Michael Wildes

I am the Managing Partner of Wildes & Weinberg P.C. (www.wildeslaw.com), a boutique law firm that specializes in U.S. immigration and nationality law. The firm was established in 1960 by my father and partner, Leon Wildes, and our practice expanded steadily as word of its outstanding achievements spread in the international community. Fifty years since its inception, the firm, which now has offices in New York City and Englewood, NJ, continues to serve a growing number of distinguished domestic and international clients and covers all aspects of U.S. immigration law, including employment and investment-based immigration, work permits, permanent residence for qualified individuals, family-based immigration, asylum applications and every category of temporary and permanent visas.

I have had the great pleasure of representing many extraordinary individuals seeking to work and live in the United States and to contribute their share to our great country. Some of the acclaimed individuals for whom my firm has acquired visas include John Lennon, Pele, Paloma Picasso, Sarah Brightman, and Giselle Bundchen, who have brought their extraordinary skills and talents to our shores. Miss Universe winners hail from many countries in the world, but they all want to work or live in America — and I helped the last four Miss Universe titleholders obtain the necessary visas to do just that.

Such extraordinary individuals help to highlight the value of immigration to America’s sports, music, fashion or art, but immigrants also play a crucial, if less heralded, role in other American industries – from high-tech to hotels, from finance to farming, and those bringing vital educational perspectives to our Universities. Every day, I see how American businesses, culture, and our economy benefit from immigration. And at the same time, I see how America’s broken immigration system stands in the way of our further economic growth. While other countries are competing for talent, America’s antiquated immigration system leaves employers unable to attract and retain the talent and workforce they need to compete in a 21st century global economy.

When I served as Mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, I always led by example, promoting ideas and practices I felt were in the best interests of the city and its residents. In 2009, I took part in an informative tour on U.S. Immigration and Nationality Matters to spread the word on immigration; its positive implications on our country’s economy; and the difficulties that foreign students and working professionals are facing.

I became a member of the Partnership for a New American Economy because I want to aid in further spreading the word on needed immigration reform and express why our country needs to proactively work on attracting and retaining the best immigrants. The time to take action to rebuild our economy is now, and sensible immigration reform is one of the most valuable ways to accomplish that end.