December 22, 2016
Increases in Immigration Fees 
   
2017 is coming very quickly and we are predicting a lot of changes in the immigration world. As a reminder, the government filing fees are going up by an average of 20% and some applications even more by a few hundred dollars. While USCIS has improved on its customer service in some areas, it is still a very bureaucratic government agency that does not focus on customer service as its key value, even though all of its expenses are paid by the filing fees that companies and immigrants pay. We hope that the increase in filing fees will actually help improve the operations and customer service at this agency.
Good Decisions Fulfill Dreams

Pak and his wife have been married for 13 years and have 3 boys. They are originally from Ghana and own a successful and well known car rental and chauffeur business there.  The tough economical conditions in Ghana combined with the lack of special needs educational services and support needed for two of their children in their home country made them decide to move to the United States.

They initially contacted three immigration attorneys in the Atlanta area who were recommended by family members and friends. However, they couldn't assist with their immigration challenges. As a result this caused a lot of money and time wasted with the wrong attorneys. A bad strategy by one of the attorneys led to a rejection of an H-1B visa application that they presented to the U.S. authorities.

Before losing all hope, they reached out to Karen Weinstock after reading great reviews about her on the internet. They say they were impressed with Karen after their very first meeting. She was very professional and quickly identified the best option and approach to resolving their immigration challenges, which resulted in securing a L-1A visa for Pak.

Thanks to this L-1 Visa, Pak was able to start running a great daycare business in Stone Mountain, Good Foundation Academy for the Gifted Children. They believe in the uniqueness of every child and the importance of encouraging their talents. Both he and his family are now settled and happy and he is in the process of negotiating on securing a second business here in Atlanta as an investor. Their 3 boys are well adjusted and are able to get the special need education and support they need for their development and Pak's wife, who has degrees in law and MBA can now get a job with her status as an L-2 work authorization.  
SMART goal are Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Results oriented and Time sensitive. When making your New Year's resolutions, make sure your goals fit all of these criteria, otherwise they are more likely to fail. Write down the specific outcomes and specific behaviors you need to do and also write interim steps to achieving them.  We will have more about SMART goals in our first blog of the year. Happy New Year everyone!