by Canero Immigration Law Firm 

The P visa was created to allow internationally recognized athletes or performing artists to come to the United States temporarily, in order to perform services for an employer or team. I love the P visa because it has many uses. Lets look carefully at each one.

P Visas for artists, athletes or entertainers have 3 categories:

P-1A Awarded to individual athletes.

The athlete must be coming to perform at a specific competition as an athlete, not a coach, individually. The athlete must prove that he/she is internationally recognized based on her/his personal achievements and reputation. The athlete must also prove they are coming to perform services that require an internationally recognized athlete. Generally, this is assumed to be a sport that is internationally recognized, such as a sport played in the Olympics. However, there are new sports which have international recognition and these can be used if evidence is provided to prove the sport is recognized internationally. The competition must have a distinguished reputation and require the participation of internationally recognized athletes.

The P-1 can also be granted to someone who coming to play for a team in the US, such as the Miami Heat, that is internationally recognized in the sport. Here the emphasis is on the international recognition of the team versus the individual athlete.

Professional Athletes must be employed by a team that is a member of an association of six or more professional teams whose total combined revenues are over $10 million. They can also come to play with a minor team that is affiliated to the association.

Amateur Athletes and coaches can be part of a team or franchise that is located in the US and is a member of a foreign league or association. These players may not earn a scholarship or participate in the sport at a US college or university.

The P-1 in these two categories can come to the US to participate in a wide range of activities. It can be one competition, or a season, a tournament, a tour, or an exhibit. The athlete can make promotional appearances for the petitioning employer, receive payment, and prize money. The athlete can work for several employers and engage in part time study.

A P-1 can also be granted to a team of an internationally recognized foreign team such as Manchester United. The members of the team may be granted a P-1 but they cannot perform activities separate from their athletic team activities in the US. They have to be coming to participate in a competition that has a distinguished reputation and requires the participation of internationally recognized teams.

International recognition is defined by USCIS as “having a high level of achievement in a field evidenced by a degree of skill and recognition above that ordinarily encountered, to the extent that such achievement is renowned, leading or well known in more than one country.” So essentially, we are looking for athletes or team that compete internationally and have achieved a ranking in the top 20%.
The visa is granted for 5 years. The visa has dual intent for the athlete.

This visa can also be obtained for the staff or essential workers of the team or the athlete. However, these employees do not have dual intent.

P-1B For Performing Artists

The P-1 is also used for Performing Artists, such as singers, dancers or musicians who are members of a foreign based entertainment group that has been recognized as an internationally outstanding entertainment group for a sustained and substantial duration of time. This is not a visa for an individual entertainer.

The group must have received or been nominated for international awards or prizes. What is interesting is that the category accepts “nominations” which makes it a lower standard than the O-1. The group has to be recognized internationally for its excellence, merely being recognized nationally in their country is not sufficient. This has to be documented by published material in newspapers, journals or magazines.
The P-1 has to play an integral part of the performance of a group, and they must have a sustained and substantial relationship with the group for over a year.

The P-1 cannot perform separate from the group as individual entertainers. An entertainment group is made up of two or more persons who function as a unit. If a solo artist regularly performs with the same musicians or singers the act may be considered an entertainment group.

The P-1 can receive payment, and prize money and engage in part time study. The P-1 can work for several employers, but each employer must file a separate P-1 petition for the individual.

The visa is granted for up to a maximum of one year. The visa has dual intent for the entertainer.
This visa can also be obtained for the staff or essential workers of the group, but, these employees do not have dual intent.

Read the full article here.

by BGSM & Partners

Mr. Pierluigi Brogi will be a speaker on a seminar in Pistoia Italy on “Business opportunities in the US” (February 25th, 2020).

Please find the program below.

by Italian CPA Miami Firm 

Recently the Trump Administration has implemented tariffs on goods being imported from the European Union. A tariff is a tax placed on internationally traded goods, and must be paid by the exporting country.

The Administration placed a 10% tariff on aircraft imported from the EU and 25% duty on agricultural and other products. 7.5 million dollars of tariffs were imposed on a variety of goods. To Italy, the US is the most important (non-European) trade partner with two-way trade totaling 77.875 billion dollars in 2018. The main goods exported from Italy are automobiles. Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, and Maserati are a few of the well-known car companies manufacturing cars in Italy.

The implementation of these tariffs is a result of the World Trade Organization, allowing the US to recuperate damages from the EU subsidies to the aircraft maker Airbus. Airbus is an European aircraft company based in Britain, Germany, and France. The Italian government finds it unfair that goods being exported from Italy are being subject to tax when they were not involved in the production of the Airbus. The World Trade Organization has recently found that Airbus and its rival Boeing have received billions of dollars in subsidies.

During the visit of the Italian President Sergio Mattarella to the White House last October, Mattarella asked President Donald Trump to ease up on the tariffs being placed on Italian exports. Trump responded by saying that maybe the US government was a bit harsh on the Italian government, and that was not their intent. The president said he valued the partnership the US has with Italy, and he will look into the tariffs being placed on Italian products. Will these tariffs cause the United States and Italy to lose their close relationship?

by Canero Immigration Law

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the U.S. over the last 5 years is over $1.6 Trillion and accounts for an average 500,000 new U.S. jobs per year. FDI is 99% from countries whose nationals can presently immigrate within a few years and as a result, we see large investment in US economy by these foreign nationals.

In 2018, new FDI in the US was $296,368,000,000 – 86% is from Canada and Europe. Less than 1% of it came from India and China (0.15% came from India and 0.6% was from China).

H.R. 1044 and S. 386 “Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019” will bar immigration for 99% of FDI nationals. The House passed and the Senate is considering this legislation, which will radically change workforce immigration in this country. S. 386 and H.R. 1044 will effectively bar investment and workforce immigration from all nationalities except India and China for a decade or more, and therefore hamper USA efforts to attract and maintain foreign investment.

By blocking green cards for nationals that presently comprise the majority of U.S. FDI, this legislation will significantly reduce investment in US economy. Should S. 386 pass, nationals from 193 countries will not be able to come to the U.S. or send their employees here to permanently oversee and direct their businesses. Under this regulatory scheme, immigration will not be possible for entrepreneurs, investors and job creators from all over the world for over a decade while the current backlog of Indian and Chinese H-1B workers (primarily in technology services industry) is processed. If S. 386 passes, the nationals that comprise 99% of the FDI in our country will becompletely shut out from immigrating.

by Enomatic USA

Enomatic, known for being the industry leader in wine dispensing and preservation systems, has been a prime partner of The Wine Room on Park Avenue in Winter Park, Florida, proud recipient of Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence and early adopter of self-serve wine dispensers back in 2006.

Following the success of their first wine bar and retail store, the innovative collaboration between Enomatic and The Wine Room continue for their second location in Delray Beach, Florida. We are proud to be part of this amazing new project that is now the largest wine bar in the world. Thanks to Enomatic’s technology, guests can enjoy 216 wines offered in taste, half and full glass portions, preserved for 30+ days in perfect conditions. This self-serve concept is the best way to discover wines without having to commit to the purchase of an entire bottle, while providing a fun and social experience.

The Wine Room Delray Beach is also a restaurant with a full lunch/dinner menu and features a rare-wine room with about 2,400 bottles of wine.  Artisan’s cheese, meats, and 600 to 700 bottles of wine are available for purchase in the retail section.

As any bar or restaurant owner can attest, serving wine by pouring straight from the bottle increase waste and reduce efficiency. However, with Enomatic’s systems, serving wine is made easy and efficient while giving the best experience to guests and showcasing the finest bottles. The self-serve operation and pour control increases the performance of the bar, allowing the bartender behind the bar to focus on other aspects that decrease wait time and increases the business’ ROI.

Taste is a critical factor with wine and our wine dispensers ensure that the taste of each pour is of the highest quality.

Find out more at www.enomatic.us.

by Pininfarina

Seeking to enhance the transit experience and improve the quality of existing architecture and functionality, the City of Miami Beach proposed to
adopt a new bus shelter design for city commuters, with the City Commission unanimously selecting Pininfarina’s boundary-pushing concept design as the winning bid.

A year later, Pininfarina receives the prestigious Red Dot Award for Design Concept with their design.

Drawing inspiration from the City of Miami Beach’s playful, dynamic, and energetic atmosphere, Pininfarina crafted a color palette and nature inspired shapes that capture the vibrant personality of Miami Beach. The bus shelters feature innovative modular designs and contemporary technology that highlight Pininfarina’s goal of creating a modern, airy, accessible and comfortable user experience, where beauty is never sacrificed for functionality.

“Our bus shelters will display the highest design quality and functionality,” expressed Dan Gelber, Miami Beach Mayor. “This prestigious award represents the ultimate seal of approval when it comes to an exquisite design, enhancing our Miami Beach brand worldwide.”

“We are delighted to receive this award for the City of Miami Beach,” said Paolo Trevisan, Head of Design for Pininfarina of America. “Our bus shelter system is the solution to the City of Miami Beach’s transportation needs, and we’re honored to be part of the evolution of the city’s identity.”

This year, The Red Dot Awards panel received a total of 4,218 entries from 48 countries. Over two days, the esteemed panel of international design experts gathered in Singapore for the adjudication. To honor the chosen design projects, The Red Dot Design Awards Ceremony will be held on September 25, 2019 in Singapore.

By Axford Creative

In the world of online marketing, you’ve probably heard that “Content is King.”

Content certainly is king. Content ranges from text contents on blogs, info graphs, eBooks, case studies and videos. We feel many businesses have yet tapped into the immense resource this offers for your customers, but also broadens your sales reach.

Why You Need to Tap into the Video Content Goldmine

Video content has a huge share of what attracts the attention of people online. We know that today human beings have a very short attention span. Those who can capture and retain other’s attention for more than 3 seconds thrive.

As a business owner using the internet to attract customers (organically or other), you need video content. And here’s why:

1. Videos help with Sales & Conversions

Some marketers record 49% faster increase in revenue than others. Do you know why? The former use video content and the latter don’t. There is no easier way to drive home your point, relate with your customers on an emotional level, and build trust than through a video. In the end, this will translate to more online sales.

2. Videos make people trust you (better)

A key factor to businesses growing their online sales is by establishing trust. In the absence of a regular brick and mortar office or store front, people find it harder to trust unknown online businesses. Videos establish credibility, and a personal connection to a person, going beyond a company name.

57% of customers said they felt more comfortable making a purchase after viewing a video.

3. Google gives preferences to video content

When optimizing your content for search engine, videos gives you an edge. Video gets people to spend more time on your web page. If people spend longer times on your page, it means you have engaging and relevant content. Eventually, Google recognizes this and ranks you higher on search results.

There’s no reason your company should ignore the influence of videos on the internet. YouTube now records 2 billion users, and 75 million people in the U.S. watch videos every day. You should tap into this goldmine for your business.

You can find more useful articles to grow and promote your business online by visiting Axford Creative’s online blog section.

by Secure Title and Trust

When you buy real estate in the United States, you need title insurance to protect against lawsuits or claims that result from disputes over the title of your property. 

The title insurance will allow you to recur to the deep pockets of an underwriter when you find that there are claims on the property. The services of a title company help you also to prevent claims to occurand to eliminate exceptions to the title policy.

Secure Title and Trust, LLC is an attorney-owned and operated title company serving Florida. The attorneys at Secure Title and Trust, LLC have the experience to navigate every commercial and residential real estate transaction and prevent the bumps on the road from contract to closing.

In preparation of the closing, Secure Title and Trust, LLC will search the property records to make sure that the Seller legally owns the property and that there is no claim of third parties on Seller’s ownership. 

Secure Title and Trust, LLC will provide a title commitment, that is a report of the matters to be addressed on or before the closing, and coordinate all the closing process.

At the closing, the attorneys at Secure Title and Trust, LLC prepare the necessary documents, explain them to the Seller and the Buyer, and ensure that the deeds are properly recorded. Also, Secure Title and Trust, LLC can act as an escrow agent to collect and disburse the proceeds for the real estate transaction.

Secure Title and Trust, LLC is an agent of Attorneys Title Insurance Fund and issues title insurance policies through Old Republic National Title Insurance Company.

If you want a review of a real estate contract, have an answer to any question you may have, or order title services you can email a copy of your contract to info@securetitleandtrust.com.

by Italian Citizenship Assistance 

Many people dream of the rolling hills of Italy and living the “dolce vita”. Because of this interest, many have uncovered that they can turn this dream into a reality and walk through the doors that the Italian government has left open to people of Italian descent to come back home. 

A number of well-known Italian Americans have also jumped on this opportunity, such as Robert De Niro, but thankfully you don’t need a Hollywood budget to make this happen. 

While doing research many become off put by the information they find about the process. However, while the application requires great attention to detail and can be complex, this is something Italian Citizenship Assistance has years of experiencedealing with. 

ItalianCitizenshipAssistance.com is here to help people as much or as little as they may need throughout the entire process. They’ll even be there to celebrate with you at the end.

Dual Italian citizenship is not only an investmentfor oneself but also a gift to future generations. Pride in one’s heritage often doesn’t come in a tangible form but going through this process can literally make someone a “card carrying Italian”, adding another dimension to one’s pride in their heritage. 

Their goal is to assist individuals of Italian descent in pursuing Italian citizenship by descent, a fascinating journey through time and one’s own family history. There are many documents that need to be collected, legalized and translated. They specialize in taking care of all of the necessary leg work so our clients can be well prepared.

Italian Citizenship Assistance (ICA) is a consulting firm which provides Italian citizenship consulting services not only to US citizens but to citizens of other countries through our offices in the US and Italy.

For more information feel free to visit their website here and if you have any questions always feel free to get in contact here or by email at marco@italiancitizenshipassistance.com or call 3238920861. 

Negli ultimi anni sono sempre di più le aziende italiane che guardano alla Florida, ed in particolare a Miami, come punto di accesso principale alle Americhe, sia per il Nord America che per l’America Latina e i Caraibi. Per molti l’apertura di una filiale commerciale in questo hub strategico non e’ più solo un’opzione ma è diventato quasi un obbligo al fine di presidiare efficientemente mercati in grande espansione.

Per dare risposta a questa necessità, la Camera di Commercio Italo-Americana a Miami propone alle aziende italiane interessate ad aprire nuove filiali commerciali o produttive o per il supporto di filiali già insediate un nuovo servizio di assistenza per la ricerca per l’ottenimento di finanziamenti agevolati o a fondo perduto messi a disposizione da numerosi enti pubblici italiani ed europei a favore dell’internazionalizzazione.

Essenzialmente i finanziamenti possono essere di 5 tipi:

• Finanziamenti agevolati al tasso dello 0% (fino ad un massimo di 2,5 milioni di euro) con garanzia statale sino all’80% da fondi statali italiani per tutte le imprese italiane che decidono di aprire e/o potenziare strutture commerciali negli USA;
• Finanziamenti agevolati fino a 300.000 euro al tasso dello 0,0% con garanzia statale sino all’80% da fondi statali italiani per le aziende italiane che devono affrontare studi di prefattibilità per investimenti produttivi e/o commerciali e/o assistenze post vendita;
• Finanziamenti agevolati fino a € 100.000 al tasso dello 0,08% interamente garantiti per la partecipazione a fiere in Usa come espositore;
• Finanziamenti agevolati fino a € 400.000 al tasso dello 0,08% con garanzia statale sino al per le PMI che esportano più del 35% medio del loro fatturato in aree Ue ed extra UE La Camera mette a disposizione dei richiedenti la possibilità di beneficiare, senza impegno, di una prima analisi di prefattibilità sul proprio profilo, l’elenco dettagliato dei documenti da preparare e l’assistenza necessaria per la compilazione della domanda.

Indicativamente possono accedere ai finanziamenti aziende italiane con almeno due bilanci depositati e che abbiano un fatturato superiore al 1 milione di Euro, sede centrale in Italia e una società in USA (anche non direttamente detenuta o ancora da costituire).

In caso di valutazione positiva, l’intera istruttoria verrà seguita dal nostro partner tecnico in Italia (un’azienda specializzata con esperienza pluriennale nell’assistere aziende per la ricerca di incentivi per operare sui mercati internazionali) soggetta alla supervisione Camera.

Per ulteriori informazioni a riguardo si prega di inviare una mail completa di informazioni di contatto all’indirizzo e-mail info@iaccse.com.