I would like to speak about something near and dear to my heart to hopefully inspire all of you dreamers out there. I guess this will probably sound a bit more serious than usual, but here we go…
Who was the first person to give you one big chance at making your dreams come to life? For me, it was an executive in Los Angelos who gave me my first record deal. I was a young kid with no money and sky-high dreams. If it weren’t for that record deal, I probably would have ended up homeless in LA or back on my mom’s couch in Minnesota.
Every artist dreams of their lucky break. But for many of us who were born in the United States, we tend to take the American dream for granted. Success stories like Kenyan musician J.S. Ondara remind us of the transformative impact immigration has on the lives of artists around the world. In 2013, Ondara received his United States green card, and today his album “Tales of America (The Second Coming)” has been nominated to receive a Grammy Award.
Stories like Ondara’s remind us to persevere no matter our circumstances, and to appreciate how lucky we are to live in the United States. Moreover, my point is this: no matter how hard it seems for you to create your art, you must push yourself to do it anyway. You should unleash your creativity against all odds, because every day is an opportunity to make something beautiful even if it seems unlikely to make it big. You never know how many people are working harder than you while having fewer opportunities and resources. I truly believe that each one of us got to where we are today because someone decided to give us a chance. That person saw something in you that reminded them of themselves, and it was your determination and drive that convinced them to take a bet on you. And it’s up to you to pass on the good deed.
While on tour in Portugal, I met with an up-and-coming band out of Lisbon. They opened for one of our shows, and I was very impressed with their talent. After the show, their lead guitarist Adriano stopped by backstage for some advice on immigrating to the United States. I was caught off guard and I didn’t have all of the answers. I promised Adriano I would ask a lawyer in the United States and get back to him with answers.
Having dealt with a previous issue with my bandmate George (he almost got deported back to Canada), I reached out to the best immigration lawyer I knew of based in Orange County, Kiran Nair of K Nair Law Group. I knew that I could trust her expertise. Ms. Nair has represented cases in Los Angeles and San Diego, in front of the California Superior and Immigration Courts.
The next day, I met with Adriano and his band at one of Lisbon’s best coffee shops and shared some good news: I would fund their legal expenses to immigrate to the United States, and I knew exactly who to refer them as their immigration lawyer.
Keep on dreaming and never give up! And if you need an immigration lawyer, I recommend you give Ms. Nair a call.
K Nair Law Group, P.C. 31897 Del Obispo St #225, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675, United States
Imagine you’re in a band. Yes, as an adult. It started out as an ironic hobby, something you did almost as a joke. But then it started gaining actual traction. You didn’t have to seek out venues anymore…they started seeking you. You’re getting calls, messages from friends you haven’t seen in years, calls from people you would’ve never expected..surprisingly, you’re on your way to becoming a financially successful ensemble. That’s how we started out years ago. Now, we’re back together for a reunion tour.
Everything was going great, but then all of a sudden, the drummer in your band gets a phone call during a rehearsal. He steps outside to take it while you tune your guitar, and comes back in like he’s seen his own ghost. Defeated, he breaks the news.
“My application to extend my time here was denied. I have to go back to Canada in two weeks.”
This is what happened to me only a few days ago. No one knows what to say. The band is nothing without George…his drum solos are the reasons many audience members make second appearances. The band chemistry, the specific and unique talent each member brought to the group…it only worked when everyone was on board. You can’t have the Four Seasons without the fourth man — and no one could replace him.
“No,” the keyboardist pipes up. “That’s not happening.”
For the next twenty minutes, we all dispute what little knowledge we have regarding immigration law. Someone says he’d be an undocumented immigrant if he stays, another says it’s fine if he’s a rock star, someone says he could seek asylum, another says “…from Canada?”….nothing really gets done. That is until we finally decide to use the wealth of information at our fingertips.
“Has no one Googled this yet?” I ask. The band members sheepishly stare at the ground.
After a dejected sigh, I finally put “immigration law orange county” into the search bar. The band members grab their respective devices and do the same. The first fifteen minutes were discouraging, but I realized why so many people go into law (spoiler alert: it’s because they make BANK). The band was making a decent amount of money during the tour, but not that much…money was still very much part of the equation, and it made the search more difficult than expected.
“Wait look at this one,” our keyboardist says. He had found a link to a more affordable lawyer via a Yelp review, and she was local. Not only did she have an impressive amount of positive reviews, but every one of her clients agreed that her services were definitely worth the price. George called the number on the website and she picked up in seconds. After briefly explaining his situation, she assured us that he had several means of legally staying in the US longer. They set up an in-person consultation, and from then on, we were never worried about George having to leave us again.
We only hope more people take the time to find these lawyers, rather than thinking their only options are staying illegally or leaving their entire life behind. These kinds of lawyers often unsung heroes, helping people when they need it most and keeping their prices affordable so people don’t spend their last dime just trying to continue their life in the US. And if that isn’t honorable, I don’t know what is.
Here’s one of these great lawyers:
K Nair law Group, P.C.
31897 Del Obispo St Suite 225, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
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