recognizing immigration issues
TRANSCRIPT
Recognizing Immigration Issuesin Your Practice
Greg McLawsenManaging Attorney
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Intro
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Intro
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“I practice x/y/z law, so I don’t deal with immigration.”
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Intro
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13.3% of Washington residents are foreign-born.
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Intro
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~1/10 marriages has a foreign-born spouse
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Intro
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Immigrants open businesses.
Lots of them.
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Intro
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Did you know that we livein a border state?
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Intro
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Current events1
9 Misperceptions 2
The Form I-864, Affidavit of Support3
Form I-9 compliance4
Greg McLawsenManaging AttorneySound Immigration
@mclawsen [email protected] www.soundimmigration.com
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www.soundimmigration.com
America’s web-based
immigration law firm
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www.soundimmigration.com/events
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www.soundimmigration.com/lawyers
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Current events
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What’s happening?
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What’s next?
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1. Muslim Travel ban 2.0
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What’s next?
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2. Cancel DACA?
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What’s next?
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3. Ending “sanctuary cities.”
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EXTREME VETTING!!!
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4. “Extreme vetting.”
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What’s next?
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5. Begin deporting 2,000,000
criminal “illegal” aliens.
9 Misperceptions
(1) Citizenship
= “Residency”
(2) You can apply
for a “work permit”
(3) Undocumented folks cannot
receive L&I
(4) I don’t need to validate
work authorization for my own
law firm staff/lawyers
(5) Most
immigrants come from
Mexico
(6) Immigration
attorneys mostly “fill out
forms”
(7) Family law
attorneys may safely ignore immigration
status
(8) Most
immigrants come to the U.S. illegally
(9) Immigrants don’t/don’t have to file income tax
returns
The Form I-864 Affidavit of Support
Grounds of “inadmissibilit
y.”
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Remember the 1990s?
Who will be the support net for immigrants?
American public? Visa petitioner.
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Required in every family-based case.
1. Primary sponsor – the visa petitioner.
2. Joint sponsor – if visa petitioner has inadequate income.
Who is the sponsor?
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Crossover issues
What is the obligation?
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125% FPG.$14,850/year + $5,200 for each additional member.
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Crossover issues
How long does the obligation last?
1. Becomes citizen. 2. Credited w/ 40-
quarters of work.3. Abandons residency
and departs U.S.4. Deported and gets
new sponsor.5. Dies.
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Crossover issues
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Plus attorney fees + costs.
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Jurisdiction • Personal jurisdiction. • Sponsor expressly submits to any competent court• One (silly) exception in D. Utah.
• Subject matter jurisdiction. • Federal
• Typically close enough to a federal question• But not close enough for M.D. Florida (Winters, etc.)
• State.• Unanimous: yes• But as an alimony/maintenance order, authority split
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Affirmative defenses almost always fail• Lack of consideration.• Prior iteration: “overcome inadmissibility”• A thing of value… at least after gloss
• Current version: “becoming permanent resident”• i.e., you don’t get LPR status without this form
• Unconscionability • So far a loser… similar to prenuptial agreements • Not a contract of adhesion
• Fraud• Possible; always fails at summary judgment stage
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How about a pre/post-nuptial waiver?
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Judgment:
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$104,000
Form I-9 compliance
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A hypo
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The Form I-9
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Within three days of new
hire
Traps for the unwary
Program should address
• Advertising and recruitment for new positions;• Applicant screening and
interviewing;• Completion of the Form I-9
and review of supporting records;• Purging forms;• Periodic spot checks of I-9
records;• Review service contracts
(employee?); and• Periodic review of the I-9
policy.
Questions?Greg McLawsenManaging AttorneySound Immigration
@mclawsen253-203-3170greg@soundimmigration.comwww.soundimmigration.com