Hello and welcome to the January 2006 Immigration Newsletter!
New Year… New Dreams… and a whole new way of processing your visas! We welcomed 2005 a year ago with a resolution to combine technology and visa processing, giving the ultimate user experience to our clients and the users of our website. And we did a lot more. When I look back at the year gone by, I feel proud to have added you to my list of friends across the world. I wish you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year – 2006. Check this exclusive greeting card made for you. The special greeting card that our team prepared to wish you Happy Holidays was well appreciated by everyone. Thank you all for your wishes and continued support.
Apart from the holiday greetings and New Year wishes that kept me busy during the past few weeks, I also received a lot of emails enquiring about the RSS feature. Those who subscribed to RSS to receive news updates from our website were very pleased with this unique feature. Subscribers to RSS receive alerts to updates as soon as they are posted on our website. RSS is more secured and convenient compared with email delivery. You can subscribe to the updates through RSS by clicking on the buttons at various sections in the newsletter.
The month of December saw some stunning developments on the immigration front. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sensenbrenner Bill at lightning speed. And then the House adopted a conference report on the budget reconciliation package, striking off the provisions relating to the recapture of H-1B and Immigrant visa numbers. This was a blow to pro-immigration lobbyists and the businesses waiting for a temporary relief from H-1B cap and Immigrant visa backlogs. We cover these recent developments in our Industry Perspective article.
Starting this month your Immigration Monitor will cover visa procedures at the consulate in your home country. We are visiting East Asia this month, discussing the K-1 Fiancée visa process at the U.S. consulates in China, Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Do check out the article in our In Focus section and send your feedback on our initiative to cover issues specific to your situation, and also if you would like us to write about any visa process at the consulate in your home country. If you have processed a family or work visa at a consulate, don’t forget to share your immigration experiences for the benefit of the readers of Immigration Monitor and other users of VisaPro.com.
Did you miss receiving your Immigration Monitor last month? Is your Immigration Monitor being diverted to the junk/spam folder of your email? Just add our address Immigration-Monitor@VisaPro.com in the list of your contacts so that you receive it straight into your email Inbox. I am sure you wouldn’t want to miss out on the latest you need to know from the immigration front.
Have you ever visited the U.S. and experienced the procedures at the border? Are you planning a visit to the U.S. and wondering what happens when you land at the airport? In 2004 the US-VISIT entry-exit system was implemented at all international airports throughout the U.S. to enhance the security of U.S. citizens and visitors, expedite legitimate travel, and safeguard personal privacy of visitors. This month’s Immigration Article provides the tips and procedures to ‘Avoid confusion at US Port of Entry’. VisaPro wishes you a happy and safe flight and a smooth passage through the immigration procedures at the border.
Your Opinion for the poll question last month was divided. Over 40% of participants believe that the fact that the US welcomed 86 million air passengers in 2005, the highest in the US history, means increased security threats. Recently the U.S. Government released the news that the US-VISIT Program has intercepted 970 people with criminal histories during the last two years. Do you think the programs like US-VISIT have secured the U.S. borders? Express your opinion in this month’s poll.
Last month Hank Meyer had a tough competition to win the November Immigration Quiz. This time it seemed to be a cakewalk for Sumir Duggal. This time too we received almost the same number of responses, some well-researched and explained in detail, but Alas! Most of them were wrong. Congratulations to Sumir Duggal for winning a FREE online consultation with VisaPro Attorney. Would you like to see your name as the WINNER in the next issue of Immigration Monitor? Surf through VisaPro.com to find the correct answer to this month’s question.
As part of our continued efforts to provide you with The Best, our team is currently working on various exciting projects for this year. How would you feel if you visit VisaPro.com and are able to view only the information specific to your country? VisaPro’s country-specific websites will be a treasure-house of information, providing you with the information on procedures followed at the consular offices in your country, and news updates specific to your country. I am really excited to see the first one up and running, and then the rest will be history.
A lot of activity is expected in the next few months when the fate of the various legislations pending on the round-table will be decided. As always, we will keep you posted on all the news you need to know.
All the Best in 2006!