Immigration News  |
| Changes in immigration that impact your life. |
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| DHS Proposes Reforms to Attract and Retain Highly Skilled Immigrants |
| February 01, 2012 |
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| DHS has announced a series of administrative reforms that are aimed to make the U.S. more attractive to highly-skilled foreign students and workers. A few notable initiatives announced include providing work authorization for spouses of certain H-1B holders; expanding eligibility for extension of OPT; allowing E-3 and H-1B1 visa holders to continue employment with their current employer for up to 240 days from the expiration of their authorized period of stay, if a petition to extend their status has been timely filed; and increasing the types of evidence that employers can submit to demonstrate that a Professor or Researcher is among the very best in their field. DHS has only indicated that these administrative reforms will be completed in the future, but has not given clear timelines as to when these reforms would become effective. |
| DHS extends TPS for Sudan, Designates South Sudan for TPS |
| October 14, 2011 |
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| Department of Homeland Security has extended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Sudan for 18 months, even while designating the new Republic of South Sudan for TPS for 18 months. Both the extension and the new designation are effective Nov. 3, 2011, and will continue through May 2, 2013. DHS is also automatically extending the validity of employment authorization documents (EADs) issued under the last extension of Sudan TPS for an additional six months, through May 2, 2012. Any individual who has a valid TPS Sudan EAD is covered by this automatic extension, even though USCIS may ultimately register the individual under the South Sudan TPS designation and issue a new EAD reflecting his or her new nationality. |
| DHS Publishes Business Transformation Regulation |
| September 06, 2011 |
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| The Department of Homeland Security has recently published a Business Transformation Regulation, said to be the first in a series of regulations intended to promote the migration of USCIS filings from a paper-based environment to an electronic one. The new regulation revises more than 50 parts of DHS regulations, and will become effective on Nov. 28, 2011. Comments and suggestions, if any, could be sent to USCIS till October 28, 2011. |
| EAD Processing Delays Cause Hardship, Says Ombudsman |
| August 6, 2011 |
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| On July 11, 2011, the DHS Security's Ombudsman noted that in some cases the USCIS fails to meet its regulatory requirement to process applications for employment authorization in 90 days, and USCIS generally does not issue interim employment authorization documents (EADs). |
| Employers Perceive E-Verify as Not Beneficial |
| March 10, 2011 |
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| A survey commissioned by the government on E-Verify conducted by Westat shows that a small minority of employers have been using the web based government verification system to check the work eligibility of new hires. The report details why employers don’t use E-Verify and whether the government would have to make it mandatory so that employers would use the system. |
| Secretary Napolitano Announces Record-breaking Immigration Enforcement Statistics Achieved under the Obama Administration |
| October 24, 2010 |
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| DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and ICE Director John Morton announced record-breaking immigration enforcement statistics achieved under the Obama administration—including unprecedented numbers of convicted criminal alien removals and overall alien removals in fiscal year 2010. In fiscal year 2010, ICE set a record for overall removals of illegal aliens, with more than 392,000 removals nationwide. Half of those removed—more than 195,000—were convicted criminals. Since January 2009, ICE has audited more than 3,200 employers suspected of hiring illegal labor, debarred 225 companies and individuals, and imposed approximately $50 million in financial sanctions—more than the total amount of audits and debarments than during the entire previous administration. |
| DHS Unveils Initiatives to Enhance E-Verify |
| March 17, 2010 |
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| Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano joined U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas to announce a trio of initiatives to strengthen the efficiency and accuracy of the E-Verify system. |
| Greece Becomes a Member of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) |
| March 10, 2010 |
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| Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the designation of Greece as a member of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) - strengthening passenger information sharing and ensuring strict security standards while streamlining travel for Greek citizens visiting the United States. Greece joins the 35 nations already participating in Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Greek citizens will be able to visit the United States without visas in approximately 30 days. |
| CBP Notice to Postpone H-2A and H-2B Temporary Worker Visa Exit Pilot Program |
| August 25, 2009 |
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| 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 |
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| 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. |
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