education

American University (M.A., 1996)
American University, Washington College of Law (J.D., 1992)
De Pauw University (B.A.)

related practices

bar admissions

Florida
New York

court admissions

Florida State Courts
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

Julie C. Ferguson

Shareholder

jferguson@carltonfields.com

Miami

T: 305.539.7262

F: 305.530.0055

vCard

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Julie Ferguson handles a wide variety of services from employment and family-based immigration to EB-5 petitions and representation of individuals in removal proceedings. Ms. Ferguson has practiced immigration law exclusively for more than 15 years. Her clients include multinational corporations and business organizations that employ foreign nationals on a temporary and permanent basis in the United States.

Ms. Ferguson also represents individuals, including professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, entertainers and athletes seeking either temporary or permanent residence. She has represented individuals seeking political asylum and defended non-citizens with criminal convictions.

As the head of the firm's EB-5 practice team, Ms. Ferguson represents developers seeking to raise capital and foreign nationals seeking to apply for residency through the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program. She serves as counsel to investors in stand-alone and regional center projects, and to developers seeking to apply for regional center designation. In addition to preparing and filing EB-5 regional center and individual petitions, Ms. Ferguson has significant experience litigating denials of I-829 petitions. She also advises on matters related to pre-immigration tax planning.

Ms. Ferguson is an active member of the Association to Invest in the USA, an industry trade association of active EB-5 regional centers, attorneys, and other EB-5 related service providers.

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Representative Experience

Business and Employment-Based Immigration Matters

Obtained permanent residency in the extraordinary ability category for a Brazilian Indy Car driver and 3-time Indy 500 Champion and other high-profile and highly accomplished foreign nationals
Obtained permanent residency for foreign nationals through the EB5 investor visa program
In collaboration with attorneys in the Corporate, Securities and Tax group who represent a Panamanian company with several foreign affiliates, we obtained L1A visas for two of the company’s key employees so the company could transfer them from Venezuela to a new affiliate in the United States.
Obtained E2 (investor) visas for individuals investing in various industries including wood product manufacturing, cigar manufacturing, real estate, fashion, import/export, online education, restaurant and hospitality
Obtained an O-1 visa (exceptional ability) and permanent residency for a well-known TV personalities, artists and athletes
Obtained P-1 visas for various athletes and coaches working for US amateur teams and for professional athletes coming to compete in the United States
Obtained H-1B visas for numerous professionals including dentists, doctors, foreign legal consultants, logistics managers, art directors, operations managers and others

Representation in Removal Proceedings

Obtained a grant of political asylum for a Honduran victim of domestic violence
Obtained a grant of political asylum for several political activists from Venezuela
Obtained permanent residency for HIV+ single mother in removal proceedings
Defended a U.S. lawful permanent resident, originally from Canada, who was placed in removal proceedings for allegedly making a false claim to United States citizenship
Defended a longtime lawful permanent resident, originally from Mexico, who was placed in removal proceedings for allegedly committing a crime of moral turpitude
Reopened the case of a Peruvian woman who had been ordered deported in 2004, and terminated removal proceedings so she could apply for permanent residency

Reported Decisions

Jones v. Gonzales, 2007 US Dist. LEXIS (S.D. Fla, 2007).
Barueto v. Larios, 291 F. Supp. 2d 1360 (S.D. Fla. 2003).
Montanez Miranda v. Banco Progreso, SACA, 973 F. Supp. 89 (D. Puerto Rico 1997).

Publications

04.17.2013	Client Alert: "Corporate Compliance After Immigration Reform" (April 16, 2013).
04.01.2013	EB-5 Requirements for Immigrant Investors (Russian)
02.11.2013	Client Resource: "EB-5 Options for Developers" (January 2013).
01.29.2013	Client Resource: Project Finance: The EB-5 Investor Visa Option (June 2012).
01.03.2013	Co-Author, “Department of Homeland Security Announces Final Rule on Unlawful Presence Waivers,” Carlton Fields Client Alert (January 3, 2013).
08.07.2012	Pre-Immigration Tax Planning Brochure
April/May 2012	Client Resource: "Immigration News & Report," (April/May 2012).
03.12.2012	Client Article: Invest in Your Future: Conditional Green Cards with No Visa Backlog (March 2012).
03.06.2012	Client Alert: Supreme Court Finds That Filing a False Tax Return Is Grounds for Deportation (March 6, 2012).
01.01.2012	Co-Author, “Litigating Certain Waivers and Applications for Relief from Removal,” American Immigration Lawyers Association (2012).
01.01.2008	“AILA’s Focus on Waivers,” published by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (2008).
01.01.1998	Author, “International Litigation in the Hemisphere, Presentation on Service of Process in Latin America,” 13 Am U. Int'l L.R. 953 (1998).

Speaking Engagements

Co-Presenter, “Updated: The Unlawful Presence Waiver,” 34th Annual Immigration Law Update: Stateside Processing of I-601 Waivers and Strategies for Presenting the Best Waiver Case, Miami, FL (February 8, 2013)
Co-presenter, “The Unlawful Presence Waiver,” 26th Annual AILA CFC Seminar, Clearwater Beach, FL (October 5, 2012)
“Annual Immigration Law Update,” AILA South Florida Chapter, Miami, FL (2012)
“Annual Immigration Law Update,” AILA South Florida Chapter, Miami, FL (2011)
“Annual Immigration Law Update,” AILA South Florida Chapter, Miami, FL (2010)
“Annual Immigration Law Update,” AILA South Florida Chapter, Miami, FL (2009)
“Annual Immigration Law Update,” AILA South Florida Chapter, Miami, FL (2008)
“Immigration Law for Attorneys, Paralegals and Human Resource Professionals,” CLE Conference, Miami, FL (September 2005)

Professional Recognition
AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Professional and Civic Activities

The Florida Bar
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Board of Governors
Chair, South Florida AILA Asylum Committee
National Refugee and Asylum Committee
The National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild
The Young Founders Board of the Mt. Sinai Medical Center Foundation
Former Member, Miami Dade County’s Independent Review Panel
Volunteer, Alternatives to Violence Project
Member, The Association to Invest in USA (IIUSA)
Center for Justice and Accountability

Background
Owner, Julie C. Ferguson, P.A., Miami, FL

Events

02.08.2013	34th Annual Immigration Law Update: Stateside Processing of I-601 Waivers and Strategies for Presenting the Best Waiver Case Events

News
- 02.03.2012
  
  Dennis Olle and Julie Ferguson Talk with the South Florida Business Journal about Expansion of Firm's International Practice

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Julie C. Ferguson