Immigration News  |
| Changes in immigration that impact your life. |
|
| CBP Notice to Postpone H-2A and H-2B Temporary Worker Visa Exit Pilot Program |
| August 25, 2009 |
 |
| CBP announces the postponement of the commencement date of the H-2A and H-2B Temporary Worker Visa Exit Program Pilot, originally set for August 1, 2009. The pilot program will require temporary workers within H-2A and H-2B nonimmigrant classifications that enter the United States at either the port of San Luis, Arizona or the port of Douglas, Arizona, to depart from one of those ports and to submit certain biographical and biometric information at one of the kiosks established for this purpose. |
| DHS Establishes Interim Relief for Widows of U.S. Citizens |
| June 9, 2009 |
|
| U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today granted deferred action for two years to widows and widowers of U.S. citizens—as well as their unmarried children under 18 years old—who reside in the United States and who were married for less than two years prior to their spouse’s death. |
| DHS Stops Sending All Asylum Applications to DOS |
| April 06, 2009 |
|
| DHS published final rule in the Federal Register, effective April 6, 2009, providing that USCIS will no longer forward all affirmative asylum applications to DOS. Instead, USCIS will send affirmative asylum applications to DOS only when USCIS believes DOS may have country conditions information relevant to the case. |
| CBP Reminds Travelers to Obtain I-94 Permit Early for Easter Travel |
| April 01, 2009 |
|
| The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials remind the travelers to Obtain I-94 Permit Early for Easter Travel. The CBP officials in San Diego are anticipating an increase in applications by Mexican travelers for the required I-94 permit during holy week and the Easter holiday. Mexican border crossing card (or “laser visa”) holders who plan to make an extended visit to the United States during the upcoming holiday season are urged to obtain the essential document early instead of waiting until the day of travel, CBP officials announced today. |
| State Department Issues March 2009 Visa Bulletin |
| February 10, 2009 |
|
| The Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for March 2009. As per the State Department's March 2009 Visa Bulletin, there is going to be a six-week advancement in priority date cut-offs for the employment-based second preference category (EB-2) for India and China next month. For the third employment-based preference (EB-3) subcategory for professional and skilled workers, priority dates will advance three weeks for China but will move forward four-and-a-half months for Mexico; cut-off dates will remain unchanged for all other countries. For the EB-3 "other worker" subcategory, priority dates will remain unchanged for most countries, but will advance three weeks for China and 17 months for Mexico. |
| DHS Published Notice of Designating Countries Eligible for H-2B Program |
| February 06 2009 |
|
| The DHS, in accordance with its final rule ‘Changes to Requirements Affecting H-2B Nonimmigrants’ published in the Federal Register on December 19, 2008, has published the list of countries that are important for the operation of the H-2B visa program and are cooperative in repatriation of its citizens, subjects, nationals or residents who are subject to a final order of removal from the United States. |
| DHS Secretary Napolitano Issues Immigration and Border Security Action Directive |
| February 03, 2009 |
|
| The DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced a wide-ranging action directive on immigration and border security. The directive requires specific department offices and components to work together and with state and local partners to review and assess the plans and policies to address: criminal and fugitive aliens; legal immigration benefit backlogs; southbound gun smuggling; cooperation with the National Guard; widows and widowers of U.S. citizens; immigration detention centers; and electronic employee verification. This directive is the last in an initial series on a wide variety of issues impacting the department’s critical missions: Protection, Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Immigration |
| Secretary Napolitano Issues Action Directives on FEMA State and Local Integration and National Planning |
| January 29, 2009 |
|
| The DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced two action directives, on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) integration with state and local partners and national planning. These directives instruct specific offices to gather information, review existing strategies and programs, and provide oral and written reports back to her in February. She’ll continue to issue additional action directives in the coming days focused on the missions critical to the department: Protection, Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Immigration. |
| Upgraded Biometric Technology Facilitates Visitors' Entry to the US |
| January 15, 2009 |
|
| The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that upgraded biometric technology is in place at major U.S. ports of entry, and most international visitors should expect to use the new technology when they enter the United States. DHS's US-VISIT program began upgrading its biometric technology from a two- to a 10-fingerprint collection standard in 2007 to make the entry process faster and more accurate, enabling DHS officials to focus their attention on people who may pose a risk to the United States. |
|
|
|
