SKT Law P.C.

STRUCTURING HEALTHCARE SALES STAFF: ARE YOU FEDERALLY COMPLIANT OR GOING TO FEDERAL PRISON?

All of us at SKT LAW want you to know that your health and safety is important to us. We offer remote consultations by phone, SKYPE or Zoom. Please email us at [email protected] or call us at (949) 523-3333 to schedule a meeting.

SKT welcomes Senior Associate Heidi Stilb Lewis to the firm. Heidi has 37+ years of Federal and State civil litigation experience and has dealt with a wide variety of matters including personal injury, wrongful death, class action and professional malpractice. Our entire team at SKT is so grateful to have her!

With regard to the issuance of Visas, the USCIS is no longer processing First In-First Out (FIFO) as it had been since the inception of the immigration program. Previously under FIFO, Applications for Immigration were adjudicated in the order in which they were received. Under the new policy change, Applications will be prioritized by those countries who already have Visa eligibility. Essentially, there are now two queues: (1) Applications in which Visas are current and... (2) Applications in which Visas are not current. The USCIS will process all Applications in Queue (1) and will only proceed to Queue (2) if there are no Applications in Queue (1) awaiting adjudication. Lastly, what this change means for EB-5 Visa investors from countries not facing retrogression jump to the front of the line. Therefore, investors from Vietnam, China, and India will generally now experience longer adjudication times.

All of us at SKT LAW want you to know that your health and safety is important to us. We offer remote consultations by phone, SKYPE or Zoom. Please email us at [email protected] or call us at (949) 523-3333 to schedule a meeting.

SKT welcomes Senior Associate Heidi Stilb Lewis to the firm. Heidi has 37+ years of Federal and State civil litigation experience and has dealt with a wide variety of matters including personal injury, wrongful death, class action and professional malpractice. Our entire team at SKT is so grateful to have her!

This is an awesome article and great read by the Los Angeles Times about Vietnam becoming the new Florida for retirees due to a rising standard of living and affordable healthcare. Enjoy! https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx

SKT is here to advise you that a lot of hard work goes into assisting our clients through the immigration process. Our Vietnam and United States staff collaborate in providing A+ service to our clients. With the rush demand on completing I-526 Petitions for the EB-5 Investor Program before the November 2019 deadline, pictured is attorney Eliot F. Krieger with one of SKT's client applications. This client's submission package consists of 7,500 pages, weighing a whopping 75 pounds, and standing 2'6" tall. It will be reviewed by the USCIS as part of the immigration process.

A DESK JOB DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN SITTING ALL DAY Research shows that being too sedentary leads to muscle activity effectively stopping; negating many of the health benefits of moderate exercise; and the potential for serious health conditions to develop (e.g. obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, storage of excess energy as body fat, and cardiovascular disease). Also, when you sit for too long, blood sugar and blood fat levels don’t return to normal as quickly.... Standing desks are the fastest-growing employee benefit in U.S. workplaces. When you stand the largest muscles of your body are actively working and using up fats and sugar from your bloodstream. The popularity of standing desks is fueled by studies which indicate they provide health benefits such as reduced shoulder and back pain, lower blood sugar, weight loss, improved mental health, lower cholesterol, and longer life expectancy. Lastly, standing desks help improve mood, energy levels, and boost productivity. There are many types of sit-stand desks on the market. Sit-stand desks range in price from $99 on the low end (Amazon and IKEA), to $350 in the mid-range (Veridesk is very popular), to thousands of dollars on the high-end (fully electronic desks versus a simple hand crank on the lower end models). See more

ACHIEVING A HEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE What’s the secret to achieving a successful career without sacrificing personal time and family? Good question! Work-life balance is the proper prioritizing between career and lifestyle (pleasure, leisure, health, family and spiritual development). The concept of leveraging mobile technology to introduce flexibility around where and when you work has been gaining popularity and has been suggested as the new way to move forward. These ...5 steps should assist on the path to a balance between work and life: (1) prioritize tasks at work; (2) have structured time at work; (3) throughout the work day be sure to take breaks; (4) recharge your battery with the use of annual holidays (focus on the day off and have a good time); and (5) leverage technology to work smarter, not harder (this is not to say you shouldn’t work hard). See more

Remember the USCIS has increased the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program effective November 21, 2019. If you or anyone you know are thinking of immigrating to the United States under the EB-5 Program, you should do so before November 21st. 5 STEPS TO AN EB-5 VISA 1) File I-526 and receive a Priority Date.... 2) Wait for I-526 approval. 3) Wait to be documentarily qualified for a Visa. 4) Wait for a Visa number to become available. 5) Receive EB-5 Green Card (conditional permanent residence) through consular processing or status adjustment. SKT is intimate with the EB-5 Program and we stand ready to assist. #EB5 #IMMIGRATION #USCIS #SKTLAW #IMMIGRANTINVESTOR

BREAKING NEWS The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially increased the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. The U.S. government released an announcement on the statutory change increasing investment capital for EB-5 Visas. In general, under the EB-5 program, individuals are eligible to apply for lawful permanent residence in the U.S. if they make the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the U.S. and create (or in certain circumstances ...preserve) 10 full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers. This rule provides priority date retention to certain EB-5 investors, increases the required minimum investment amount from $500,000 to $900,000 for Targeted Employment Area (TEA) and from $1M to $1.8M outside a TEA. This rule becomes effective November 21, 2019. If you or anyone you know were thinking of immigrating to the U.S. under the EB-5 Program, you should do so before November 21, 2019. SKT Law, P.C. devotes a significant portion of its practice to immigration law and we stand ready to assist. #EB5 #IMMIGRATION #USCIS #SKTLAW #IMMIGRANTINVESTOR

As an employer, communicating with your employees is key to a successful long-term relationship. It’s not only important to know what to say, but what not to say. Saying the wrong thing could lead to decreased morale, or even discrimination lawsuits. When communicating with employees, choose your words carefully, make sure they don't undermine your efforts to comply with applicable labor and employment laws, and promote a fair and productive workplace. Additionally, train your managers, supervisors and other key executive personnel to avoid statements that could be problematic. There are many courses and sources available for training. One such place is Fred Pryor Seminars which can be located here: https://www.pryor.com/

Employee Handbooks are an integral part of empowering an employer to convey benefits, rules, best practices, and other pertinent information to its employees. A Handbook should include key policies on employment classification, remuneration, at-will employment, non-discrimination, time off benefits, anti-harassment, absence leaves, and attendance & punctuality to name a few. We recommend reviewing your company’s Employee Handbook at least once a year and be sure to incorporate any changes or updates to the labor laws within your state. In California alone we have unique sets of labor laws which govern. If you don’t have a Labor & Employment firm to assist you, we highly recommend you consult with one. #employment #california #benefits #discrimination #harassment #bestpractices #employeehandbook

I.C.E. Raids began Sunday, July 14th, targeting thousands of families and possibly unaccompanied children. This enforcement action was to be carried out in major cities including Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, D.C., Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, and San Francisco. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) dedicated a resource site where you can find things like local response hotlines; media reports on the raid...s; links to the courts and the ICE Detainer Locator; and Know Your Rights handouts. Visit https://www.aila.org/raids. Additionally, today, the AILA President will testify before Congress in an attempt to hold the USCIS accountable about the crisis-level processing delays at the USCIS which are having devastating effects on immigrant applicants nationwide. The House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship will hold this hearing at 12:00 p.m. The hearing represents a victory for accountability, as well as an opportunity to push for a better-functioning USCIS that the public deserves.