Financial planning support for US immigration attorneys
US immigration decisions can have major financial consequences.
A client may be moving to or from the US, relinquishing a Green Card, considering expatriation or trying to understand how US retirement accounts and investments fit into their wider international financial plan.
Josh Clancey works alongside US immigration attorneys where clients need cross-border financial planning that complements specialist immigration and tax advice.
Financial planning alongside US immigration advice
The immigration attorney remains responsible for immigration status, citizenship, Green Card matters and other legal issues within their remit.
Josh's role is financial planning.
That can include helping clients consider:
- 401(k), IRA and Roth IRA accounts
- US brokerage accounts
- investment portability
- retirement planning
- future residence
- cross-border cash flow
- currency exposure
- beneficiary arrangements
- non-US investments
- planning around a move to or from the US
- financial implications of relinquishing long-term US status
Where US tax advice is required, that should remain with the appropriate CPA, tax attorney or other specialist.
Client situations where US immigration and financial planning commonly intersect
A client is moving from the US to another country
The client may retain US retirement accounts, brokerage assets and tax obligations while their everyday financial life moves elsewhere.
A client is moving to the US
Existing non-US pensions, investments and accounts may need to be reviewed before or after US residence begins.
A client is relinquishing a Green Card
The immigration decision may have consequences for taxation, retirement assets, investments and long-term financial planning.
A US citizen holds non-US investments
The immigration position may be stable, but the financial consequences of holding foreign investments can still be significant.
A US-connected client has an overseas trust relationship
Beneficiary status and non-US trust structures may require specialist tax and legal coordination before financial recommendations are implemented.
A US-connected client is moving to the UAE
The client may retain US retirement accounts, brokerage assets and ongoing US tax obligations while establishing their financial life in the UAE.
Questions that may indicate a wider financial-planning need
What happens to the client's 401(k), IRA or Roth IRA after they move?
These accounts may remain valuable long-term assets but still need to be coordinated with the client's new residence and wider retirement plan.
Can the client's US brokerage account remain open?
Provider restrictions and residence changes may affect access and service.
Does the client hold non-US funds or investments?
US tax treatment can differ materially from local investment treatment.
Is the client considering Green Card relinquishment?
Immigration and tax advice should come first, but the client may also need to understand the financial consequences for retirement and investment assets.
Is the move temporary or permanent?
That can affect how much restructuring is sensible and how future residence should be reflected in the financial plan.
Does the client expect to retire outside the US?
Retirement location can affect cash flow, currencies, account access and the order in which assets are used.
Are family members subject to different tax and immigration systems?
Mixed-status families often require coordinated planning rather than treating each account in isolation.
Useful resources for US immigration attorneys
The Professional Adviser's Guide to US-Connected Clients
A broad guide to the main planning issues affecting US citizens, Green Card holders and internationally mobile clients with US financial connections.
Green Card Relinquishment and US Expatriation
A focused technical brief covering the financial-planning issues that may arise when a client gives up long-term US status.
US Expatriation and Green Card Relinquishment Checklist
A practical checklist for identifying the legal, tax and financial-planning areas that may require coordination before action is taken.
401(k) Planning for Clients Living Outside the US
A technical brief covering the wider planning considerations for clients retaining 401(k) assets after leaving the US.
IRA and Roth IRA Planning After Leaving the US
A practitioner-focused resource covering retirement-account planning for internationally resident clients.
PFIC Exposure: What Professional Advisers Need to Recognise
A technical resource on recognising where non-US investment holdings may create US tax-reporting and planning complications.
Immigration status can change the financial-planning context
A decision about residence or immigration status can alter the way a client should think about long-term assets.
For example, a client leaving the US may still hold:
- a 401(k)
- Traditional or Roth IRAs
- US brokerage assets
- employer stock
- Social Security entitlement
- non-US investments acquired after leaving
The immigration outcome does not automatically determine what should happen to these assets.
That requires separate tax and financial-planning analysis.
Working alongside the immigration attorney and US tax adviser
US immigration, US taxation and financial planning are separate disciplines.
For example:
- the immigration attorney advises on Green Card relinquishment, while the tax adviser considers any expatriation-tax consequences and Josh reviews the financial-planning implications
- the attorney confirms the client's status and timing, while Josh considers how pensions, investments and retirement accounts fit around the move
- the US CPA or tax attorney assesses reporting and tax treatment, while Josh incorporates that position into the investment and retirement plan
- the immigration attorney remains the lead adviser on status, with Josh involved only where financial planning is required
Josh does not provide US immigration advice or specialist US tax advice outside his remit.
Where a financial recommendation depends on the client's immigration or US tax position, that position should be established by the relevant professional first.
Technical briefings for US immigration teams
Josh can provide focused briefings for US immigration attorneys and internationally focused legal teams dealing with mobile clients.
Topics can include Green Card relinquishment, expatriation, 401(k)s and IRAs abroad, PFIC exposure, non-US investments and financial planning around international moves.
Have a US-connected client case you would like to discuss?
If a client's immigration status or international move has created questions around US retirement accounts, investments, future residence or wider financial planning, an initial discussion can help establish whether Josh is likely to add value alongside the legal and tax team.
There is no requirement to make a formal introduction simply to determine whether the case falls within his remit.