On March 21st, 2014, the Turkish Cultural Center in Westchester County, NY, held a ‘J-1 Visa Basics Seminar’ at the Turkish Cultural Center New York (TCCNY), one of its sister organizations. In attendance were 30 prominent professionals who learned about the general procedures of visa applications, the J-1 Visa process in particular, and other immigration challenges faced by foreigners.
The seminar was conducted by immigration attorney Vanessa Seckin, Esq. Based in New York, Ms. Seckin started her own practice–Seckin Law Firm–which advises corporations, hospitals, small businesses, and individuals on all aspects of U.S. immigration and nationality law. Seckin Law Firm also assists clients in finding solutions to legal challenges related to immigration visas, adjustment of status and family immigration. One of the firm’s primary foci is employment-based immigration for health care employers, international medical graduates, outstanding professors and researchers and persons in a wide variety of occupations. In a 2011 interview with TurkofAmerica, Ms. Seckin stated, “There exists a few number of attorneys that not only understand the laws and procedures, but also the predicament and the frustration a person faces in the U.S.”
In recent years, the U.S has experienced as a diverse and significant flow of Turkish immigrants to the U.S. exhibiting a wide range of skills and abilities. Though this diverse group started out small, it steadily worked to open large, active businesses, education centers, cultural/dialogue organizations, and other institutions across the country. New York City, Long Island and New Jersey maintain the largest concentrations of Turkish Americans in the United States, followed by Washington, D.C.
The topic of immigration policy is a significant one, and not just for the Turkish American community. This issue was recently highlighted in Washington, D.C., by White House officials during a policy briefing at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building before various ethnic and religious communities from Eastern Europe, Turkey, Eurasia, the Caucasus and other regions. This briefing took place earlier last month and was attended by TAA staff. For more information about the J-1 Visa, please visit the U.S. State Department’s website at http://j1visa.state.gov/basics/.
The Turkish Cultural Center NY is a member organization of the Council of Turkic American Associations (CTAA), a regional federation under the Turkic American Alliance, that aims to address the needs of the Turkish community and the community at large through a variety of social, cultural and economic programs and initiatives.
