Foreign visitors arriving in the U.S. by air or sea can now access their U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrival/departure record information online. CBP no longer requires international non-immigrant visitors to fill out a paper Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record upon arrival to the U.S. by air or sea. The agency now gathers the travelers’… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Subscribe to Uncategorized RSS FeedUPDATE ON THE H-1B PROCESS
Posted in Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresUSCIS has indicated that as of Friday, May 10, 2013, all H-1B data entry was completed and receipt notices have been sent. USCIS has also started to send out rejection notices. The receipt/rejection notices should be delivered by the end of May 2013.
Your Immigration Action Newsletter
Posted in Consular Issues, Green Card, ICE, Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresThursday May 16, 2013 Your Immigration Action Newsletter Friends, Now that the bipartisan Senate Gang of Eight’s bill (S. 744) has been introduced we are monitoring the legislative process very closely. As you know, next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will continue to introduce and debate amendments to hopefully improve the legislation, bringing… Continue Reading
Let’s show we’re a nation of immigrants
Posted in Consular Issues, Green Card, ICE, Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresHi, everyone – This is the start of a national debate. Across the country, we’re having a serious discussion about how we can build a fair and effective immigration system that lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. And we need your help to make sure… Continue Reading
DV 2013 Program
Posted in Consular Issues, Green Card, Immigrant Visas, In The News, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresEntrants from DV 2013 (those who submitted entries during the registration period between October 4, 2011 and November 5, 2011), should now check the status of their entry using their confirmation number through Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website. To view instructions for DV-2013 entrants and selectees, see travel.state.gov then go to Instructions for the 2013… Continue Reading
Your Immigration Action Newsletter
Posted in Consular Issues, Green Card, ICE, Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresMonday, April 29, 2013 Friends, Last week, Congress took another step forward in advancing commonsense immigration reform. Just a week after bipartisan Senate leaders introduced their comprehensive bill – the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 (S. 744) – Secretary Napolitano testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of… Continue Reading
Big Immigration Development
Posted in Consular Issues, Green Card, ICE, Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresTuesday, April 16, 2013 Big Immigration Development Friends, Today, the President met with Senator McCain and Senator Schumer to discuss commonsense immigration reform. In a statement released earlier, President Obama said: “This afternoon, Senators Schumer and McCain briefed me on the bipartisan immigration reform bill that they have drafted with their colleagues in the Senate. This bill… Continue Reading
How to Get USCIS Information
Posted in Consular Issues, Green Card, ICE, Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresMost people know about the wealth of information on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov, but did you know you can find USCIS on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon!
USCIS Reaches FY 2014 H-1B Cap
Posted in Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, UncategorizedU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday, April 5, 2013 that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year (FY) 2014. USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption. … Continue Reading
New Employment Eligibility Verification Form, Form I-9, Issued by USCIS
Posted in Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresDebra S. Friedman Rachel Fendell Satinsky On March 8, 2013, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new Employment Eligibility Verification Form, Form I-9, and a revised Handbook for Employers, M-274. The main changes to the new Form are that it contains further instructions on how to complete the Form I-9 and… Continue Reading
H-1B Cap for Fiscal Year 2014 Opens on April 1, 2013
Posted in Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresUSCIS will begin accepting H-1B visa petitions on April 1, 2013 pursuant to its Fiscal Year 2014 (FY2014) quota. By law, the earliest starting employment date for petitions approved under the FY2014 H-1B cap is October 1, 2013. Usually, the cap is filled before the start date, so all employers need to plan properly. In… Continue Reading
The White House Immigration Action Newsletter
Posted in Consular Issues, Green Card, ICE, Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresTuesday, March 12, 2013 Friends, It has been a busy few weeks here at the White House. Last Friday, the President met with leaders from the faith community to discuss the need to fix the broken immigration system, focusing on the growing consensus building across American for common sense immigration reform. Last Thursday, President Obama… Continue Reading
SEQUESTRATION TO DELAY CONSULAR VISA PROCESSING & OTHER EFFECTS
Posted in ICE, Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresAccording to the Department of State, sequestration will likely reduce the number of officers processing visa applications, which will negatively impact wait times at U.S. consulates. Department of Homeland Security will be affected as a whole, but many agencies within DHS will be impacted more than others. For example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and… Continue Reading
Bipartisan Report on Immigration Reform Issued
Posted in UncategorizedOn January 28, 2013 a bipartisan group of eight U.S. senators proposed a framework for immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The following is an excerpt: “We recognize that our immigration system is broken. And while border security has improved significantly over the last two Administrations, we still don’t have a… Continue Reading
The U.S. Mission in Mexico Increases Corporate Eligibility to Participate in its Business Facilitation Program
Posted in In The News, UncategorizedThe United States Embassy in Mexico city announced the expansion of its Business Facilitation Program (BFP) that allows access to expedited visa processing for employees of qualifying firms traveling to the U.S. on company business. The BFP provides time-saving benefits for businesses whose employees need to travel to the U.S., and highlights the United States’… Continue Reading
White House Immigration Newsletter December 2012/January 2013
Posted in Consular Issues, Green Card, ICE, Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresImmigration Newsletter: December 2012/January 2013 Friends, Happy New Year! 2013 brings several exciting immigration updates. President Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation designating January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month: [F]or more than a century, we have made it a national mission to bring slavery and human trafficking to an end. My Administration has… Continue Reading
State Department Introduces Online Visa Status Check
Posted in Immigrant Visas, In The News, Nonimmigrant Visas, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresDOS has introduced the online “Visa Status Check,” which allows both immigrant and nonimmigrant applicants to check the status of their cases at the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC).
Canada=U.S. Sign Visa and Immigration Sharing Agreement
Posted in UncategorizedThe U.S. State Department has announced that U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson and the Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney signed a U.S.-Canada Visa and Immigration Information-Sharing Agreement on December 13, 2012. This agreement will enable Canada and the United States to share information from third country nationals who apply for… Continue Reading
Immigration Legislation in 2013
Posted in UncategorizedThe recent Presidential election stressed the importance of the minority community, especially the Latino voters, in influencing the outcome of the election. The Latino community comprises approximately 10 percent of the electorate, and it has been estimated that over 70 percent voted for President Obama. Moreover, this number is expected to significantly increase for the… Continue Reading
January 2013 Visa Bulletin
Posted in UncategorizedThe DOS Visa Bulletin for January 2013 is now available. The employment-based second preference shows no movement for India, which remains at September 1, 2004, and a seven week advancement for China, to December 8, 2007.
EB-2 is Current
Posted in In The News, UncategorizedThe November 2012 Dep. of State Visa Bulletin has EB-2 Worldwide current again!
ANNUAL VISA LOTTERY BEGINS 10/2
Posted in UncategorizedEvery year 50, 000 diversity visas are available through the Diversity Visa Lottery Program pursuant to Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The visas are made available to persons from countries that have historically low rates of immigration to the United States. Winners are selected through a random computer-generated program. No single… Continue Reading
October Visa Bulletin Issued
Posted in UncategorizedThe following Employment Based Visas were released in the October Visa Bulletin: *Employment Third Preference Other Workers Category: Section 203(e) of the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress in November 1997, as amended by Section 1(e) of Pub. L. 105-139, provides that once the Employment Third Preference Other Worker (EW) cut-off… Continue Reading
Obama Administration Implements Deferred Action Program—Aug. 15th Start Date!
Posted in Green Card, Immigrant Visas, In The News, Uncategorized, USCIS New Policies/ProceduresSecretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, has announced that DHS will implement a program for granting “deferred action” to undocumented youth, decided on a case-by-case basis, to those who meet the eligibility requirements. The program covers most immigrants who would qualify under the Obama administration’s stalled Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act… Continue Reading