t Need a Waiver, Client isn’t Inadmissible?
- How to Prepare an Effective Waiver Application, What Goes into the Soup?
- When Do You Use Experts, and Ethical Considerations?
- Mechanics of Processing Waiver Applications at USCIS and at the Consulates
- Are There Situations When an I-601A cannot or should not be Filed?
- Preparing Your Client for a Consular Interview
- How to Handle Multiple Grounds of Inadmissibility
- Filing for Multiple Waivers
Kelli Stump, Esq., Oklahoma City, Ok. (moderator)
Lynn Lee, Esq., Washington, D.C.
John Gihon, Esq., Altamonte Springs, Fl.
Sarah Owings, Esq., Atlanta, Ga.
Post-COVID, What we Learned about How We Should Run our Practice
- Do we need an Office? If so, When?
- Issues in Meeting Clients Only through Zoom
- Managing Staff and Hours Remotely
- Copying, Filing, Mailing, How To in a Remote Practice
- Does Remote Working Damage Collegiality?
- Social Media and Marketing in Remote Practices
- Software and Client Management Systems
- Poll of all Speakers, Take Away from Covid Operations
Jeffrey A. Devore, Palm Beach Gardens, Fl. (moderator)
Maite Hoyos, Esq., Miami, Fl.
Reid Trautz, Esq., AILA National Office, Washington, D.C.
Marisa Casablanca, Esq., Miami, Fl.
Cocktail Reception Sponsored by Visa Business Plans
Registration for CLE and all events only available online
PLEASE PAY CORRECT $$ AMOUNT, AS PER THE INFORMATION BELOW
Registration on or before October 10, 2021
Registration $330 for speakers only
Registration $395 for AILA LACC Members only
Registration $450 AILA non-LACC Chapter Members
Registration $500 non-AILA Members
Add $75 for late registrants (anyone registering after October 10, 2021).
Registration for extra events is only available before October 21, 2021.
Housekeeping issues: Refunds for cancelled registration will be provided, if notice of cancellation is emailed to jdevore@devorelawgroup.com on or before October 10, 2021. A $50 processing fee will be withheld.
Registration includes: continental breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks, cocktail reception, and conference materials. Separate registration is available for dinner at a wonderful venue in Santa Fe.
Hotel Accommodations
A limited block of rooms has been reserved at the La Posada Hotel in Santa Fe.
We encourage you to book early as we have secured a rate well below the rack rate, and our block will go quickly!
Dinner
Conference Chair
Tammy Fox-Isicoff