Immigrant Daily

USCIS National Stakeholder Meeting

February 25, 2010 – 4:44 am
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Community Relations Program welcomes the participation of interested stakeholders in a national stakeholder meeting on Friday, February 26, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. in the Tomich Center, 111 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington D.C. 20529.  In this meeting, the Office of Citizenship will discuss FY2010 grants program, and provide updates on other upcoming Office Initiatives in additions to question and answer session. Stakeholders who would like to take part in the national stakeholder meeting can attend in person or via telephone. For complete information, please click: USCIS National Stakeholders Meeting

Posted in 111 Massachusetts Ave, Community Relations Program, DHS, FY2010 Grants Program, NW, National Stakeholder Meeting, Tomich Center, USCIS, Washington D.C. 20529 | No Comments »

CBP Notice on Mitigation of Carrier Fines for Transporting Aliens without Proper Documents

February 23, 2010 – 4:21 am
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has published a general notice in the federal registrar regarding the mitigation of carrier fines for transporting aliens without proper documents; modification of memorandum of understanding and recalculation of performance levels to measure carrier performance. The notice provides that, a transportation company that violates the provisions will be subject to a fine for each alien brought into the U.S. without the required documentation.  However, pursuant to statute and regulations, if a carrier that enters into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CBP, agreeing to follow procedures set forth in the MOU, commits a violation and becomes subject to a penalty, such carrier would not have to apply for a reduction of the fine, but would be eligible for an automatic reduction. Further, the notice announces that CBP has made changes to the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and has recalculated and reset the ...

Posted in CBP, DHS, Federal Register, General Notice, MOU with CBP, Mitigation of Carrier Fines for Transporting Aliens Without Proper Documents, Modification of Memorandum of Understanding and Recalculation of Performance Levels to Measure Carrier Performance | No Comments »

EOIR’s “Observing Immigration Court Hearings” Fact Sheet

February 23, 2010 – 4:16 am
The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) has released a fact sheet last week on the procedures for “Observing Immigration Court Hearings”.  As per the fact sheet, the EOIR conducts immigration court hearings in more than 55 immigration courts nationwide.  These immigration court hearings are generally open to the public. Additional information regarding the fact sheet on observing immigration court hearings is available in the addresses mentioned in the following link. For complete information, please click:  EOIR Fact Sheet: Observing Immigration Court Hearings

Posted in 55 Immigration Courts Nationwide, DOJ, EOIR, Observing Immigration Court Hearings | No Comments »

DOS’ Notice on Nonimmigrant K-3 visa Changes

February 23, 2010 – 4:12 am
The Department of State (DOS) has issued an important notice regarding the procedural change for certain I-129F petitions for a nonimmigrant K-3 visa. The notice says that, “Effective February 1, 2010, when both the I-129F petition for a nonimmigrant K visa and the I-130 petition for an IR-1 (or CR-1) spouse of a U.S. citizen visa have been approved by USCIS and sent to the National Visa Center (NVC), the availability as well as the need for a nonimmigrant K-3 visa ends.” For complete information, please click: DOS K-3 visa changes

Posted in DOS, Form I-129F, I-130, National Visa Center, Nonimmigrant K Visa, Petition for an IR-1 (or CR-1), Spouse of a US Citizen | No Comments »

USCIS Revises Filing Instructions and Addresses for Form I-824

February 23, 2010 – 4:09 am
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have revised filing instructions and addresses for applicants who are filing Form I-824, the Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition. The changes to the new form, which is dated 12/11/09, are part of an overall effort to transition the intake of benefit forms from USCIS local offices and Service Centers to USCIS Lockbox facilities.  Starting February 19, 2010, applicants must file Form I-824 with a USCIS Lockbox facility, based on which Service Center or USCIS local office approved their original petition or application. Additional guidance is provided in the new Form I-824 instructions. Furthermore, applicants filing this new form at a USCIS Lockbox facility may request to receive an email or text message notifying them that USCIS has accepted their application.  Applicants who are likely to receive this notification must complete Form G-1145, the E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, and attach it ...

Posted in Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, DHS, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, Form G-1145, Form I-824, USCIS, USCIS Lockbox Facilities | No Comments »

Changes to the H2A LC Process: DOLs Advance Copy of Public Briefings Announcement

February 18, 2010 – 6:21 am
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has issued an advance copy of the notice announcing that it has scheduled three public briefings to educate stakeholders, program users, and other interested members of the public on changes to the H-2A program made by the Final Rule and on applying for H2A temporary labor certifications under the new regulations using ETA Form 9142. On February 12, 2010, the DOL amended the H2A regulations governing the certification of temporary employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural employment. The amendment provides for enhanced enforcement under the H2A program requirements when employers fail to meet their obligations and makes changes to the Application for Temporary Employment Certification, ETA Form 9142. The Final rule will become effective on March 15, 2010. For full information, please click: http://federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2010-03282_PI.pdf

Posted in Advance Copy, DOL, ETA, Form 9142, H-2A, H2A, Labor Certification Process, Public Briefings Announcement | No Comments »

H-2A AEWR 2010: DOL Issues Advance Copy

February 18, 2010 – 6:18 am
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has issued an advance copy of notice announcing the new 2010 Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) and the 2010 maximum allowable meal and travel subsistence charges applicable to employers seeking to employ H-2A workers to perform agricultural labor in the U.S. on a temporary or seasonal basis. The notice will be effective from March 15, 2010. For complete information, please click: http://federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2010-03078_PI.pdf

Posted in AEWR 2010, Advance Copy, Agricultural Labor, DOL, ETA, H-2A, Temporary or Seasonal Basis | No Comments »

USCIS’ Memo on Numerical Limitation Exemption for H Nonimmigrants in CNMI and Guam

February 12, 2010 – 6:56 am
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have published a memorandum regarding the numerical limitation exemption for temporary workers in H nonimmigrant classifications employed in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam. The memorandum provides guidance for processing and adjudicating Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker filed on behalf of H-1B “Specialty Occupation” and H-2B “temporary nonagricultural” workers under the  Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA). For complete information, please click: USICS Memo on the Numerical Limitation Exemption for H Nonmmigrants Employed in the CNMI and Guam

Posted in CNMI, Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA), DHS, Form I-129, Guam, H-1B, H-1B Visa, H-2B Visa, Memorandum, Non-Immigrant Visas, Numerical Limitation Exemption for Temporary Workers in H Nonimmigrant Classifications Employed in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, Specialty Occupation, Temporary Nonagricultural Workers, USCIS, h-2b | No Comments »

DOL Issues Advance Copy of H-2A Final Rule

February 12, 2010 – 6:51 am
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) issued an Advance Copy of H-2A final rule, for publication in the federal register, amending its regulations on the temporary or seasonal agricultural employment for H-2A workers in the United States. The final rule includes stronger mechanisms for enforcement of the worker protection provisions required by the H-2A program. This final rule will take effect 30 days after its publication in the federal register. For complete information, please click: DOL Advance Copy of H-2A Final Rule

Posted in Advance Copy of H-2A Final Rule, DOL, ETA, Federal Register, H-2A, Temporary or Seasonal Agricultural Employment, WHD | No Comments »

DHS’ Estimates of Unauthorized Population in US

February 12, 2010 – 6:46 am
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a report, which provides the estimates of the number of unauthorized immigrant population residing in the United States as of January 2009 by period of entry, region and country of origin, state of residence, age, and gender. The DHS 2009 population estimates report shows that the unauthorized immigrant population living in the United States has fallen to 10.8 million in January2009 from 11.6 million in January 2008 and increased by 27 percent over the period 2000 to 2009. According to the report, of all unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. in 2009, 63 percent entered before 2000, and 62 percent were from Mexico. For complete information, please click:   DHS Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2009

Posted in DHS, Estimates of Unauthorized Population in US, January 2009 Report | No Comments »