I spent a weekend recently reviewing an emigration exhibition and it bought back to me memories of my own family’s emigration process. At that very same emigration exhibition ten years ago my family, as part of our research, (my wife Siri and children Kris then 14 and Candice then 12) were trawling through the exhibitors looking for help with our move to America. We, like most attendees, made an assumption that the exhibition organizers had checked through the exhibitors background and credentials and all would be well. Despite my due diligence we were caught out when our goods were shipped out from UK to the USA by a company who were at the exhibition and we ended up paying twice, even though we had been careful even to the extent of checking out their depot!

Although other elements of the move all those years ago were OK, and the family are now US citizens, it is worrying that giving seminars on emigration at that exhibition ten years ago was a man by the name of Derek Coles of the  New Horizons group. This man is now under investigation by U.S. authorities regarding allegations involving client funds for EB-5. E2 and L1 visas. There seem to have been a steady stream of such problems over the years with emigrants losing their life savings.

We remain concerned just how vulnerable those planning to immigrate to the USA can be and it is comforting to see that those who plan well and utilize advice can have a happy ending. See comments here.

This blog entry brought to you by Andrew Bartlett