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ADJUSTING OUR THINKING: CIS FAQs on EB Adjustments Filed under the July Visa Bulletin.
After much anticipation, the CIS released
almost 20 FAQ's on July 23rd, 2007 related to I-485
petitions that were filed with priority dates
that were current under the July 2007 Visa Bulletin
promulgated by the DOS.
To Read the FAQ's, click here...
USCIS
Announces Revised Processing Procedures for
Adjustment of Status Applications
On July 17th, 2007, the CIS announced revised
processing procedures for I-485 petitions
that were filed by applicants whose priority dates were
current under the July 2007 Visa Bulletin.
To read the CIS Press Release, click
here...
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Dear Readers:
The calm of the Summer of 2007 was completely
shattered by the recent announcement making
visas (under the first July Visa Bulletin
promulgated by the U.S. Department of State
("DOS")) available to those individuals (and
the qualifying members of their families)
whose priority dates were current under that
Visa Bulletin until August 17th, 2007.
Coupling this recent and unexpected
announcement with the CIS announcement about
the "significant" fee increases for
applications and petitions that takes effect
on July 30th, 2007 and our offices have had
the makings of a "run on visas" (in the month of July)
little seen in the history of our practice.
As a political issue, "immigration"
continues to be splattered with unsurpassed
political idealism and schizophrenia. The
issues of "enforcement" and "benefits" are
still playing "dueling banjos" at the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") as
the audience sits and waits for an
intermission. We thought that the curtain
went down on the "show" when Comprehensive
Immigration Reform ("CIR") was recently shot down in
the Senate. The visa debacle this past month has
caused enough concern to send shock waves through
the offices of Congresspersons to understand
that "the show must go on". Interesting and
piecemeal legislation from the CIR seems to be
making its way to the floor for discussion and vote(s).
We will continue to keep our readership informed.
We are pleased to announce that Nachman &
Associates, P.C. was formally designated by
the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ"),
Office of Special Counsel for Unfair
Immigration-related Employment Practices
("OSC") to receive a Federal Grant to present
programs for employers throughout the State of New
Jersey about Employment Eligibility Verification and
Employer Sanctions, Identity Fraud and Social
Security Mismatch issues. The training
programs will be scheduled in various regions
throughout the State of New Jersey from October 2007
through September 2008. Our office will be
sending two representatives to Washington
D.C. in September to meet with OSC Officials.
For more information about the Form I-9
Training Programs, please contact us at info@visaserve.co
m.
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| CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT - CIS GETS OUT OF THE KITCHEN: CIS Continues I-140 Premium Processing Suspension. |
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CIS announced that it is extending its suspension of
premium processing services for Form I-140 petitions
which will continue until further notice.
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To read the CIS Press Release, click here.... |
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| FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS: CIS' Direct Filing Announcement. |
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The CIS announced new "Direct Filing"
instructions for additional immigration forms
that were transitioned last year into the
Bi-Specialization initiative. "Direct Filing"
is the process by which CIS requires
customers to file their petitions and
applications with the service center that
will process the filings, based on the place
of temporary employment or place of residence.
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To read the CIS Press Release, click here... |
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| UPDATING SUBSTITUTIONS: Labor Certification Substitutions Update from DOL. |
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On July 16th, 2007 the DOL released FAQs
concerning the May 17, 2007 final rule on labor
certification substitutions, attorney's fees and other
matters. The DOL Liaison Committee expects
the agency to release a second round of FAQs
on the final rule within the next two weeks.
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To read the FAQs, click here... |
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| MORE INTERESTING CHANGES ON THE WAY: Liaison Updates on Change in I-751 Processing. |
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Effective July 2, 2007, the Nebraska Service
Center will no longer fee receipt Form I-751,
Petition to Remove the Conditions of
Residence. Forms I-751 received at NSC will
be shipped un-receipted to the California
Service Center. CSC will issue receipt
notices with WAC receipt numbers and
adjudicate the petitions. The Texas Service
Center will also be sending I-751s to CSC.
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To read more about the NSC on I-751s, click here... |
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| GETTING IT STRICTLY OUT WEST: Arizona Enacts Strict Employment Verification Laws. |
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It was recently reported by National Public Radio
that: "This week, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano signed
a tough immigration law, penalizing companies that
knowingly employ illegal workers. The law goes into
effect in January 2008. Napolitano, who expresses
frustration that Congress failed to pass national
immigration legislation, talks with Madeleine Brand."
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To Listen to the Interview, click here... |
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| ICE ACTS SWIFTLY AGAIN: ICE Makes Additional Arrests at Swift & Company. |
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On July 10th 2007 ICE arrested 20 employees of Swift
& Company for charges related to identity theft and
administrative immigration violations. This
enforcement action follows the arrest of almost 1,300
foreign national employees of the company on
December 12, 2006.
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To read the full story, click here... |
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| NEW RULES FOR A NEW DAY: New Handbook for Police to use for Enforcement. |
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The nation's largest association of police
chiefs is distributing an unusual primer on
immigration enforcement to thousands of law
enforcement agencies, saying the absence of a
national immigration policy has left local
communities with an "overwhelming" burden.
The publication by the International
Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) offers
instruction on when state and local officers
may intervene in cases involving illegal
immigrants. It stops short of urging local
authorities to enforce federal immigration
laws but says agencies can no longer ignore
the local troubles posed by the explosive
growth of undocumented immigrants.
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To read the story in USA Today, click here... |
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| DOS POLICY ON DWI: DOS Visa Policy Telegram to Consular Posts on Processing Visa Applicants with Drunk Driving Hits. |
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On July 17th, 2007 DOS posted a Visa Policy Telegram
from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to all
consular posts on its website that provides guidance
on processing visa applicants with drunk driving hits.
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To read more, click here... |
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| MORE ON THE H-2B WORLD: H-2B Update - CIS Issues FAQs for H-2B's. |
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This notice modifies certain procedures to
process H-2B labor certification applications
regarding review of a SWA prevailing wage
determination; Certifying Officers' Requests
for Information (RFI); partial temporary
labor certifications; and the employer's
right to file a new application in the case
of denial.
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To read DOL's "Round 1" of H-2B FAQs, click here... |
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| IDENT - WHAT'S IN AND WHAT IS NOT: DHS Issues a Final Rule Exempting Portions of IDENT from the Privacy Act. |
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DHS issued a final rule that exempts portions
of the Automated Biometric Identification
System (IDENT) system of records from one or
more provisions of the Privacy Act because of
criminal, civil, and administrative
enforcement requirements.
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To read more, click here... |
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