Inside Immigration with Nadia Yakoob

In this episode, we look at expressing the immigrant experience through creative work, such as poetry and writing.  I invited Renzo del Castillo, author of a collection of poems titled Still, to discuss how he used poetry to process his experiences immigrating to the United States. Writing about our experiences can give us a better understanding of our past, present and future.  I hope this conversation inspires you to write about your journey to the United States!  

Moving to a new country can be stressful, even if we are excited about the change. In this episode of Inside Immigration, I invited Dr. Lorraine Ehlers-Flint, a psychologist and immigrant, to discuss the impact of immigration on mental health and ways to improve mental well-being.

In this episode, I discuss the monthly Visa Bulletin, which is issued by the U.S Department of State every month and provides information on which immigrant visa applications the government is working on. I go over the various categories of immigrant visas, the annual limits to the green cards available, what a priority date is and why there are different tables in the monthly visa bulletin.  With this podcast, I hope to help you understand the monthly visa bulletin so you can plan your permanent residence process better. 

In this episode, I discuss the J-1 visa for interns and trainees. The J-1 can be used for a variety of cultural exchange programs, and provides a pathway for foreign nationals to visit the United States to teach, study, conduct research, or receive on the job training. I spoke with a Senior Associate of People Operations and a Product Design Intern from Verkada, a fast-growing startup in the Bay Area, about their experiences with the J-1 visa program. They share insights on recruiting interns from international schools, confirming that the intern is eligible for the J-1 visa, and the overall internship experience.

In this episode, we discuss options for foreign nationals on temporary employment-based visas whose employment has been terminated or who are concerned about possible termination.   For common employment-based visas, including the H-1B, E, L, O and TN, employees have 60 calendar days from the last day of employment to find a new employer that can sponsor them for a visa or to apply for a change of status. I spoke with Leyla Mostafavi, an associate at my firm, on factors to consider when finding a new job, exact timing of the grace period, and options to consider if the employee is unable to find a new sponsoring employer. While losing a job can feel very stressful, another job, most likely a better one, is around the corner.  Let this be a time to reflect on where you want to land next and set your goals accordingly. 

In this episode, I discuss the process and requirements for becoming a United States citizen through naturalization.  For lawful permanent residents, there are several advantages to becoming a US citizen, including access to federal benefits, protection from deportation, ability to live and work abroad, and the right to vote. Most countries now allow for dual citizenship, so I highly recommend considering naturalization. 

In this episode, I discuss the requirements for getting a green card based on extraordinary ability.  I invited a former client to share his experience with this process, including tips for when to get started, building a portfolio of evidence, deciding between self or employer sponsorship, and responding to a request for evidence.

In this episode, we will discuss how employers should test the US labor market in order to sponsor a foreign national worker for permanent residence ("green card").  I interview a former DOL attorney who worked at the agency for over 30 years before retiring to get his expert insights on the most common reasons for denial of the applications to fill a position with a foreign national worker, what options employers have to overcome these denials, and the challenges employers face today in testing the US labor market. 

DACA was introduced by the Obama administration in June 2012 as a temporary program until Congress could pass a law that would provide a pathway to citizenship for foreign nationals who had been brought to the United States as young children and who had been living here without authorization ("Dreamers").  The program stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Since its introduction, DACA has been at the center of several hotly contested lawsuits. The legal battle recently enjoyed a victory at the US Supreme Court, which found that the Trump administration's decision to end the program in September 2017 was "arbitrary and capricious," which is legal speak for saying it didn't make any sense.  In this episode of Inside Immigration, Nadia Yakoob interviews a Dreamer about his experiences and a senior lawyer at the University of California who has been heavily involved in the litigation to preserve DACA to get a deeper understanding of DACA and all that it stands for.   

Many foreign nationals seeking employment in the United States are nervous about discussing the need for visa sponsorship.  I wanted to get the inside scoop on how job-seekers can make their applications and profiles stand out, and overcome employer resistance to visa sponsorship.  I decided to interview an extremely seasoned professional recruiter who has 30 years of experience to tell me what she looks for in candidates, how she finds them, and how to approach the need for visa sponsorship during the interview process.  

Many foreign nationals have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and are looking to apply their skills, education, talent and hard work to building their own business.   If you want to start a company in the United States, this episode of Inside Immigration covers topics such as selecting the right legal structure for your business, where to incorporate, and the latest rules on engaging independent contractors in California.   Nadia interviews seasoned corporate attorney, Jonathan Saben, who has over a decade of experience helping startups, emerging companies, and nonprofits for his insights on how companies can set themselves up for growth.    

There are nearly one million people in removal proceedings (also known as deportation proceedings) across the United States at this time.  The consequences of a removal order are serious: notably a ten-year bar to return.  It's important for foreign nationals and their lawyers to understand what to expect during this process and how to effectively advocate for themselves.  In this episode of Inside Immigration, former Immigration Judge Carol King of the San Francisco Immigration Court talks with me about how removal proceedings work, some common mistakes applicants and their attorneys makes, and tips for presenting your case in the best way possible. 

Meet Jen and Simo in this episode of Inside Immigration who describe their first meeting in Italy five years ago, and Simo's journey to permanent residence and citizenship in the United States after they got married.  They talk about their decision to apply for Simo's immigrant visa at the US Consulate in Italy instead of adjustment of status in the United States, and some of the issues Simo faced when he traveled internationally,  had his biometrics done, and applied for a California driver's license. 

Asylum is a form of legal protection in the United States for individuals who are fleeing harm in their home country and who are afraid to return there.  In this episode of Inside Immigration, I interview former asylum officer, Kusia Hreshchyshyn, about the requirements for asylum, how to apply, and what to expect at the interview and after. 

If you are arrested, charged or convicted of a criminal offense in the United States, and you are a not a US citizen, then you have to think about the possible immigration consequences of the charge and conviction.  In this episode, I interview a criminal defense attorney with nearly 20 years of experience, Julia Jayne, about what to expect during the criminal process from arrest to final conviction and how your criminal defense attorney works with your immigration attorney to minimize the immigration consequences of your criminal record. 

In this episode of Inside Immigration, I talk about the O-1 Visa for individuals of extraordinary ability.  This visa is perfect for individuals who are rising stars or established experts in their field and will be working in their area of expertise in the United States.  I will go over the eligibility requirements for classification as an individual of extraordinary ability. This is one of my favorite visas to work on. 

In this episode of Inside Immigration, I cover the different options for work authorization as an international student in F-1 status: Curricular Practical Training, "CPT," for those who want to work in a job related to their studies part-time while in college or full-time in the summer; Optical Practical Training, "OPT," for those finishing their college education; and STEM OPT, an extension for those with OPT who graduated with a STEM degree.  

In this podcast, I talk about the L-1 Intracompany Transferee and E-2 Investor visas. Both of these are great options for working and living in the United States if you are employed by an international company with a presence in the United States, want to expand your company's operations to the United States, or want to start a business in the Unites States. 

In this episode of Inside Immigration, I discuss the visas for nationals of certain countries with which the United States has agreements. I cover the E-3 Visa for Australians, the TN Visa for Canadian and Mexican nationals, and the H-1B1 visa for nationals of Chile and Singapore.

This episode of Inside Immigration covers the most common employment-based visa in the United States: the H-1B visa, which is for high-skilled workers.  I will go over the eligibility requirements, the annual visa lottery, and how long you can remain in the US in H-1B status.