Andrea R. Jacobs, P.A. is a full service immigration and bankruptcy practice located in South Florida since 1993. The bankruptcy practice works with clients located in Broward and Palm Beach counties while the immigration practice is worldwide.

The firm provides both immigrant and non-immigrant visa services. For immigrant visas (“green cards”), you must have an immediate family member or an employer to sponsor your application, except in limited circumstances. Our ideal client for our immigration department is a corporation who hires a foreign workforce and needs assistance with bringing these individuals into the U.S. We also assist in corporate compliance. Of course, we represent individuals who have a sponsor to either employ them or have a family member who will help with their process.

For our bankruptcy department, we represent mainly individuals who are facing financial difficulty due to the economy, loss of a job, a divorce or an illness.We offer a free evaluation of the client's economic situation and offer sound advice on how to best solve the issues. The firm handles personal and corporate bankruptcies under Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code.  
 

Contact Andrea R. Jacobs today if you need legal assistance with any of the following:

• Bankruptcy
  • Chapter 7 Consumer and Corporate Cases
  • Chapter 13 Reorganizations
• Immigration
  • Green Cards
  • Work Authorizations
  • Citizenship, Naturalization
  • Work Visas
  • Intracompany Transfer Visas
  • Investor Visas
     

Andrea R. Jacobs is the founding member of the firm.  Ms. Jacobs is a member of the Florida Bar.  She is also a member of The United States District Court for The Southern District of Florida. Attorney Jacobs is a member of The American Immigration Lawyers Association, The Florida Bar Association, The Bankruptcy Bar Association, The Florida Association of Women Lawyers, The University of Florida Alumni Association, and Phi Kappa Phi Honorary.

Karen E. Epstein is an associate attorney with the firm. Ms. Epstein is a member of the Florida Bar.  She is also a member of The United States District Court for The Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. Ms. Epstein was an associate attorney for Benson, Moyle & Chambers, LLP, specializing in the area of Debtor-Creditor Law. She has also taught law courses in the areas of Debtor-Creditor Law, Business Law and Real Estate Law at Broward College.

If you or a loved one needs the help of an experienced Coral Springs, Florida Bankruptcy and Immigration lawyer, call Andrea Jacobs today at 954-800-9990, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange your free initial consultation.

Bankruptcy Practice Areas

Chapter 7 Personal Bankruptcy
This is a bankruptcy that can be filed by an individual or a married couple.  There is a median income standard based on the household size.  The qualification tests takes into account the household income, IRS allowable deductions and personal allowable deductions.

Chapter 7 Business Bankruptcy
This is a liquidation of a corporation.  The bankruptcy trustee will liquidate all assets of the corporation to make a pro rata distribution to corporate creditors.

Chapter 13 Personal Reorganization
This is a personal reorganization wherein an individual or married couple may make over the median income or want to keep assets over available exemptions.  A monthly payment plan is established to pay back a portion of the unsecured debt over a 36 to 60 month period of time.  

If you or a loved one needs the help of an experienced Coral Springs, Florida Bankruptcy and Immigration lawyer, call Andrea Jacobs today at 954-800-9990, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange your free initial consultation.

Immigration Practice Areas

Consular Processing:
If an individual is in another country, he or she may apply for a visa or green card in the U.S. embassy of his or her home country. Attorney Patricia Depew is able to facilitate all of the paperwork and applications, and contact the consular officers to facilitate approval of the application.
 
Criminal Deportation/Removal Defense:
Patricia Depew represents immigrants in the United States who have been charged or convicted of a crime and are subsequently placed in deportation or removal proceedings. Since September 30, 1996, and the passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, (Pub. L. No. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009 "IIRAIRA"), the rights of aliens in the United States have been severely curtailed when past criminal conduct is a factor. Crimes that previously did not cause immigration consequences can now trigger deportation proceedings against an alien. Crimes as serious as murder, and as minor as shoplifting, can result in deportation.

Attorney Patricia Depew constantly seeks to find creative solutions to her clients’ deportation problems by staying abreast of new laws and regulations in addition to federal court decisions affecting immigrants. She also vigorously pursues post-conviction remedies in criminal cases to create affirmative defenses from deportation and removal, and/or to allow aliens to qualify for deportation/removal discretionary waivers.

There are three agencies, which may have jurisdiction or input into a deportation or removal proceeding:

• USCIS – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (for green cards and citizenship) 
• ICE – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (for deportations and investigations) 
• CBP – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (for airport and border crossing issues)

Employment Visas/Labor Certification:
Patricia Depew routinely handles all matters related to green card applications, labor certification and PERM applications. She knows that it is critical that each application is meticulously prepared, all deadlines are met, all references are verified, data is exact and everything documented is in accordance with all current laws. The types of immigration law work Attorney Patricia Depew does for employees and employers can include, but is not limited to:

• PERM Application 
• E-1/E-2 – Treaty Country Investor Visas 
• EB1 - National Interest Waiver, Alien Of Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Professor Or Researcher, Multinational Executive 
• EB2 - Member Of Profession Holding An Advanced Degree Or Alien Of Exceptional Ability 
• EB3 - Skilled Worker Or Professional
• EB4 - Any Other Worker 
• EB5 - Immigrant Investor 
• H-2A – Seasonal Worker Visas 
• H-2B - Other Seasonal Work Visas 
• L-1 - Inter-Company Transferees Visas

Family Based Visas/ Fiancée Visas:
Patricia Depew helps fathers, daughters, mothers, son, fiancées and other relatives enter the United States with either an immigrant or non-immigrant visa. She can guide you through the many options that are available, and make certain that the paperwork is all in order so the petition is granted. I-130 Petition: An I-130 is a Petition for Alien Relatives and it applies to mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and children. Parents, spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age of U.S. Citizens are considered immediate relatives and are not placed under a quota system. The others are placed into preference order which determines who is given priority entry into the United States:

• First Preference: Unmarried, adult (21 years of age or older) sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.
• Second Preference: Spouses of lawful permanent residents and the unmarried sons and daughters of lawful permanent residents. 
• Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. 
• Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens.

This process can take a very long time (several years) depending upon the preference ranking. The most current online visa bulletin will give those who are waiting an idea of how long they must wait for their immigration application or green card to be granted.

Fiancée Visas:
For those seeking to bring a fiancé or fiancée to the United States, a K-1 visa application will allow the fiancé (e) to enter the United States. Both parties must be unmarried, legally divorced or annulled, or widowed. The marriage must take place within 90 days of entry into the United States.
 
H, L, E, Visas:
Non-immigrant work visas (H, L, O, P, Q) require a CIS-approved petition from a U.S. sponsor. Treaty-trader or treaty-investor visas (E1/E2) can be applied for directly by the individual as long as he or she is from a country with which the United States has a treaty.

The most common work-related visas are H-1B Visas and L1 Visas. The H-1B is a way to bring foreign-born professionals to the United States for a period of up to six years. A sponsor is required, and the employment may only start up when the new employee is in the United States. The L1- Visa is for people working for an employer abroad for one year in a related business entity in a manager / executive or specialized knowledge staff capacity, and who will come to the United States to continue providing services for his or her employer.

The paperwork is important, but so is the communication. California immigration Attorney Patricia Depew maintains excellent communication and regularly represents employees and employers within the following types of visa filings:

• B1 Temporary visitor for business 
• B2 Temporary visitor for pleasure 
• B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business or pleasure 
• E1 Treaty trader, spouse and children 
• E2 Treaty investor, spouse and children 
• H1B (petition-based) Temporary worker in a specialty occupation 
• H1C (petition-based) Registered nurses 
• H2A (petition-based) Temporary worker performing agricultural services unavailable in the United States 
• H2B (petition-based) Temporary worker performing non-agricultural services unavailable in the United States H3 (petition-based) Industrial trainee 
• H4 (petition-based) Dependent of H1, H2 or H3 
• L1 (petition-based) Intra-company transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with an international firm or corporation) 
• L2 (petition-based) Dependent of L1 
• O1 (petition-based) Aliens with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics 
• O2 (petition-based) Aliens accompanying and assisting the above in a professional capacity 
• O3 (petition-based) Dependent of O1 or O2 
• P1 (petition-based) Athletes and entertainers for a specific competition or performance 
• P2 (petition-based) Athletes and entertainers participating in reciprocal exchange program 
• P3 (petition-based) Artists and entertainers performing under a program that is culturally unique 
• P4 (petition-based) Dependent of P1, P2 or P3 
• Q (petition-based) International cultural exchange visitor

Political Asylum:
Patricia Depew also assists those from other countries who apply for political asylum within the United States. As of 1996, persons in the United States have one calendar year to apply for political asylum, unless the conditions of the country of persecution change or there are exceptional circumstances. Attorney Patricia Depew carefully examines every political asylum case to decide whether the case has merit or is frivolous. She will guide the client as to the proper course of action to enhance their claim.
 
TN Visas:
When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was implemented on January 1, 1994, a category for Mexican and Canadian professionals was created to allow for temporary entry into the United States.

Under the NAFTA, Mexican and Canadian professionals are now eligible for Trade NAFTA (TN) status. Under TN status, Mexican and Canadian citizens in certain professions may enter the United States to work for a U.S. company on a temporary basis. Eligible professionals may also work for Mexican and Canadian companies in the United States.
 
Professions Qualified For TN Status:
In order to qualify for TN status, the applicant must be intending to be involved in a profession listed in Appendix 1603.D.1 of NAFTA and the applicant must possess the required credentials to be considered a "professional." In most, but not all of the listed professions, a bachelor's degree or better is usually required. However, the list of eligible professions also includes occupations which do not necessarily require a bachelor's degree as a minimum requirement. Examples of these occupations are management consultants, hotel managers, librarians and graphic designers. The requirements for each of these categories appear in Appendix 1603.D.l of NAFTA.

If you or a loved one needs the help of an experienced Coral Springs, Florida Bankruptcy and Immigration lawyer, call Andrea Jacobs today at 954-800-9990, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange your free initial consultation.

Professional Profile

If you or a loved one needs the help of an experienced Coral Springs, Florida Bankruptcy and Immigration lawyer, call Andrea Jacobs today at 954-800-9990, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange your free initial consultation.

ADDRESS OF THE FIRM:
Andrea R. Jacobs P.A
2801 University Dr. Ste 203
Coral Springs, FL 33065
Phone: 954-800-9990
Hours: M-F, 8:00AM-5:00PM
 

Attorney Andrea R. Jacobs

Jurisdictions:

• Florida

Education:

•  University of Miami B.A., 1987
• Unversity of Florida J.D., 1990

Admitted To The Bar:

• 1990

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
• American Immigration Lawyers Association
• Bankruptcy Bar Association
• Broward County Bar Association