logo

A-V Rated
 
28 Years of Experience   
 
Volume 5, Issue 7
 
July 2010

Beach-Oswald is a full-service law firm, concentrating on immigration law. We have special expertise in work visas, family based visas, visa waivers, green cards through family and employment and asylum. We have staff members who speak many different languages to assist you.

 
We succeed when others don't!

In This Issue - 11 New Articles:
WIN $150 - CROSSWORD PUZZLE
SUCCESSES AT BOILA FOR MAY AND JUNE 2010 - CHECK IF YOU ARE HERE
10% PROPOSED USCIS FEE INCREASE
HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT OUR RESOURCES PAGE DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR YOU?
WHY GET AN INFOPASS APPOINTMENT? INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO BRING
HARDSHIP (I-601) WAIVER BECOMING MORE TRANSPARENT
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS LOCATIONS
OUR NEWSLETTER: 2008 - PRESENT
PEPER VISA WAIVERS (I-94) BEING ELIMINATED
VISA FEE INCREASE
TURKEY ABUSES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 

  FIRST PERSON TO EMAIL CORRECT ANSWERS WILL GET A $150.00 VOUCHER FROM BOILA TO USE FOR SERVICES

 

THE BEGINNING OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 By: Lusy Lisyanova

 

Instructions:  Read the paragraph below and fill in the blanks with the words from the word bank on the bottom of the page.  Each fill in the blank clue corresponds with the crossword.

On July 4, 1776, the 13 Colonies signed off on the Declaration of Independence, declaring themselves free of British rule.  They sent this Declaration to King George III - the King of England.  The king responded by sending British troops to the Colonies to regain control.  Fighting broke out in 1775 and continued for the next six years.  Then on October 19, 1781, British General Charles (1) ____________ surrendered to US General (2)  ____________ at the Battle of (3) ____________.  The British Army, which at the time was the greatest army in the world, was defeated by farmers with muskets and pitchforks.  The Americans also had help from (4) ___________ de Lafayette, who was a (5) ___________ aristocrat.   Lafayette provided the American Army with French troops and weapons. 

When the Revolution came to an end, the new America needed a government of its own.  The (6) ___________ Congress met and decided upon a new system of government - the Articles of (7) ____________.  (8) ___________ (2 words) was elected president of this new body of government. 

This new form of government did not work well, however, because it was poorly organized and had little to no power.  Thus, the Founding Fathers came together and wrote the (9) ____________ for a better and stronger government.  Under this document, the (10) ___________ would answer to its (11) _____________.  There were many that opposed this document, however, because they believed that it gave the government too much power - they had just fought a revolution against a powerful and abusive British government, and didn't want their own new government to turn into an abusive one as well.  These people were known as the Anti-Federalists.  In order to compromise, they insisted that a Bill of (12) __________ be added to the Constitution to guarantee the American people certain freedoms that the government could not take away.  For example, the first of these ten proposed amendments called for freedom of speech, religion, press, (13) __________, and (14) ____________.  This document was ratified in 1789 and functions to this day; it does not become outdated because every time a new governmental issue comes us, Congress is able to add an (15) _____________ to update it.  

George Washington became the first president under this new American government.   He ensured this new government's success when he stepped down from the presidency at the end of his second term. By doing so, Washington set an example for the nation to follow and ensured that there would never be one permanent leader, but that power would be peacefully handed down from one man to the next.  Washington then retired to his home at Mount (16) ___________ where he remained forevermore.

 

 

4th of July Crossword

 

Word Bank

Amendment, Assembly, Confederation, Constituents, Constitution, Continental, Cornwallis, French, Government, John Hanson, Marquis, Petition, Rights, Vernon, Washington, Yorktown

 
 

Match the picture of each Revolutionary character with his name.

1.    John Hanson

2.    George Washington

3.    Gen. Charles Cornwallis

4.    King George III

5.    Marquis de Lafayette 

 Founding Fathers

SUCCESSES AT BOILA

 FOR MAY AND JUNE  2010

CHECK IF YOU ARE HERE

 
 

Ms. B - H-IB approval as  Financial Director  It was premium processed but we managed to get the approval within five days of filing.  She is currently in Cameroon and we are currently working on consular processing

 

Mr. S- Market Research Analyst.  Processed his H-IB 6th year while filing a PERM and then getting the  I-140 approval four days after we filed it.  We then proceeded to file n H-1B extension for him, which was granted within five days. 

 

Mr. S - in Turkey sponsored as Marketing Director.  His H-1B after much delay in CIS receipt notices was finally  was approved within five days.  Now we are consular processing.

 

Ms. G - a health care professional  EB3 had her PERM approved within six months of applying, but now waiting for priority dates to clear.

 

The R family - in Mexico granted a Waiver of Inadmissibility under 212 a 9 B ( 10 year bar)  within nine months of filing it.  He is now coming to US to join his family who eagerly await his arrival. 

 

Ms. J - from China  had a motion to reopen granted by Judge at the Arlington Immigration Court.  Ms. J's motion was based on ineffective assistance of prior counsel and the bona fides of her current marriage.  Ms. J was supposed to depart the country under a grant of voluntary departure; however, now there is new hope for a green card.

 

Ms. A - living in Texas had a motion to reopen granted by the Board of Immigration Appeals. Ms. A's motion to reopen was based on  exceptional circumstances. Ms. A had previously been in detention; our office was able to get her released and she will  now go forward in the Immigration Court to get her green card.

 

Ms. P - from the Philippines was successful in getting her relative Petitions for her mother and father approved in record time.

 

Ms. N - from Cameroon was remanded a second time by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).  Initially denied asylum by the court we appealed and won.  The Judge then granted the case but Department of Homeland Security (ICE) appealed the decision and BOILA successfully opposed DHS' appeal.  Again this time the Board agreed with us and granted asylum.

 

Mr. A -

a Cameroon and political activist of SCNC was arrested  by the Cameroonian government on account of his political activities.  Through credible testimony and extensive supporting documentation, he was granted political asylum by the Immigration Court. Having gotten asylum for his brother who came much later to the US we were most interested in getting him approved. 

 

Mr. P.A. - granted political asylum by the Immigration Court. He was previously deported in absentia, after the Immigration Court  After successfully reopening his case based on lack of notice, BOILA also represented him on his asylum.

 

Ms.  O.S - was granted asylum in the Immigration Court.  She is a Cameroonian national who entered the US illegally through Canada application had been denied in the Asylum Office and her court case had been pending for several years through 3 different judges.  Her case was particularly difficult. 

 

Ms. K - was yet another asylum case granted in the Immigration Court.  It was bifurcated and had been pending for several years due to court delays and changes in Judges. 

 

Mr. T - had his green card application approved by the USCIS.  His petition was based on his wife, who had missed three interviews due to medical problems.  We are very happy that they just had a baby.

 

Ms D - and her husband filed several I-730 to bring her children to the US and USCIS approved them within two months of the date they were filed.  We had also gotten her asylum approval in court and she prepared us magnificent fish and chicken dishes.

 

Mr. M - after a marriage interview denial, divorce, and then appeal  and then another yet another marriage after several years he was approved for his alien relative petition and granted through the court for adjustment. 

 

Mrs A - married a permanent resident and due to her asylum was put into court proceedings.  Her husband joined the army, got a expedite naturalization and we were able to save the day before he got deployed to Iraq.

 

Mr. A - was granted asylum in the Immigration Court after having been pending for several years.  Despite the problems he had in Germany, he and his brothers all won asylum.

 

Ms. L - applied for an I-130 for her daughter and it was expedited and approved.

 

Mr. F - in Bloomington MN was denied his green card by USCIS, but based on his USC mother we were able to get the petition approved and delay case for priority date as well as resolve  245(i) issues in MN immigration court

 

Ms. D.A - won asylum in court after her case had been pending in court..  Her case was problematic because she had not applied for asylum within the required one year from date of arrival.

 

Ms. U - from Nigeria applied for Cancellation of Removal and was granted a green card in Baltimore court.  USCIS despite her 4 children permanent resident spouse and years of residency did not hesitate to issue a charging document to put her in proceedings when they approved the relative petition.

 

Ms. A - after working for the United Nations and winning asylum  filed an I-730 for her son, which was approved by USCIS within three months of filing.

 

Mr. I - we got his sweetheart  fianc� on approved visa before he was deployed by the military.

  

Mr. T - after waiting 3 years and many status inquiries he came to us to resolve his green card which we got approved.
 
10 % Proposed USCIS Fee Increase
 
$
 
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have proposed an increase in the filing fees for certain applications.  Generally speaking, the fees will increase by 10% for most applications and three new fees will be added.   See us for quick efficient work before the fees go up.
 
In 2007, USCIS increased all filing fees by 60%, except for the Naturalization filing fee, which was increased by 70%.  The reason for this increase was to fix the deficit in the budget - USCIS was spending more money on paying employees to process applications than it was receiving through filing fees. Better service and quicker service was promised but NEVER received.  Instead delays increased even more.   When those increases came into effect, the result was not what USCIS expected.  Instead of fixing the deficit, this fee increase only made it worse because fewer immigrants could afford to file petitions. 
 
Now USCIS is faced with a deficit once again.  In 2008 and 2009 the deficit was almost $200,000,000 and this year it's estimated to be $0.2 billion. According to Director Mayorkas, "there are three ways in which we can address a shortfall in revenue.
 
One is to seek appropriations from Congress; the second is to make budget cuts; and the third is to propose a fee rule. We have indeed made the budget cuts. As I have indicated, we have implemented $160 million in budget cuts. We have sought for the Fiscal Year 2011 budget a significant increase over the amount appropriated by Congress for Fiscal Year 2010. We have a remaining gap."  Thereby, the government sees the fee increase as the only other solution to this problem, even though it has failed to work in the past.
 
 
In addition to the fee increases, there are three new possible fees:
 
  1. A fee for regional center designators under the Immigration Investor Pilot Program.
  2. A fee for immigrants seeking civil surgeon designation.
  3. A fee to reimburse USCIS's cost of processing immigrant visas granted by the State Department.
 
It has also been mentioned that the cost of certain applications, which have not been named, may go down.  This is because processing costs will be lower for those applications.  We have yet to see which applications these will be and what the price reductions might be.
 
To see a list of the new proposed fee increases, please go to:
http://www.uscis.gov
/portal/site/uscis/menuitem
 .5af9bb95919f35e66f
 614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=269d3d5d
 65919210VgnVCM10
 0000082ca60aRCRD&
 vgnextchannel=68439c7755
 cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD
 
 
To read the full article, please go to:
 
 

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT OUR RESOURCES PAGE DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR YOU?

 
 

We have a Resources page on our website designed especially to help our clients and people in the immigration process.   Posted, for your use and convenience, are numerous links to immigration information, such as:

 

  1. An archive of all previous editions of our newsletter for you to read at any time you like.
  2. The Department of State Visa Bulletin where you can look to see when your visa is going to be processed so you know how long of a wait you have.
  3. The Department of Labor Perm Processing Times where employers and employees can check the processing on case that have already been filed.
  4. The USCIS Reported Processing Times where you can select the service center where your Employment Authorization, Green Card, Alien Relative Petition or other application has been flied to see how long it will take for it to be processed. 
  5. The InfoPass, which allows you to schedule an appointment to go to your local USCIS office to check on a specific immigration issue that you may have in regards to an application you filed with USCIS.
  6. The Immigration Application Forms and Fees where you can look at a list of USCIS forms and see what the filing fees are for the ones that you are interested in filing.
  7. The Check Case Status option where you can enter your application receipt number to see the latest updates from USCIS on the processing of your application.
  8. Careers with BOILA, where you can see what positions are available that you can apply for if you are interested in working for our office.
  9. The Resources for New Immigrants where USCIS provides information in 12 different languages for immigrants that have just came to America.
  10. The Department of State Visa Information that lists and describes the different visa categories and tells you whether you are eligible for a visa to the US.
  11. The Foreign Labor Certification, which allows employers to learn how they can bring workers from abroad to come and work for them in the US.
  12.  The Violence Against Women's Act  which provides immigration relief for women who are victims of domestic abuse so that they are not forced to rely on their abusive spouse to file a petition for them.
The Resources page has been designed especially for you.  Please use it and contact us if you would like to see any other useful link posted for easy access.
 
 
 

WHY GET AN INFOPASS APPOINTMENT?

INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO BRING

 

 

If you have an immigration issue that you need to discuss with a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer, you can schedule an InfoPass appointment at the USCIS office closest to where you live.  When you come to an InfoPass appointment, you will have fifteen minutes to discuss your particular issue with a USCIS officer and get advice on what steps you have to take next. 

  

To make an InfoPass appointment, just follow these simple steps:

 

1.    Log onto the internet.

2.    Go to www.uscis.gov.

3.    On the left hand side of the home page, click the option "Schedule a FREE Appointment"

4.    Follow the steps that pop up: select a language, type in your zip code, select what type of appointment you need, your personal information, and a date and time for your appointment. 

5.    Once you have successfully scheduled yourself for an appointment, print out your appointment notice so that you can bring it to your InfoPass appointment. 

6.    If you find that you will not be able to keep your appointment, you can always cancel  or reschedule - all you have to do is use identification numbers located at the bottom of the appointment notice that you had printed out. 

 

When you go to your InfoPass:

 
  • Be sure to get there a few minutes early.  Because every individual is scheduled for a fifteen minute appointment, the USCIS officer will not be able to see you if you are late, as they will be helping other people with InfoPass appointments. 
  • Bringyour appointment confirmation notice,
  • Bring a valid photo ID - such as a passport or driver's license
  • Bring all immigration documents related to your inquiry. 

 

If you just want to check the status of your case, you can do so by logging onto www.uscis.gov and selecting the "Check My Case Status" option on the left-hand side of the home page, where you will have to type in the Receipt Number for the application that you want an update for.  If you don't have internet access, you can simply call 1-800-375-5283 to speak to a USCIS representative about your case.

 

For more information, please visit: http://www.uscis.gov/

portal/site/uscis/menuitem.
eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a75
43f6d1a/?vgnextoid=f183bd85ef14921
0VgnVCM100000082ca60aRC
RD&vgnextchannel=f183bd85ef
149210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

 

HARDSHIP (I-601) WAIVER BECOMING MORE TRANSPARENT

 

The I-601 Waiver or Inadmissibility is a waiver that certain persons can file if they entered the US illegally  or other fraud issues in order to be able to enter the US or to be eligible for a green card or naturalization.  Unfortunately, the I-601 waiver process has been a very lengthy one.  To solve this problem, the process is becoming more transparent, and USCIS is making the following changes:

 

  • All I-601 waiver applications will be processed in one office, as opposed to several different places.
  • I-601 waivers can now be filed concurrently with I-130s to speed up the process.
  • I-601 waiver cases from overseas will become prioritized, as they have become very backlogged.
  • Improved and easier to follow instructions will be posted by USCIS on how to expedite the I-601s.
  • Consular processing offices and USCIS will work together more efficiently and coordinate better in order to process the waivers faster.
  • USCIS employees will now be able to request for the immigrants' electronic files once an interview date has been set in place.
Once they are implemented, these changes will make the I-601 process much simpler and speedier.

 

The information contained on this email is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The transmission of information to or from this email does not create an attorney-client relationship between the sender and receiver. We take our privacy policy seriously and will never sell, rent or share our email list. View our Privacy Policy here. To schedule a consultation with one of our immigration lawyers, please click here.
Quick Links

TRY OUR NEW TOLL FREE NUMBER

 (877) 526-8540
 
 
July 2010
Washington Monument
 
Join Our Mailing List

usa flag

 
Happy 4th of July!
 
 
Quote of the Month 
 

America is much more than a geographical fact.  It is a political and moral fact - the first community in which men set out in principle to institutionalize freedom, responsible government, and human equality. 

 

~Adlai Stevenson

 
 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS LOCATIONS

fireworks 

Be sure to watch fireworks this 4th of July.  The most spectacular fireworks show will be, of course, at the National Mall.  However, the Mall will be packed with thousands of people, so you might want to attend a smaller, less crowded fireworks display. 

If you live Northern Virginia, you can go to:

         George Mason High School in Falls Church

         Langley High School in McLean

         Vienna Community Center in Vienna

         Herndon Community Center in Herndon

         Lake Fairfax Park in Reston

         Ida Lee Park in Leesburg

         Kings' Dominion in Richmond

         Oronoco Bay Park in Alexandria

         Parade in Fairfax (on July 3)

If you live in Maryland, you can go to:

         Montgomery College in Rockville

         Germantown Soccerplex in Boyds/Germantown

         Poolesville Polo Grounds in Poolsville

         Newport Mill Middle School in Kensington/Wheaton

         Takoma Park Middle School in Takoma Park

         University of Maryland in College Park

         Six Flags America in Mitchellville

         Allen Pound Park in Bowie

         Prince George's County Stadium in Bowie

         Buddy Attick Park in Greenbelt

         Granville Gude Park in Laurel

         Annapolis Road in Fort Meade

         Baker Park in Frederick

         Lake Kittamaquandi in Columbia

         Annapolis City Dock in Annapolis

         Inner Harbor in Baltimore

For addresses to all these locations, and to see other Fourth of July events that will be taking place in Washington DC, go to: http://dc.about.com/od/special

events/a/4thofJuly.htm
  
 

OC houses

 

OUR NEWSLETTER:

 
2008 - PRESENT
 

 

We first began sending out our newsletter in October of 2008, and have come a long way since.   At first, we sent out semimonthly issues.  As time went on, we lengthened our newsletters and send them out on a monthly basis.  It is our hope at BOILA PC that you have enjoyed reading it over the years.   Our newsletter has come a long way and we appreciate you staying with us on this journey.   We welcome any suggestions you may have as to how we can improve the newsletter even further

 

BEACH

PAPER VISA WAIVERS ( I-94W) BEING ELIMINATED

 

The Department of Homeland Security is discontinuing the use of paper I-94W Forms for Visa Waiver Travelers and switching over to an electronic system.  This system is called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization and is expected to be installed in all US airports toward the end of August.

 

Now foreign nationals will have to apply for I-94Ws online, which will speed up the process.  With this system, there will no longer be any need to worry about losing your paper I-94W and having to get it replaced. 

 

To apply online, go to: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

purple flowers

 

Visa Fee Increase

 

 

In addition to USCIS application fees going up, the Department of State (DOS) is also increasing prices for visa applications.  These fees went into effect on June 4, 2010.  The fees went up because:

 

1.    DOS to be able to financially cover the increasing cost of processing nonimmigrant visa applications

2.    DOS needs to have sufficient resources in order to be able to process applications. This especially applies to the nonimmigrant visas that are more difficult and more time-consuming to process.

3.    Cost of security has gone up because new security enhancements have been set in place.

 

Thereby, the new costs of filing nonimmigrant visas are as follows:

         Tourist and other non petition-based visas - $140

         Business visitor, student, and exchange visitor visas - $140

         Temporary worker and trainee visa - $150

         Intracompany transferee visa - $150

         Aliens with extraordinary ability visa - $150

         Athlete, artist, and entertainer visa - $150

         International cultural exchange visitor visa - $150

         Religious worker visa - $150

         Fianc�e of US Citizen visa - $350

         Treaty-traders and treaty-investors visa - $390

 

For more information on this , please go to http://www.state.gov
/r/pa/prs/ps/
2010/05/142155.htm
 
Also, passport fees, immigrant visas, and other consular services are also going to go up on July 13, 2010.  To see a list of these services and the fee increases, please go to: http://www.travel.state.gov
/news/news_5078.html

pink flower

 

Turkey Abuses Religious Freedom

 

 turkey flag

Turkey is abusing the religious rights of non-Muslim minorities living there by seizing their property, forbidding them to train their clergy, and failing to recognize their religions as valid.  Thereby, it remains on the "Watch List" of countries, established by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), who violate non-Muslim communities' rights to religious freedom. 

 

Although Turkey is a democracy and its constitution calls for freedom of religion, religious-based discrimination and persecution are prevalent and have been for decades.  This persecution of non-Muslim minorities goes as far back as 1915, when the Armenian genocide took place, making it one of the first modern genocides. 

 

Today, the Turks are still treating Armenian Orthodox Christians, Greek Orthodox Christians, Catholics, and Jews  poorly.   In fact, only last year, there were alleged plans to assassinate the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox patriarchs and to bomb several places of worship.   As a result of the ongoing discrimination and killings, the number of non-Muslims living in Turkey has significantly decreased. 

 

One example of the way religious minorities are being treated is a current ongoing case against two Turkish Christians, Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal.  The two are being accused of slander against Islam and the Turkish nation.   Their hearing has now been postponed eleven times because the prosecutors have failed to produce any evidence against Hakan and Turan.  Yet instead of letting the two go as not guilty, the government insists on uselessly dragging the case out.  The hearing has now been ongoing for four years.  The Turkish media has even gone so far as to proclaim the two guilty without the court ever having issued a verdict.

 

The USCIRF is calling for Turkey to, among other things, stop seizing non-Muslims' land and to allow for the training of clergy of minority religions.  It is time the international community stood up and, like the USCIRF, called on Turkey to be more tolerant of minorities living within its borders.   Everyone deserves to be treated justly.

 

For more information, please see: http://www.archons.org/
news/detail.asp?id=393
and Compass Direct News (CDN), Santa Ana, Califo./USA and Istanbul/Turkey

hydrangea