TOP IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS
IGNACIO DONOSO
DONOSO & PARTNERS
Founder and managing partner of Donoso & Partners , LLC , Ignacio Donoso is a renowned business immigration lawyer for the United States and Canada . He has particular expertise working with investors , technology companies , academics and researchers . Donoso ’ s career spans over 20 years as a lawyer , during which he advised thousands of clients to successfully navigate the visa systems of the U . S . and Canada . Donoso has been recognized among the Top 25 immigration attorneys in the U . S . for entrepreneur visas in 2015 , 2016 , 2018 , 2019 , 2020 and 2021 . He is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences on immigration law .
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE EB-5 REFORM AND INTEGRITY ACT OF 2022 ?
The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 has redefined the future and given a new birth to the EB-5 program . The integrity measures ensuring higher compliance standards for regional centers are welcome provisions that promote transparency and protect innocent investors . I applaud the efforts undertaken to reduce processing timing including visa setasides . Also , the provision which discusses concurrent filing of adjustment of status applications is the star of the bill . This is a life-changing provision for several investors in the U . S . who are living on the edge and has provided them stability in the green card process .
WHAT NEW TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY ?
After the enactment of the new EB-5 law , we have witnessed a steady increase in inquiries from investors to perform independent due diligence before selecting the regional center as well as the project . Also , a higher compliance mandate has resulted in investors overall having more confidence in the legislation today . Investors who are residing outside the U . S . are very excited about exploring projects in rural areas which offer expedited processing and we expect that more regional centers would come up with projects that may qualify for visa set asides .
CHAD ELLSWORTH
FRAGOMEN
Chad Ellsworth is the managing partner of Fragomen ’ s San Francisco office . His practice focuses on representing large clients across industry sectors , including global financial institutions , professional services firms , information technology organizations , private clients , and entrepreneurs . He also has extensive experience representing students , graduates , executives , and HNWIs on a wide variety of business travel , mobility , and business immigration matters . He is a regular speaker at immigration conferences including the American Immigration Lawyers Association , EB5 Investors Magazine , SelectUSA , The Conference Board of Canada , Council for Global Immigration , the Investment Migration Council , the China-US Business Alliance , the Invest in America Shanghai Summit and Exhibition , and Immigration Lawyers on the Web .
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE EB-5 REFORM AND INTEGRITY ACT OF 2022 ?
The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 brought much needed transparency and predictability to the regional center program . My clients were pleased to have the program reinstated with clear requirements for the next five years .
WHAT NEW TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY ?
The EB-5 regional center extension , coupled with the lack of H-1B visa numbers , has led to a renewed interest in the EB-5 investor category . This is particularly true for students or recent graduates who need uninterpreted work authorization in the U . S . and are unable to secure the customary H-1B professional work authorization .
36 EB5 INVESTORS MAGAZINE