Immigration to the United States – Legal Services

The advantages of using Dotan Cohen Law offices for your immigration process to the US:

• Extensive experience working with the US Embassy, immigration authorities and consulates.
• Multilingual staff speaks 4 languages including: Hebrew, English, Arabic, Spanish.
• Handling the forms required for immigration to the United States.
• Legal, social, and political connections in the field of immigration and relocation.
• A network of colleagues from immigration experts around the world.

US Immigrant Visas

Green Card (Permanent Residency)

Green Card Based on Family Relations (Family Unification)

A permanent status in the US can be obtained through a family member who is a legal permanent resident or a US citizen.

Our office specializes in issuing a green card for immediate relatives and other qualifying relatives of US citizens, or legal permanent residents of the United States, through the consular process for relatives abroad, or arranging status for relatives in the United States.

Green Card Based on Employment (EB-1, EB-2)

Our office handles immigration visas (Green Card) on the basis of employment. In the United States there are five types of permanent residency visas based on employment, marked EB-1 to EB-5. These are applications for permanent residency for employees with exceptional abilities, managers or senior executives, advanced degree holders, clerics, investors and more. Our offices will check the feasibility of the possible routes and if you are eligible, we will submit the relevant application for permanent residency on the basis of employment.

Green Card Based on Financial Investment (EB-5)

Investor Visa EB-5 allows one to obtain permanent resident status by investing financially in the US economy. The purpose of the program is to provide an incentive for the revival of the domestic market, and this allows increased immigration to the United States.

The visa is for people investing over $ 1 million in a business in the US or $ 500,000 in a targeted employment area. The investment must also create and maintain at least 10 jobs for qualified Us workers.

Please note that obtaining this visa often involves a long waiting period, and / or employee demand.

Green Card Based on the Diversity Visa Lottery

The US Green Card Lottery was implemented to increase social and ethnic pluralism in the United States. The lottery takes place once a year, usually at the beginning of May, resulting in some 50,000 participants receiving their Green Card, the application for the lottery must be submitted for the lottery six months earlier, usually in October-November the year before. There are usually about 100,000 winners, assuming that only about half will be able to successfully complete the process. Winners of the lottery do not automatically receive a green card, what they win is a chance to apply for permanent resident status (green card) without a sponsor (family member or employer). This is a great privilege, since there are many who are interested in Green Card but can not receive it due to the lack of a suitable sponsor. Our office has extensive experience in submitting applications for a lottery based Green Card as well as preparing the form required for participation in the lottery.

US Non-Immigrant Visas

Work Visas

A citizen of a foreign country wishing to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, whether a visa for a temporary stay other than an immigration visa or an immigration visa in the status of a permanent citizen. Temporary work visas are intended for people who wish to enter the United States, for their work needs, for a specific period only. They are required to prove that they have a job offer and that the employer will apply to the US Immigration Authorities (USIS) for them.

Prior to applying for a visa, you will need to show that such a request has been submitted and that it has been approved by the immigration authorities.

H-1B visa

is usually suitable for people with certain professional expertise who are asked to work within the US by an American company. This is a popular visa for foreign experts working in the United States. With certain exceptions, this visa is subject to a cap and requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. There is a separate category for international fashion models.

H-3B visa

For a trainee or Special Education Exchange Visitor. The trainee must be invited by an individual or organization for the purpose of training that is not a medical or academic internship, and which the training does not exist in his country of origin. The Special Education Exchange Visitor must be invited by a facility for providing education for special needs in the field of children’s education or with mental, physical or special needs.

L-1 visa

A visa issued for employees who are executives, senior executives, or employees with special knowledge to be able to work at the company’s US branch. Prior to his transfer to the US branch, the applicant must work for at least one year out of the previous three years for the foreign company, the subsidiary of the applicant company or another related company. There are additional elements to prove if the US branch is a new office.

Visa O-1

 a visa is issued to foreigners with “extraordinary ability” in business, or in other fields including the arts, athletics, entertainment and film industry. The candidate must arrive in the United States in order to work temporarily in his exceptional capacity. An employer, agent, or other sponsor is often required.

An O visa is intended for people with special skills in the following areas (together or separately): science, art, education, business or athletics. In addition to the above, our office helps to issue visas to family members.

Visas for trading and investment

These visas are issued according to certain treaties that exist between the United States and another country. These visas permit work for a certain period and are intended mainly for those interested in examining investments and / or ventures in the United States.

E-1 visa

Visas issued for employees of foreign companies that maintain significant trade with the US. The company must first be certified and then each employee of the company must qualify to receive the visa. This option is only available to countries that are part of the treaty with the US.

Visas for Visitors – US Tourist Visa (B-1 / B-2)

A visitor visa is suitable for people who wish to enter the United States for a period that is usually relatively short to handle their business affairs such as business meetings or people wishing to travel across the United States. It should be emphasized that this visa does not allow employment in the United States. The B-1 visa is also suitable for people engaged in competitive sports, whether amateurs or professionals, as long as the competition in the United States does not have a cash prize.

For further details, see also Tourist visa for the United States.

Student Visas (F-1, M-1)

F-1 Student Visa

An F-1 visa is a suitable visa for students in recognized academic institutions, from high schools to colleges and universities (including institutions for English language studies).

M-1 Student Visa

This visa is also a student visa but is a visa for vocational studies for the purpose of training or placement or for studies in non-academic institutions (not including institutions for English language studies).

For further details, see also US student visa

J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa

An exchange visitor visa is usually intended for people who wish to study in the United States. The difference between this visa and the F-1 visa is that the J-1 visa also allows you to work parallel with your studies, and sometimes even allows you to work full-time. For example, a doctor who comes to the US to study for an advanced degree while working in research.

To issue a J-1 visa, the sponsor must be authorized by the requested program. The applicant is generally required, to be at least 18 years of age and to demonstrate proficiency in the English language.

Additional visas

• H-2B visa – for temporary non-agricultural seasonal work.
• R-1 visa – Religious workers
• B-1 visa – in lieu of H-1B – temporary workers for a certain short term.
• H-3 visa – apprenticeship.
• P-1 visa – international athletes, and more.

The American department in our firm also handles the following issues:

• Immigration to the United States based on family ties (family reunification): see as detailed above.
• Reentry Permits – for Green Card holders who spend extended periods of time outside of the United States.
• Visas for Returning Residents – Green Card holders who have remained abroad for a period of more than one year, who wish to return to the US as legal permanent residents.
• Immigration for Diversity Visa winners and their families.
• Obtaining US citizenship – by naturalization and obtaining citizenship through a US citizen parent.
• Removal of the conditions – regarding conditional residents in the United States.
• Green Card Replacement – in the case of loss, theft, or when the validity of the card expires.
• Problems with issuing non-immigrant visas – including difficulties in obtaining B-1 / B-2 visas, F-1 and M-1 student visas, and a J-1 visitor exchange visa.