Inspired by our last two Friday photos (Seated Ballerina and Hippo Ballerina), Joseph took to the streets of New York to practice his moves in honor of the official start of summer this Memorial Day weekend. Neither torrential downpours nor his questionable ballet moves could stop his dancing feet in Times Square (the Elmo joined in), Coney Island (the runners in the Brooklyn Half were temporarily distracted by the pure joy on his face), and the High Line (where he started a conga line). He even brought his inspirational steps to the office at DLG and has us all two-stepping. Happy Memorial Day to all and may your summer be filled with dancing...
It's Summertime!
O-1 Visas: Not Just For Artists
One of the most common visa types our law firm prepares is the O-1 for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement. The O-1 is a temporary work visa granted in three-year increments with one-year extensions—allowing individuals of extraordinary ability to work in the United States for a single employer or sponsor. We’ve written a great deal about the O-1, from highlighting common misconceptions to imagining an O-1 consultation with a certain undersea character; however, one common misconception we have not spent a lot of time correcting is the assumption that O-1 visas are only for “artists.” While many artists are covered under this visa category, the defining characteristic of the O-1 is actually “extraordinary ability,” a distinction that can be made in nearly any field or industry.
Read moreThe Nation: “The Airport Lawyers Who Stood Up to Trump Are Under Attack”
The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP), a Seattle nonprofit that offers legal aid to immigrants facing deportation and a group that was at the forefront of fighting President Trump’s Muslim travel ban, is facing disciplinary action from Jeff Sessions’s Department of Justice (DOJ). Four weeks ago, the DOJ issued a cease and desist letter demanding that the nonprofit group drop representation of their current clients and shut down their asylum-advisory program. The DOJ accused NWIRP of breaking a rule that was originally created in order to prevent attorney misconduct and protect people from lawyers or “notarios” who take their money, but ultimately drop their case. (We’ve previously written about “notarios” and other scams that immigrants face.)
Read moreSeated Ballerina
Seated Ballerina by Jeff Koons
Famed neo-pop artist Jeff Koons has a new piece in Rockefeller Center. The forty-five feet tall blonde inflatable ballerina, on display through June 2nd, is co-presented with Art Production Fund and Kiehl’s in order to raise awareness for National Missing Children’s Month. Koons says the installation is meant to convey a sense of inner strength and optimism, telling the New York Post: “I wanted something that anyone could look at and realize their own potential and dreams.” This ballerina is actually an oversized version of a sculpture from Koons’ “Antiquity” series that was inspired from a little Hungarian figurine he keeps in his home. The reflective metallic surface engages viewers by mirroring its surrounding environment. “I hope the installation of Seated Ballerina at Rockefeller Center offers a sense of affirmation and excitement to the viewer to reach their potential," Koons tells Artnet. "The aspect of reflectivity emulates life’s energy; it’s about contemplation and what it means to be a human being. It’s a very hopeful piece.”
Have You Ever Been Arrested?
Whether and how to divulge one’s history of contact with law enforcement is an area of substantial confusion among applicants for admission to the US under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as well as for applicants for visas, Green Cards, or citizenship. Not only can such a simple question conjure the very worst moments in someone’s life, the appearance of the question alone can portend a potential delay or denial of the benefit foreign nationals are seeking.
Read moreWashington Post: “A Muslim cook wanted to stop the hate. So she started inviting strangers to dinner.”
When Amanda Saab—a social worker, amateur chef, and practicing Muslim who wears a hijab—heard then-presidential candidate Trump’s call for a ban on Muslim immigrants to the US, she realized that a lot of Americans must not know any Muslims. “Have I played a part in that?” she asked herself. “Have I not reached out to people and given them an opportunity to meet me?” Her solution? Invite strangers to dinner.
Read moreKeep On
Hippo Ballerina
Bjorn Skaarup's Hippo Ballerina.
I love Bjorn Skaarup's adorable Hippo Ballerina. Inspired by Degas’ “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen” and the dancing hippos of Walt Disney’s “Fantasia,” the Hippo is a copper tutu-clad bronze sculpture standing over fifteen feet tall by the Danish artist. The piece "vividly illustrates the artist’s ability to reinterpret subjects and themes found in ancient myths, art history, modern animation, and contemporary popular culture in playful ways that engage the viewer." The Hippo is at Dante Park near Lincoln Center through July 31, 2017. Go on. Dance with the Hippo. People won't stare too much.
Union and Peer Group Consultation Letters for O Visa Petitions: a Q&A
Obtaining a US work visa can be a complex and daunting process. To obtain an O-1, for example, petitioners/sponsors must gather evidence to establish that the foreign national they wish to employ or represent is extraordinary. This evidence may include press citations, critical reviews, samples of the foreign national’s work, contracts, endorsements, testimonials, and evidence of high salary, among other items. So it’s understandable that after all the evidence is obtained and the O-1 petition is prepared and signed, many petitioners and their foreign national beneficiaries are surprised to find out that before their cases can be filed with US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), the petitioner/sponsor needs to obtain a “consultation letter” from a relevant labor organization or peer group.
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