Author: Don Gonzalez
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Deportation and Marriage
Dear Realtor, I recently had a Colombian gentlemen come to my office who already had a deportation order in place. Many years ago he had an asylum claim related to persecution from the Colombian guerilla group known as FARC. (If you have watched the news this week you may already know that just two days…
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Real Estate Commission Disputes
Dear Realtor, I recently had a realtor inquire about a situation involving unpaid commissions that they believed they were owed to them from their broker. This realtor had been the one that had brought the buyer and seller together and had handled negotiations throughout the transaction. The broker, however, refused to pay the realtor commissions…
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The Benefit of a B-2 Visa Extension
Dear Realtor, Many of your foreign national clients who are looking to invest in real estate or businesses as part of their immigration strategy initially enter the United States with a B-2 Visitor Visa. The B-2 Visa allows them to make certain business and investment transactions, however the term is limited to six months. The…
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Local EB-5 Regional Centers
Dear Realtor, One of the realtors who regularly reads this e-newsletter wrote and suggested that we mention a few recommendations of EB-5 Regional Centers here in South Florida. They are as follows: Paramount Miami Worldcenter (A project of the EB5 Financing Management Company, LLC) http://www.paramountmiami.com/ Skyrise Miami (A project of the Miami Metropolitan Regional Center)…
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Stepped-Up Basis for Capital Gains
Dear Realtor, Most of you are aware than when a property is sold, the seller is taxed on the “capital gains” realized, which is the difference between the value of the property when it was first purchased and its value when it was sold. The tax rate on capital gains for the 2016 tax year…
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EB-5 Regional Center With R.O.I.
Dear Realtor, Many of you work regularly with wealthy international clients who are seeking to invest in the United States, as this affords them more security for their money than they could possibly have in their homeland. Often, these clients also desire to immigrate to the United States permanently. In previous e-newsletters, I have mentioned…
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Drug Tests for Visa Applicants
Dear Realtor, I have over two decades of experience in the practice of Immigration Law, so not often am I surprised by the decisions of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or of the U.S. Embassy officials in the many countries around the world in which I have made visa applications for clients. This…
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Foreign Nationals and U.S. Divorce
Dear Realtor, Over the many years that I have practiced law, I have had many foreign nationals come to me for assistance not only in their immigration matters, but at times, for assistance in obtaining a divorce. The requirements for a foreign national to get a divorce in Florida are identical for those requirements for…
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Venezuelan Business Visa Options
Dear Realtor, Considering the very turbulent times in Venezuela, we are often consulting with wealthy Venezuelans who seek security for their wealth and wish to invest in U.S. real estate or a U.S. business while using their investment to obtain a business visa to the United States. The strategy for Venezuelan clients is simple –…
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Venezuelan Political Asylum Claims
Dear Realtor, As the political and socio-economic conditions worsen in Venezuela under the effects of President Nicolás Maduro and his socialist government, many Venezuelans are seeking to leave the country. What we’ve seen recently is that many Venezuelans are attempting to apply for political asylum in the United States. Some of these individuals have very…