Law firm Colombo and Hurd has secured an EB-2 National Interest Waiver green card for an anti-money laundering and compliance professional from Ecuador.
The client, who specialises in financial crime risk management, received his green card following approval of his I-140 petition by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services without a Request for Evidence.
After the petition was approved, Immigration Attorney Michelle Villagran guided the client through consular processing at a U.S. consulate, resulting in his permanent residency being granted on 2 July 2026.
The client holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in international studies with a minor in business administration, underpinning more than eight years of banking and compliance experience.
Early in his career, he helped overhaul a compliance and AML department at a bank to bring it in line with U.S. regulatory standards, demonstrating the practical impact of his expertise.
His professional credentials include an AML certification from a government-sponsored programme, along with additional certificates in AML policy and compliance, and he later rose to a senior manager role in financial crime risk management.
To pursue his ambitions in the United States, the client established his own consulting firm, through which he plans to train staff at smaller financial institutions and connect banks, regulators, and groups working to combat illicit finance.
A central argument in the case was showing how stronger compliance programmes at smaller institutions could benefit the broader U.S. financial system, not merely the individual organisations he would serve.
The legal team linked his proposed work to established federal priorities, including the Bank Secrecy Act, the Treasury Department’s national strategy to combat illicit finance, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign against human trafficking.
Money laundering and illicit finance are known to fund serious crimes including human trafficking and exploitation, and criminal networks frequently target institutions with weaker compliance controls.
Letters from banking, risk, and business professionals provided outside support for the petition, describing the practical need for stronger AML training at smaller institutions rather than offering general praise.
As a permanent resident, the client plans to launch his advisory practice from a major U.S. financial hub before expanding to other regions, with ambitions to create a task force keeping compliance professionals current on emerging criminal tactics.