Immigration News  |
| Changes in immigration that impact your life. |
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| 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. |
| H-1B Cap Filing Season For FY 2011 Opens on April 1 |
| March 09, 2010 |
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| U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2011 cap on April 1, 2010. The fiscal year cap (numerical limitation on H-1B petitions) for FY 2011 is 65,000. USCIS will monitor the number of petitions received and will notify the public of the date on which USCIS received the necessary number of petitions to meet the H-1B cap. |
| DOL Certifies Approx. 5,500 Workers in 12 States as Eligible to Apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) |
| March 4, 2010 |
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| US Department of Labor certifies approximately 5,500 workers in 12 states as eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance. The U.S. Department of Labor announced that approximately 5,500 workers from companies in 12 states — California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont —are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance. |
| Owner, Employee of Miami Language School Charged with Immigration Fraud |
| March 4, 2010 |
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| The owner/operator of a Miami-based foreign language school and one of its employees were indicted on four counts on March 4, 2010 for conspiring to commit a criminal offense against the United States, following an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Miami Office of Investigations. |
| Special Citizenship Ceremony at Historic Justice Department Building |
| March 3, 2010 |
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| USCIS, on March 1 welcomed 50 new citizens at a special citizenship ceremony at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice’s Great Hall. Each year, hundreds of thousands of immigrants choose to become American citizens by taking the Oath of Allegiance at naturalization ceremonies across the United States and overseas. USCIS provides the citizenship statics from the year 1907 to 2010. |
| DOL Secretary Hilda L. Solis Announces Final Rule for H-2A Program |
| February 11, 2010 |
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| U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a new rule regarding the H-2A program. The Labor Department published in the Feb. 12 edition of the Federal Register, a final rule governing the labor certification process and enforcement mechanisms for the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. The final rule is being published to strengthen worker protections for both U.S. and foreign workers and to ensure overall H-2A program integrity. The rule will be effective March 15, 2010. |
| USCIS Provides Additional Information Regarding the Employ American Workers Act (EAWA) to Employers Filing H-1B Petitions |
| February 8, 2010 |
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| USCIS today provides additional guidance regarding the Employ American Workers Act (EAWA) to employers seeking to file H-1B petitions. The EAWA was enacted to ensure that companies that receive funding under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) or section 13 of the Federal Reserve Act do not displace U.S. workers. Under this legislation, any company that has received covered funding and seeks to hire new H-1B workers is considered an “H-1B dependent employer.” An H-1B dependent employer must make additional statements to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regarding the recruitment and non-displacement of U.S. workers when filing a Labor Condition Application (LCA). |
| USCIS to Issue Revised Approval Notices for Certain Forms I-129 and I-539 |
| February 3, 2010 |
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| USCIS is alerting customers of certain Notices of Approval (Forms I-797) issued between Jan. 20 and Jan. 27, 2010, with incorrect or missing information. The form types impacted are Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker (Form I-129) and Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (Form I-539). USCIS has started mailing new approval notices with corrected information to affected I-129 petitioners and I-539 applicants. Petitioners and applicants who received incomplete or incorrect approval notices should not attempt to use them. |
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