Interview with: Jean-François Harvey, Founder & Managing Partner

Jean-François Harvey discusses Immigration by Investment and explains how the firm adapts to an ever-changing landscape

 

How does Harvey Law Group help and engage clients with RCBI Programs?

At Harvey Law Group, we provide services to clients who are looking to acquire either a new residency or citizenship. There is no “one-fits-all” model as every client has a different set of unique circumstances, thus we adopt a case-by-case approach to tailor our services to every client’s specific needs, goals, and objectives.

To better understand the needs of our clients, it is important to remember that communication is key. We find that the best approach to communication is face-to-face communication, which is why we have striven to establish bases in multiple countries around the world. By establishing our presence worldwide such as in the Americas, Europe, and in Asia, we can ensure that our clients will always have an active channel of communication available to them that is also suitable for the time zones.

 

Has HLG hit any recent milestones that have shaped the landscape of immigration?

We are very proud of the fact that we have been innovating constantly for over the last 30 years since HLG’s founding in 1992.  We take pride in challenging the norm and for travelling off the beaten path. The best example we can give is with the airline pilot project that we started 2 years ago in 2022. As you may know, there was and still is an ongoing airline pilot crises in the United States of America. At the beginning of this crisis, the USA had a program called the EB-2 NIW program, where many immigration experts did not believe airline pilots could qualify for this category. However, as our team reviewed the laws and regulations, we believed it was a possible endeavor and persevered despite the negative press we received at that time. We are now pleased to announce that as of February 2024, we have assisted close to 200 families that have gotten or are close to obtaining their green card through the EB2-NIW program. Through immense effort, we have been able to help many clients not only achieve their American dream, but we have contributed to resolving the pilot shortage in the American aviation industry.

 

What is HLG’s main competitive advantage compared to its competitors?

Immigration at its core revolves heavily around law and regulations, which often involve long processes, detailed documentation, and the burden of proof. It is a sensitive matter where we highly recommend clients to first seek legal advice to ensure they meet all the necessary criteria set by government authorities. As a law firm, we are confident that our lawyers are fully equipped with the necessary knowledge of laws and regulations to be able to provide the correct service and advice to our clients. At Harvey Law Group, we have a full team of lawyers that are registered with the law society of multiple jurisdictions. As practicing lawyers, our team is also held accountable by strict rules of conduct and are subject to professional liability insurance.

 

What are common challenges clients face in the Investment Immigration process?

Again, investment immigration is a complex matter and must be a considered decision. The challenges our clients may face are on a case-by-case basis, based on their specific needs and background. Of course, we may occasionally have some clients who are in dire situations or are in countries facing strong political or civil unrest. In these cases, there may be more difficulties in navigating the complicated legal requirements and documentation. Each country has a different set of immigration laws, and it is important to ensure compliance with international standards for every application. This will require our team to not only be an expertise in the legal field and master their knowledge of these immigration programs, but also be innovative when finding solutions for our clients to assist with their complex problem.

Different programs on the market are also often subject to change. For example, the Caribbean has recently introduced the requirement to have an interview. To adjust to this change, we had to ensure we had the means and ability to assist our clients to attend these mandatory interviews.

 

There have been many changes to the Residency and Citizenship by Investment landscape in recent years, how does HLG adapt to these changes?

At HLG, as mentioned before, we strive to always be innovative and are always working to diversify. We offer a diversified selection of programs and should one program close, another will always open. For each program we offer, we offer our services in confidence in accordance with the laws and regulations that uphold and support each program. We can adapt accordingly and easily with change by studying the new laws and regulations in place as the structure of law remains the same, whether you are an American, Canadian or UK lawyer.  Of course, we also put ourselves in contact with the relevant government authorities to stay updated on the latest rules and requirements.

 

In terms of investment immigration as a whole, what challenges do you see in the coming months?

There are many new challenges we are expecting to face in the coming months, some of which we welcome and are comfortable with. We believe there will be new players entering the market and are also expecting the prices to rise for a few of our offered programs. Challenges and changes come hand in hand, and we feel that we are well equipped to handle these new changes when they come.