Managing Partner Michael Wildes, often considered “immigration attorney to the stars”, was recently asked to weigh in on the Justin Beiber situation. Michael was interviewed by Hollywoodlife.com in regards to these matters. To view the stories in their entirety, please click below
Teenage heartthrob, Justin Bieber, is Canadian. That means in order to work and/or live in the United States, he must apply for U.S. immigration benefits. And this is exactly what Bieber did. In fact, Bieber, was able to secure the highly sought after O-1 nonimmigrant visa.
The O-1 visa is available to an individual who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements. To qualify for an O-1 visa, the beneficiary must demonstrate extraordinary ability by showing that the individual has reached a level of expertise that is shared by only a small percentage of people, prove sustained national or international acclaim, and must be coming temporarily to the United States to continue to work in that area of extraordinary ability.
No one would deny that Bieber is “extraordinary”. But his recent behavior would potentially cause him to be placed in removal proceedings despite his O-1 status. According to Michael Wildes, “[a]lthough traffic violations are not normally considered removable offenses, in this case the Immigration Authorities could make the case that the seriousness of the drag racing offense, when coupled with Bieber’s blood alcohol level, is egregious enough to offend the public conscious and be considered a crime of moral turpitude for immigration purposes. However, if Bieber is only charged with one offense for which the maximum penalty is 6 months in jail, it is likely that he would qualify for an exception under the immigration laws.” In either case, Mr. Wildes stated that “Having a visa to remain in the United States on a temporary basis is a privilege, not a right. Immigration Authorities may have more of an incentive to go after Bieber to set an example for others.”
Considered O visa expert lawyers, the firm of Wildes & Weinberg, has successfully attained this type of visa for an esteemed roster of renowned clientele in order to pursue their careers in the United States. Most well-known for representing former Beatle John Lennon and his artist wife Yoko Ono, other notable clients of the firm include soccer icon Pele, as well other professional athletes such as Greg Norman, Virginia Wade, Billy Smith, Al Arbour, and Kwame James, the former professional basketball player who subdued the would-be “shoe bomber” Richard Reid on a trans-Atlantic flight. Other notable clients of the firm include Joe Cocker, Johnny Rotten, Paloma Picasso, the 2011,2010, 2009 and 2008 Miss Universes, supermodel Giselle Bundchen and Sarah Brightman, the world’s bestselling female classical artist of the twenty-first century.
Despite difficulties currently being encountered in dealing with U.S. immigration authorities, Michael Wildes and his bilingual staff process each foreign national’s case with nothing less than the highest level of professionalism. This enables the firm to maintain an exceptional track record for success in all of its cases.