New requirements to entry the US for international travels

by Silvestri International

From December 6, 2021, all air passengers will be required to show a negative COVID-19 test before entering to the US. The measure will affect all passengers 2 years or older and it will apply to both US citizens and foreign nationals. The negative COVID-19 viral test must be taken no more than 1 day before travel and must be shown before boarding. Alternatively, for those who have recovered from the virus, passengers must show documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the previous 90 days.

This new rule updates the requirements for international travel and comes out just a month after the Biden administration has reopened the US borders to vaccinated people.

Indeed, President Biden with a much awaited proclamation ( October 25 proclamation ) allowed travelers from 26 Schengen Area countries, Ireland, the UK, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil, who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, to travel again to the US.

So, after an 18-month travel ban, the US has reopened its borders to vaccinated people irrespectively of their country of origin.

These measures are in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) policies against the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. The CDC has in fact determined that the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19, including preventing infection by the Delta or Omicron variant, is for individuals to get vaccinated. According to the CDC, vaccinated individuals are 5 times less likely to be infected and 10 times less likely to experience hospitalization or death due to COVID-19 than unvaccinated individuals. Seems natural that these new requirements on international travel are an effort to reduce the spread of the virus and at the same time an effort to go back to normality.

In conclusion, what are the requirements that international travelers must meet to enter to the US as in light of these new rules ?

They must show 1) a Covid-19 Vaccine certification and 2) A negative Covid-19 test taken one day before travelling.

IACC – Miami > News from our members

The surge of italian citizenship requests

By Italian Citizenship Assistance

The year 2020 witnessed an an unprecedented surge of citizenship applications, which increased by 400% compared to 2019, as observed by the company Italian Citizenship Assistance, an international firm that helps hundreds of Americans with Italian heritage apply for Italian citizenship jure sanguinis (by descent). Although there are several paths to acquiring Italian citizenship (by marriage or by residency/naturalization), citizenship by descent remains one of the most popular paths.

You can apply for Italian citizenship by descent if your ancestor who was born in Italy was still alive in 1861 (which is when Italy was unified as a nation) and if he/she was never naturalized, or if he/she became a U.S. citizen after June 14, 1912 and after the birth of the child who was born in the U.S. Nevertheless, there are also a number of exceptions and other specific eligibility requirements for U.S. citizens. In order to apply for Italian citizenship by descent you need certified copies of your family’s vital records (i.e., birth, marriage, death and divorce certificates) and your ancestor’s naturalization records or proof that he/she was never naturalized. The records need to be authenticated with an Apostille, translated into Italian and submitted to the Italian consulate that covers the jurisdiction where you reside. When the consulate approves your application, you will be registered with the AIRE and you will be issued an Italian passport.

Some argue that the unprecedented surge of citizenship applications has its roots in the environmental, health and political issues worldwide in 2020, however, it must be said that Italian citizenship is also attractive for a number of reasons, namely low cost and high-quality universal health care, affordable university tuition fees, a competitive real estate market and the right to work, study and reside in any EU member state.

For further information on Italian citizenship by descent, by marriage or through residency please consult: italiancitizenshipassistance.com.

ICA also produces a very popular podcast (published on YouTube) on the subject of Italian citizenship, to watch the latest episodes please visit http://youtube.com/italiancitizenshipassistance

ItalianCitizenshipAssistance.com

info@italiancitizenshipassistance.com

1-323-892-0861

IACC – Miami > News from our members

Magniflex and The Zanotta Home Partneship

by Magniflex USA

Magniflex is proud to partner up with Casa Zanotta in New York, the house designed as a project place that gives tremendous value to authentic Italian luxury designs. The Zanotta House will be opening on September 24, and Magniflex will feature some of their top-quality mattresses and pillows for the house for their exclusive selection.

The Zanotta House is an unprecedented meeting point for designers and architects and is open to professionals, world of school, art, and theatre. It is the occasion for thematic events, demonstrations, and projects to be shared with the community. Zanotta and their partners will be able to host several events, throughout the year to give them the privilege to experience first-hand the design of the house and create endless business and networking.

Magniflex has partnered with the Zanotta House by offering luxury sleeping products from their exclusive selections of mattresses such as the; Toscana Cotton Grande Dual 12, and the Dolce Vita Comfort Dual 10. Pillows from the Toscana and Superiore Collection will also be offered.

Magniflex wants to give people different sleeping experiences to choose from. The Zanotta house has two bedrooms, each of them will have a different king mattress, and guests will not only be allowed to pick their preferred comfort level in the mattress but will also get to choose from five different pillow styles.

The Zanotta house is focused on strengthening the connection between a company and its network while bringing awareness to the Italian brands. It is presented as a “new sign” in a historical moment in which relationships between home and the city needs to be rethought with a more fluid approach.

Respecting people and evolving this connection between the home and city is what the Zanotta home will enhance during its time in New York.

IACC – Miami > News from our members

CMC Group and Morabito Properties to break ground on Onda Residences

By CMC Group Inc

Veteran Miami developers Ugo Colombo of CMC Group and Valerio Morabito of Morabito Properties prepare to break ground this week on Onda, a new boutique luxury condominium in Miami’s exclusive Bay Harbor Islands neighborhood. Designed by world-renowned architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia of Arquitectonica, the 8-story waterfront development, now rising at 1135 103rd Street, will boast more than 300 linear feet of bay frontage, a private marina, and sweeping views of Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Construction is expected to be completed in 2023.

News of Onda’s groundbreaking comes as the next wave of residential development in Miami takes hold, fueled by an uptick in demand from domestic buyers looking to relocate from major U.S. cities who are attracted to Florida’s desirable quality of life, lower business and living expenses, and tax-friendly policies.

More than 60% of Onda’s 41 luxury residences have already been pre-sold, with the majority of its buyers hailing from the U.S. Impeccably finished residences include two- to four-bedroom plus den layouts measuring between 1,809 and 3,535 square feet in size, with four penthouse residences measuring up to 5,073 square feet – two of which include private rooftop pool decks. Prices range from $1.8 million to over $9.5 million.

“We set out to create an ultra-luxurious intimate building with a handful of units and residents in one of the nicest waterfront communities in South Florida,” said Ugo Colombo, Founder of CMC Group. “Onda’s boutique exclusivity, commanding bay views, and top-quality finishes and materials will brand it as a standout property for a long time to come.”

“Onda will deliver a one-of-a-kind living experience that you won’t find anywhere else in Miami,” said Valerio Morabito, CEO of Morabito Properties. “Our unique location in Bay Harbor Islands offers residents the best of both worlds – the convenience of being connected to the energy of Miami Beach with access to an abundance of restaurants, shopping and entertainment options just minutes away, with the privacy that comes with living in a private family-oriented neighborhood away from the congestion.”

IACC – Miami > News from our members

Real Estate Scams Targeting Foreign Investors

By Barakat+Bossa

Miami has a hot real estate market and many people are trying to get into it and profit. If you are looking to invest in property in the US you should beware of some of the scams that look to lure in off shore investors that can leave you without your money and even no property.

A typical sales pitch starts out with a statement from the scammer like “This is a great market and I can buy a distressed property at auction with a secret bidding process. We’ll then create an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) that will be the owner so your government will not know your identity or that you are involved with ownership and protect you from tax and currency issues.” The scammer continues by saying “I know contractors that can fix it up to attract lots of buyers and we can sell it at a big profit very quickly. You can get a 30-40% return in 6 months to a year.”

This should set off alarms for you as an investor. Often someone discovers later that there is no connection between the LLC and the investor. Worse, the scammer takes the money and doesn’t buy a property. Or they disappear entirely thinking no one will try to get the money back. A rate of return of 30-40% is also very high even in a hot market like Miami.

While there are some great investment opportunities in Florida in real estate you need to protect yourself before you give anyone your money. Problems can be avoided from the start when you get an attorney involved. Legitimate companies or individuals that are offering to sell properties or other investments expect this and will not be averse to dealing with a lawyer. This will help ensure that you control the contracts, agreements and the company that’s buying property with your money.

Giacomo Bossa is an attorney/partner with Baraka + Bossa and specializes in Real Estate law.

IACC – Miami > News from our members

Travel Restrictions to the United States: What is a National Interest Exception and how can it be obtained?

By Canero Lammers Immigration Law Group

As of January 31, 2020, several presidential proclamations were implemented restricting the entry into the U.S. of travelers who were physically present in certain countries within the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the country based on economic and public health considerations related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, in March 2020, the Department of State (“DOS”) suspended routine visa services around the world and on July 14, 2020, DOS announced that US embassies and consulates entered a phased resumption of visa services and shall continue to provide only emergency and mission critical visa services. These Presidential Proclamations continue to be in effect maintaining COVID-related travel bans for the Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, and India. All proclamations shall remain in effect until terminated by the President.

On March 2, 2021, the Secretary of State reviewed the National Interest Exception (NIE) guide, confirming that the certain individuals are exempt from the travel ban. It is worth noting that unless otherwise stated, that if a person obtains a NIE, such exception shall be valid for 12 months from the date of approval and for multiple entries if they are used for the purpose under which they were originally granted.

A complete list of individuals who are exempt from the travel ban can be found here.

Sources:

1.- Department of State: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/extension-validity-for-nies-for-china-iran-brazil-south-africa-schengen-uk-ireland-india.html

2.- AILA Doc. No. 20091704 (posted 08/18/21)

IACC – Miami > News from our members

Atlanta’s housing market is booming thanks to relocations

By Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Georgia packed on another 1 million residents between 2010 and 2020, climbing up to 10.7 million people overall. Just 10 states have more than 10 million people, according to the U.S. Census data.

The migration to Georgia is boosting the Peach State’s economy, as metro Atlanta’s booming housing market shows.

The median home price increased nearly 16% between Nov. 2019 and Nov. 2020.
The number of homes listed for sale dropped 34.9% from January to November 2020.
The average days on market fell from 57 days to 36 days in that same timeframe.
Rental occupancy jumped to 94.7%.

Atlanta is one of ten U.S. cities classified as an “alpha-world city” among those that are considered the primary nodes in the global economic network.

Several Fortune 500 and national and international companies headquartered within city boundaries have a presence in the Atlanta area including: The Coca-Cola Company, Home Depot, United Parcel Service, Delta Air Lines, and AT&T Mobility which are interested in having a physical business office in the metropolis and that contributed to the growth of the city’s real estate market.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, with more than 1,300 locations throughout the United States, is one of the largest real estate brokerage franchise networks in the country that provide services from first-time homebuyers to high-end residential markets and to middle market communities to commercial real estate. The company, with a strong presence in the Georgia area, boasts among the most professional corporate relocator experts who provide full services to families and companies that are interested in rent or buy properties and realize a successful real estate transaction.

For additional information please contact us at jim.munson@bhhsgeorgia.com

IACC – Miami > News from our members

Italian Citizenship by Descent

by Italian Citizenship Assistance

There are several paths to applying for Italian citizenship, however, citizenship by descent remains one of the most popular ways that many Americans with Italian descent have pursued in recent years.

As a general rule, you can apply for citizenship by descent if your ancestor who was born in Italy was never naturalized or was naturalized after his/her child’s birth abroad, and if none of your ascendants in your direct line of descent ever formally renounced their right to Italian citizenship.

Nevertheless, please note that there are a number of exceptions to these rules. If you would like to learn more about these feel free to read more information here.

In order to apply for Italian citizenship, you will need your family’s vital records. These include birth, marriage, death, and divorce certificates (if applicable) and the ancestor’s naturalization records or proof that he/she was never naturalized.

Once all the vital records have been collected they will need to be authenticated with Apostilles and they will then need to be translated into Italian and submitted to the Italian consulate that covers the jurisdiction where you reside.

When the citizenship application is approved, you will be granted Italian citizenship, you will be registered with the AIRE (Registry of Italian Citizens Residing Abroad) and will then be issued an Italian passport.

Despite the process sounding quite daunting, there are several advantages to holding dual citizenship such as the ability to travel, study or work anywhere in the European Union without any time limitation.

Italian citizens can also benefit from high quality, low cost universal health care and higher education.

Finally, you can reside in Italy for an unlimited period of time and enjoy the country’s lifestyle, its fascinating culture, art and history.

IACC – Miami > News from our members

Translating Business, a book written by Matteo Bortalaso

by B-Global USA

There is no need to move abroad to find different cultures, nowadays almost all corporations have a global, mixed cultures environment.

There may be a situation where an American company is managed by American executives, but it is owned by a Japanese holding, engineering is directed by a German engineer and purchasing is coordinated by a Korean director (that’s the case of one of my biggest customers for example). It is important to understand the different business cultures of the people.

“An easily understood cheat sheet that helps anyone in need of an uncomplicated guide to international business practices in various cultures”.

As an Italian in USA, I had several experiences where I had to win the trust of the customers, hurt in the past by bad Italian habits. The most significant for me was in 1998.

The customer told me: “I had very bad and frustrating experiences with the Italians in the past, it is impossible to have answers on time, they show up asking for business and then they disappear. You visited us six times in about a year and a half, you always replied to our requests on a timely manner, quoted what we asked, and now you are planning to open a warehouse in US to better serve the market. This is showing reliability and commitment, now I trust you and I am ready to work with you”.

It is vital trying not to impose our own way of working, but adapt to the local mindsets in order to expand internationally. The real challenge is to understand, interpret, and translate between business cultures.

I wrote about adapting to different world cultures and the necessary steps to open and run a subsidiary overseas while doing business internationally in my book TRANSLATING BUSINESS (Amazon)

IACC – Miami > News from our members

Clevertech announces the opening of a new facility

by Clevertech

CLEVERTECH, a leading company in the industrial automation market,has recently opened a new North American location in beautiful Fort Myers, Florida. The 29,000 sq ft facility is to better serve our U.S. clients more efficiently and with a larger number of spare parts.

With offices in Europe and Asia, our global presence and network allow us to offer worldwide customer service and certified software and electrical technicians.

In addition to assembling machines for the North American market, our new facility allows us to run FAT (Factory Acceptance Test). In the near future, we hope to manufacture machines for the U.S. and design a showroom with mockup training.

In addition to fifty external technicians who cover the entire U.S., Canada, and South American, our office in Fort Myers has in-house professional managers and technicians and offers impeccable 24/7 customer service to meet any and all support requests, whether commercial or technical and can be at your location within 24 hours.

CLEVERTECH North America’s incredibly knowledgeable staff assists customers with machine sales, system design, design support, testing, installation, and commissioning of systems, after-sales, and spare parts support.

In addition, local technical support provided by American technicians allows the most complex and difficult customer requests to be met and the presence of a spare parts warehouse in North America ensures reduced delivery times for quick turnaround.