D&A Covid-19 Resources

The Covid-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact around the world. Traditional immigration pathways have been upended and businesses are facing an uncertain future.

Davies & Associates is rising to the challenge to support our clients through these tough times. Our expert attorneys span both immigration law and business law, uniquely placing us to help guide our global client base through this crisis.

Contact us to arrange a free consultation to discuss how Coronavirus is impacting your business or immigration goals. There are long- and short-term solutions available and we can help you make the best of a difficult situation.

• Country Specific Measures
• Visas for Nurses
• Visas for Doctors
• EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa
• E-2 Treaty Investor Visa
• International Debt Collection
• Bankruptcy

Short-term Support Measures

Governments around the world have introduced support measures to help businesses, families and individuals survive through the lockdowns caused by Coronavirus. Businesses facing lost trade and cashflow issues may require immediate support with salaries, rents, mortgages and utility payments. Support measures differ by country, but thanks to our global reach, we are able to advise on what is available in your country. For a country by country guide to support measures, click here.

Impact of Covid-19 on Immigration

With flights grounded and embassies closed around the world, immigration has ground to a de facto halt. Added to that, United States President Donald Trump has introduced a so-called "immigration ban," an Executive Order suspending certain types of immigration to the United States.
While the term "immigration ban" sounds so comprehensive, in reality, there are significant exemptions. The majority of visa categories we work on at Davies & Associates are currently not included in the suspension. The focus of the ban is on immigrant visas, i.e. those that lead to permanent residency also known as a "Green Card".

Visas for Nurses

There is a shortage of healthcare professionals in the United States. The Covid-19 pandemic has only served to highlight this issue. Our partner networks help to link overseas nurses with hospitals in the United States. It is important to have a job offer in the United States before our immigration attorneys are able to progress your case. Read more about visas for nurses..

Visas for Doctors

Davies & Associates Foreign Medical Professional (FMP) practice provides highly specialized immigration and licensure solutions for qualified Foreign Medical Professionals.
Davies & Associates eases the barriers of entry for qualified Foreign Medical Professionals seeking to practice in the United States and concentrates on immigration and licensure solutions for individual occupations that are involved in virtually all areas of healthcare. Our firm provides immigration and licensure solutions for professionals in fields of medicine, surgery, and dentistry; and in related patient-care areas, such as nursing, therapy, diagnostic imaging and pharmacy.
Our FMP Practice Team is composed of established USA doctor visa attorneys and specialist consultants that work together to ease the burdensome barriers of entry for qualified professionals seeking to enter the United States. Read more about visas for doctors..

EB-5 Visas Exemption

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa was issued an exemption from the Executive Order suspending new immigrant visas to the United States. The expressed aim of the Order was to preserve American jobs and the EB-5 program creates jobs.
Foreign investors can acquire a Green Card for themselves and their entire dependent family in exchange for a minimum $900,000 investment. Each investment must create ten full-time American jobs. EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa.
The majority of EB-5 investors choose to invest with a Regional Center. Investing with a reputable Regional Center and in a credible project will mitigate risk to the green card and the return of your capital. Regional Centers are able to count indirect jobs towards the job-creation requirement of the EB-5 program. Indirect jobs are those jobs shown to have been created collaterally or as a result of capital invested in a commercial enterprise affiliated with a Regional Center by an EB-5 investor. A foreign investor may only use the indirect job calculation if affiliated with a Regional Center.Read more .

Review of Non-Immigrant Visas

The Executive Order only covers immigrants outside the United States seeking permanent residency (Green Cards). Non-immigrant categories, such as the E-2 Visa, the L-1 Visa, and the H-1B Visa are not currently included in the ban.
However, the Executive Order does call for a review of non-immigrant programs within 30 days with a view to "other measures" affecting these categories. The Order instructs the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of State to report recommendations to the President within 30 days regarding restrictions (if any) on non-immigrant visas.

Adjustment of Status

The order only applies to those seeking immigrant visas (i.e. those outside the US seeking to go through consular processing). It does not impact those inside the US already on a valid visa that are eligible to do Adjustment of Status (AOS). Clients should consult us before traveling outside of the United States if they have a pending AOS application or may be eligible to file one in the near future.

Our Advice

We recommend that anyone seeking a US visa proceed with their application. Much can change in the time it takes to prepare one. With flights grounded and American embassies closed to consular appointments, the Executive Order makes limited material difference in the short term. There are likely to be a number of lawsuits challenging the ban. This is also an election year. A new administration could be expected to reverse this Order.
We will provide updates on the 30-day review of non-immigrant visas. Some non-immigrant categories, such as the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, bring investment to the United States and create jobs. Each client’s circumstances are different. Please contact us to discuss how this may affect you.

Longer Term Solutions

Once the pandemic passes and the lockdown eases, many businesses will find themselves fighting for survival. There are many options open to business owners and entrepreneurs facing tough times. We can help debtors negotiate a revised repayment plan with creditors and we can help creditors chase debts anywhere in the world.

International Debt Collection

Looking beyond the short-term assistance programs, the global economy is likely to be in disarray when it gets going again. One feature may be that people have difficulty paying their bills. D&A’s creditors’ advisory business can help chase payment of debts. Given the internationalization of modern supply chains, many debts will cut across national borders. D&A’s international reach, with offices and partnerships around the globe, means we can pursue debts for clients both in their home country and overseas. Debt collection in the United States is governed on a state by state basis

Bankruptcy

For firms struggling to pay their bills, one possible option is the bankruptcy system. While the term bankruptcy often implies something terminal, in the United States it is possible for firms to file for bankruptcy and continue operating. Under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code it is possible to reorganize your business and renegotiate your debts. Chapter 13 offers something similar for individuals on fixed incomes. The most common form of bankruptcy in the United States is Chapter 7 where assets are liquidated to pay off debts. It is important to engage an attorney to understand which assets could be legally protected from the liquidation process.

D&A Corporate Team

As you can see, there are lots of different measures in place to help individuals and businesses amid this unprecedented global crisis. And we are here to help. While D&A is most known for bringing people to the United States, we are often less well known for our corporate work once they get there. Yet for certain visa categories, corporate work is essential. Immigration law and corporate law are natural bedfellows. For example, all new E-2 Visa applications and any "new office" L-1 Visas require a US entity to be established as part of the visa process. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.