Photo of Jia Zhao

Jia Zhao focuses her practice on business immigration and compliance. She advises multinational and midsized corporate clients and start-ups in achieving global workforce mobility in the fields of finance, architecture, real estate, consulting, health care, entertainment and hospitality. Jia counsels clients on many aspects of corporate U.S. immigration, including all major employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant matters and regulatory compliance. Jia has experience handling a broad range of corporate immigration matters, with a focus on EB-1, L-1, O-1, H-1B, E-3, E-2 and TN. Jia also assists clients with adjustment of status, consular processing and naturalization process. Jia additionally dedicates a portion of her practice to EB-5 investor matters, and is a member of Greenberg Traurig’s EB-5 group. She has experience representing investors in all three stages of the EB-5 process.

On Feb. 7, 2020, the official visa information website of the U.S. mission in China (http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/cn/index.html?firstTime=No) announced that as of Feb. 3, 2020, regular visa services at the
Continue Reading Update – U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in China Suspended Regular Visa Services as of Feb. 3

As a follow-up to our Jan. 31 blog post, we have yet to see an official announcement from the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in China regarding visa appointment cancellations for the week of Feb. 10 or later. However, this week, we began receiving non-immigrant and immigrant visa appointment cancellations for the week of Feb. 10. Likewise, the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou informed some EB-5 investors that “Due to the evolving situation with the novel corona virus, and the Chinese government response, the USCIS Consulate Guangzhou is cancelling immigrant visa appointments the week of February 10.” 
Continue Reading Update on Cancellation of Visa Appointments at U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China, and USCIS Response to the Coronavirus

On Feb. 16, 2018, USCIS published the final policy memorandum on signature requirements, which changed its existing rules for signatures on written requests filed with USCIS. Effective March 18, 2018, all paper filings with the USCIS must include a handwritten ink signature and USCIS will no longer accept signatures of individuals based on power of attorney for corporate clients. The only exceptions where power of attorney signatures will still be accepted are signatures on behalf of children under 14 and individuals with disabilities. There are additional changes made by the final policy memorandum, such as a requirement that an authorized signatory must be employed by the petitioner and that USCIS may reject a form submitted with a faulty signature instead of offering the opportunity to fix the deficiency. Below is a quick summary of the key points identified by the final policy memo regarding signature requirements.
Continue Reading USCIS Finalizes Guidance on Signature Requirements – With Limited Exceptions, USCIS No Longer Accepts Power of Attorney Signatures

According to the June 2017 Visa Bulletin released by Department of State and effective June 1, there will be significant retrogression in the EB-1 category for individuals born in mainland
Continue Reading June 2017 Visa Bulletin Update: EB-1 Final Action Dates Retrogression for China and India