I kindly invite you to a reading of an interview with Eliot Norman, Esq. is an attorney with Williams Mullen. He has focused his practice on immigration law and advising on inbound U.S. investment projects from Europe and Asia since 1986. He regularly advises technology, staffing, manufacturing, and multinational corporations on recruiting and retaining global talent. As a former federal prosecutor, he counsels on compliance with I-9 rules and Homeland Security enforcement measures. He also enjoys helping movie producers move cast and crew around the world. His expertise includes transfers of executives, manufacturers and specialists to U.S. operations and solving security and visa problems impacting business travel and visa issuance.
What are the criteria for the Poles of obtaining a business visa to the United States ?
Generally speaking, first of all you should have a business plan which makes sense for American market, you should have capital proportional to the needs of the business you want to establish. So, if it is a manufacturing business you obviously need more capital than for a consulting business. Then you should have a qualified person who can come over, who can meet the requirements to obtain a visa. That person must be able to show that they are managersor a specialists. In some cases that they should have a substancial experience with the Polish company before they come over to the US. With those criteria really you can get started with the appropriate business visa. The US Emigration Office and the Embassy are very open to qualified businesses coming and will approve the visas. It is all a part of general investment plan and strategy of US government to attract foreign direct investment.
When company want to break the American ground is it better to export from a homecountry or rather establish a division in the States?
I think it is better in the beginning to export the products through a qualified distributor or agent and make sure that it is a market for your products. After you do that for six months or a year and you realize that it is a market for your products then the only way to increase your market is to set up an office. For example, if you have technical products like software you need office in the United States or you gonna loose the customers. There is a competition. They are on the ground compiting with you in the United States and you cannot do it from Poland. You have the time difference from California to Poland. From the East Coast is about 6 hours. Customers want just-in-time products, they want the inventory close to them. If you look at the Japnaese automobile makers. Even the automobile makers like Toyota know they have to set up a factory in the United States to capture the market share.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Maya M. Kowalczyk
About Eliot Norman, Esq. :
Boston College Law School
(J.D.)
Yale University
(B.A.)
Institut d’Etudes Politiques
(Certificate)
American Bar Association
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Virginia Bar Association
Virginia Commission on Immigration
Virginia State Bar, Chair International Practice Section (1992)
Listed in „Legal Elite,” Virginia Business magazine – Immigration/Naturalization
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America
Listed in Virginia Super Lawyers magazine – Immigration
Virginia State Bar
Maryland State Bar