Britain Begins the Process of Reopening

 

Britain Begins the Process of Reopening

Last week, Britain started to slowly reopen after one of the longest and most strict lockdowns in the world. Britain has been under three nationwide lockdowns since the start of the pandemic, and they hope for this to be the last. When the country began to open last week, thousands of retail stores, pubs, restaurants, and more reopened for the first time in months. The British government has said that they are aiming to fully reopen by June 21st.

British citizens have been under strict lockdowns for the longest amount of time compared to any other country in the world since the start of the pandemic. When the lockdown restrictions finally eased on Monday, April 12th, British citizens rushed out of their homes to celebrate by shopping and grabbing a meal or drink with friends (outdoors). This surge of eager spenders is great for local businesses.

How Does This Affect the Economy?

Deutsche Bank, the German Investment Bank, has stated that since the country has begun to reopen, the economy has been off to a “roaring start”. These predictions and data suggest a strong consumer demand which has been pent up for the past three months. Many consumers’ incomes were protected by government furloughs.

It is still not certain if Britain is on a straight path towards reopening. Many things could happen before this is all over, including another lockdown, similar to what Ontario, Canada is facing. The process of Britain fully reopening is a long one, but it still feels like the beginning of the end for many.

This will likely open the doors to more opportunities for international business deals between the UK and the rest of the world. Follow along with our blog for other articles on international business, law, and more!

Why Do So Many Businesses Incorporate in Delaware?

 

Why Do So Many Businesses Incorporate in Delaware?

Why Are Over Half of the Fortune 500 Companies Registered in Delaware?

Delaware is one of the smallest states in the US by both population and geographic size, so why is it home (on paper) to some of the world’s largest companies? Before we get into it, here are a few interesting facts about companies that decide to incorporate in Delaware:

• There are more companies incorporated in Delaware than the total population of the state.
• Over 65% of all Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware.
• Over half of all US publicly traded companies are incorporated in Delaware.
• More than 300,000 businesses are registered in a small, one-story building in Wilmington, Delaware.
  • Walmart, Coca-Cola, Apple, Verizon, American Airlines, and eBay are among a handful of companies registered in that one building.

Why Do So Many Companies Choose to Incorporate in Delaware?

Delaware prides itself on having corporate-friendly laws, which is the main reason why so many companies register themselves in the state. Delaware laws and courts offer liability protection for business owners, business managers, and shareholders.

It is also easy to incorporate in Delaware. Incorporation costs are cheap. The business does not need to have a physical location or a bank account within the state, only a registered agent in Delaware. The main job of a registered agent is to forward annual notices and court notices to the business owner or manager.

There are no jury trials in Delaware, meaning cases are decided by a judge. This makes corporate trials more predictable which many business owners have enjoyed. Privacy is another benefit. Owners of LLCs and corporations are not required to list their names while filing the company. This can protect the owner’s identity, personal information, and privacy.

Delaware companies and their shareholders also benefit from tax savings.

Where Should You Incorporate?

With all the benefits being listed, it may seem like a no-brainer to incorporate in Delaware, but that is not the case. Each situation is different, and just because other companies have decided to incorporate there, doesn’t mean that it makes sense for you. Throughout the years, many other states have passed similar business-friendly laws to those of Delaware.

Analyze your individual situation, the benefits that each state brings, and decide where you want to incorporate.

If you are interested in speaking with our incorporation team at BridgehouseLaw, contact us. We’d be happy to help you.

Updated Eligibility to the National Interest Exception (NIE)

 

Breaking Down the Eligibility Updates to the National Interest Exception (NIE)

As times change and more people are getting vaccinated, the U.S. State Department has updated its eligibility for the National Interest Exception (NIE). If you are unfamiliar with the NIE, it is a way for current U.S. visa holders, ESTA-approved travelers, or applicants to a new U.S. visa to bypass the United States’ COVID-19-related travel restrictions and legally enter the country. To get an NIE, generally speaking, you must prove that your travel to the United States is in the national interest of the United States, or that your travel is somehow otherwise exempted from the relevant travel restrictions.

Updated Eligibility

The U.S. State Department has updated eligibility for the NIE, allowing access to:

• Immigrant Visa Holders/Applicants
• K Fiancé(e) Visa Holders/ Applicants
• Certain exchange Visitors
  • A list of exchange visitors eligible for the NIE is available here.
• Pilots and Air Crew Traveling for Training and Aircraft Pickup, Delivery, or Maintenance

The updated NIE eligibility allows these individuals who were in certain countries within the last 14-days to enter the United States and bypass certain geographic COVID Presidential Proclamations. Those countries include the People’s Republic of China, Islamic Republic of Iran, Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Federal Republic of Brazil, and the Republic of South Africa.

Additionally, as of March 2nd, the U.S. State Department placed considerable new restrictions on business-related travel through the NIE program. As of that date, all NIE requests for business-related travel must demonstrate vital support for critical infrastructure in the United States, which refers to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) memorandum from March 2020. Travel must be directly related to critical infrastructure and must be designed to directly support critical infrastructure. Importantly, general business travel has been generally curtailed by this policy change.

More Information

The U.S. State Department has announced that its plans to continue to provide additional services and updates until it can resume routine visa services. According to the phased resumption of visa services guidance, the State Department’s top priorities are U.S. citizens, immediate family members of U.S. citizens, minor children of U.S. citizens, fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens and certain special immigrant visa applicants.

The National Interest Exception is not a visa, and those eligible must be a visa holder/applicant or be ESTA approved. At BridgehouseLaw, our immigration team has seen recent success over the past few weeks, getting 20+ NIEs approved during that time. Please contact our immigration team to determine whether your business needs fit the current NIE request requirements.

Please note that each NIE request is unique to the client’s specific needs, business, and activities, therefore, each is determined on its own facts, circumstances, and merits. NIE approvals for one or more clients should not and does not mean your NIE request will be approved, and you should not expect NIE approval based on our recent NIE results.