The Annual Forum of AILA GMS was held at the Javitts Center, in NYC on June 13, 14, 2022. A year of intense planning culminated in a great in-person conference since the last one in 2019, prior to Covid. It was wonderful to meet old acquaintances, renew old connections and make new ones! Program highlights included two tracks on Global Trends and Practice Management; and expert panelists sharing their insights on a range of global migration issues such as Attorney Compliance and Ethics: Tools to Navigate Global Migration; The New Normal: Designing Out-of-the-Box Migration Solutions; Current Impact of COVID-19 on Global Migration; Competing Globally for Talent and Essential Workers; and The Road Ahead: What Do We Envision for the Future of Global Mobility?
Several social events were planned from the preceding weekend for attendees, including a fabulous harborside dinner cruise of the Manhattan harbor on June 13
Additionally, excellent Consulate Tours were organized in collaboration with the Consulate Generals of Mexico, Canada and India. In particular, my appreciation to the Indian Consulate General NYC for hosting our immigration attorneys from several countries including India, Turkey, UK, Brazil, Canada and Australia, at their beautiful premises. Deputy Consul General Dr. Varun Jeph and Consul Murugesan Ramaswamy provided an informative presentation on passport, visa and miscellaneous services, addressed the Q&A, and provided a tour of the visa section of the Consulate. The visit was topped off by a sumptuous tea reception and the Consulate General’s gracious hospitality was greatly appreciated by our attending immigration attorneys! My appreciation to Dr. Swati Kulkarni, Consul General Indian Consulate General India, Atlanta, and her team, for facilitating the connections with the India Consulate General New York for this tour.
The Forum concluded with our Annual Meeting on June 15, where I formally took over as Chair of AILA GMS 2022-23. I am honored and humbled to take on this role. I look forward to working closely with my Vice Chair William Hummel, immediate past Chair, Maria Celebi and the Steering Committee, many of whom served diligently in 2021-22. My thanks to Ben Johnson, AILA Executive Director, Jeremy McKinney, AILA President Elect, Farshad Owji, First Vice President and Jeff Joseph, AILA Treasurer, for their personal outreach to AILA GMS leadership at the Forum.
