Identical applications. Different outcomes. Same job. Same company. Same evidence. But one approval  and one denial . This happened with a husband and wife  who were co-CEOs of an Australian fashion company  applying for L-1A visas  for a new U.S. operation. The husband's application  was approved without issues. The wife's identical application? Denied. The official reason: “ Insufficient documentation regarding subordinate employees. ” But here’s what puzzles me: both appli

If the AI/ChatGPT platforms went down tomorrow , would you know how to navigate the world ? My biggest fear for the next generation (and our own future) isn’t technology itself  — it’s our growing dependence on it . When I was a young student, teachers made us do a lot of manual labor , such as: • Looking up words  in physical dictionaries • Writing longhand  before typing up the final version • Solving math problems  without calculators • Memorizing information  we could eas

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the Prohibition-era wineries  that survived a 13-year ban  by switching to sacramental wine production  for the church.Because of their ingenuity and adaptability , they’re still around today — for example, San Antonio Winery  in Downtown LA — not because they resisted change, but because they evolved to survive . Today, we face similar challenges in immigration law. Administrative bans , policy shifts , and market disruptions  can change ever

Most immigrants don't realize they're making costly tax mistakes until it's too late.  By then, the penalties for unreported foreign accounts or business interests can be devastating .  We sat down with   Mahmoud Abotteen, CPA  who runs Abotteen & Co. in Los Angeles. What makes Mahmoud different from most CPAs? He's lived the immigrant experience himself - arriving in the U.S. in 2009, navigating different visa statuses, and ultimately becoming a citizen.  His personal journ