Your Ticket to America!  US Immigration News Update June 30, 2008

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Immigration News Weekly

Updated (June 30, 2008)


DATELINE for US Green Card

Program Year 2008 !

Register now before it is too late!

Dateline July 2008!

The US Senate voted to change the existing visa lottery program to ensure that at least 33,000 of the 50,000 visas issued annually under the program go to highly educated people with advanced degrees.

Take your Chance today it is the last one forever!  click here

 

NEWS: last update: June 30, 2008

  June 30, 2008

Clinton endorses Obama Jun 07 2008

Sen. Hillary Clinton officially suspended her campaign in a speech today and endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. "I endorse him and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me," Clinton said to a cheering crowd in Washington. full story

Campaign Notebook

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton likened this stage of the campaign to the final quarter of a close basketball game.

Clinton Shouldn’t Feel Forced to Quit Race, Obama Says

Senator Barack Obama had a few words of advice Saturday for his rival, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton: Do not drop out on my account.

Endorsement of Obama Points Up Clinton Obstacles

An endorsement of Senator Barack Obama by Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania underlined the ferment in the Democratic race.

 

Obama wins Wyoming caucus, CNN projects  March 08 2008

Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama won the Wyoming Democratic caucus, CNN projected Saturday. Obama led rival Sen. Hillary Clinton at 58 percent to 41 percent, with 91 percent of precincts reporting.
  • The close race between Obama and Clinton thrusts the state into the spotlight
     
  • Wyoming has only 12 delegates
     
  • The candidates had been separated by fewer than 100 delegates, CNN estimates
     
  • Clinton's campaign manager: "We are thrilled with this near split in delegates"
  •  

    Clinton and McCain Win in California; Obama Stays Close as G.O.P. Rivals Lag

     

    February 5, 2008

    Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton won primaries in New York, New Jersey and Arizona and captured the biggest prize of all, California, while Senator Barack Obama strung together nearly a dozen victories from Georgia to Idaho as the two Democratic candidates were locked in an intense struggle for convention delegates on Tuesday.

     

    Jan 09, 2008 Clinton Is Victor

  • NEW: Clinton takes New Hampshire, despite recent polls putting Obama ahead
     
  • NEW: McCain met by crowd shouting, "Mac is back"
     
  • Women, older voters give Clinton boost, exit polls show
  • .

    Jan 01. 2008:  Happy New Year 2008!

    DATELINE for US Green Card Program Year 2008 is approaching 
    Register now before it is too late!

    December  2007: US announces Green Card Lottery
    The US Department of State has announced that registration for the Green Card Lottery, or Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery.
    The Green Card Lottery makes available 50,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The Immigration Lottery makes permanent residence visas available to persons meeting simple, but strict, eligibility requirements.

    Pair arrested in greencard marriage scam on Internet
    San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA/ Dec 10, 2007
    AP "Green Card Marriage -- Will pay $300/month. Total $15000," the Russian national wrote in an ad placed on the Craigslist website. ...

    LIVE VIDEO: Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree New York City , NYC,  Dec 2007

    The tree will be lit through Jan 8, 2008. Hours are daily from 5:30am to 11:30pm.

    Millions of New Yorkers and tourists come to see the tree while many get to ice skate on the rink below.

     

    Will You Accept This Green Card? Dec. 01, 2007
    TMZ.com - Glendale,CA,USA
    Reality shows are bringing people together for "love" all the time -- now there's one that's doing it for a real reason: citizenship. ...
     

    Skilled immigrants face 10-year wait to get green cards August 22, 2007
    San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
    They estimated that the total number of green card applicants and family members in the US waiting for legal permanent residence in September 2006 was ...

    Dominica National Convicted In Green Card Marriage Scam
    Hardbeatnews.com - Jackson Heughts,NY,USA
    ... marriage for green card scam. Peter Absolam was found guilty in an immigration scam that arranged sham marriages with US citizens for immigrants seeking ...

    US Seeks to Curb Illegal Immigration
    Forbes - NY,USA
    By SUZANNE GAMBOA 08.10.07, 2:00 PM ET A crackdown on illegal immigration will have to go forward without help from Congress, the Bush administration said ...

    US Immigration Authorities Step up Deportations of Illegal Immigrants Aug 08, 2007
    Voice of America - USA
    By Steve Mort Authorities in the United States are stepping up efforts to return illegal immigrants to their home countries. ...

    Immigration reform bill in US Senate appears to be dead July 08 2007

    53 of 100 Senators voted against limiting further debate on the immigration reform bill, effectively keeping it from being finalized and voted on. ...

    US senators agree on immigration reform - May 18, 2007

    WASHINGTON, May 18: Leading US senators reached an agreement on Thursday on immigration reform that would strengthen US borders and grant lawful status to ...payment $5000.- fine...

     

    Bush asks Congress to help with immigration reform (Associated Press Saturday, April 28, 2007 - Updated: 10:22 AM EST)
    W
    ASHINGTON - President Bush urged lawmakers on Saturday to come together on the complex and emotional issue of immigration, calling it "a critical challenge" now before the nation. "We need a system where our laws are respected. We need a system that meets the legitimate needs of our economy. And we need a system that treats people with dignity and helps newcomers assimilate into our society," he said in his weekly radio address. "We must address all elements of this problem together, or none of them will be solved at all."
    San Francisco Bay Area Reacts Angrily to Series of Immigration Raids
    New York Times - New York,NY,USA April 27, 2007
    Before dawn on March 6, dozens of federal immigration agents conducted surprise raids in San Rafael and nearby Novato, two comfortable Marin County suburbs ...

    Illegal Immigrants Paying Taxes, Too
    KTTC - Rochester,MN,USA
    Last year alone she aided around 32-hundred illegal immigrants. Stellick says undocumented workers are required to file taxes, so by receiving a nine digit ...

    Feds arrest 49 illegal immigrants in Willmar
    Pioneer Press - St. Paul,MN,USA
    Federal agents arrested 49 illegal immigrants in Willmar last week during a four-day enforcement investigation there. Operation Cross Check, which began ...

    New York building industry needs workers, looks to immigrants and reform Feb 13 /07

    When any region of the United States has required workers for large building projects, immigrant workers have historically been relied upon. A recent increase in construction in New York City has resulted in a shortage of construction workers and, once again, America is looking for immigrants to help. more  »

     

    Hillary Clinton: I'm in for 2008Hillary Clinton: I'm in for 2008

    Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton launched her run for the White House Saturday by setting up an exploratory committee to test opinions and raise money. "I'm in. And I'm in to win," she wrote on her Web site. "I believe that together we can bring the leadership that this country needs." Her move came days after Sen. Barack Obama began his run.

     

    Dec 24/25, 2006: Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays ! Christmas in America: We all join in

    Illegal Immigrants at Center of New Identity Theft Crackdown Dec 17,2006
    New York Times - United States
    ... 13 — Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Wednesday announced a broad new plan to crack down on illegal immigrants who steal the identities of ...

    Meat plant raids may spur reform / Immigration agents pick up 1,282 workers suspected of being in the U.S. illegally
    San Francisco Chronicle Sun, 17 Dec 2006 4:21 AM PST
    The Tuesday predawn sweep by 1,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at six rural meatpacking plants, in which authorities detained 1,282 workers suspected of illegal immigration, so far has had only a minor impact on the cattle industry. But it...

    Facts About USCIS Naturalization Test Redesign  Nov 2006
    USCIS is revising the naturalization test to create a test and testing process that is standardized, fair and meaningful. A revised test, with an emphasis on the fundamental concepts of American democracy and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, will help to encourage citizenship applicants to learn and identify with the basic values we all share as Americans.

    Questions and Answers for New Pilot Naturalization Exam
    Read the 144 questions and answers.


    Democratic control of the U.S. Congress in the wake of recent elections may very well result in more humane immigration policies. There may be a guest-worker program and new opportunities to gain citizenship. 2007 immigration reform is expected to be along similar lines to the Senate immigration reform bill from May of this year.


    More than one million legal immigrants have experienced long delays in obtaining a U.S. green card. Many are highly skilled, with science, electrical engineering and medical degrees, and are hired by U.S. companies, universities and research laboratories under the H-1B visa system. Some people have experienced waits of up to 12 years for an employment-based green card. The process has always been long and complex, but recently introduced background checks by the FBI can add two to three years.

     
    A joint study released this month analyses businesses founded or co-founded by immigrants in the U.S. It found that about half a trillion dollars in wealth had been generated by such companies over the past 35 years. These are successful, profitable businesses that currently employ over 400,000 people around the world.

    The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating the U.S. naturalization exam. The voluntary program will continue through 2007, and will become the basis for the new mandatory test in 2008. A substantial hike in the $400 citizenship application fees is also planned.


    There has been a significant loss in value of the U.S. dollar in the past several months, with a new 5-month low against the euro this month. The dollar has lost approximately 10-12% of its value against most world currencies in the past two years, most of it this year. The trend is expected to continue.
     
    A new record of nearly 5,000 deportations was set earlier this year, for the latest three-month period for which figures are available. The budget to fund deportation-related activities is being doubled, and a new Crimestoppers telephone line will be available from January first 2007 for citizens to report illegal immigration activities.

    The "Technology Czar" for the United States government, Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology Robert Cresanti, recently said that there are not enough engineers, IT workers and, students in these related fields, to fulfil the needs of technology industries. According to Cresanti, the IT industry is experienceing skills shortages in some areas. He urged that more foreign workers be allowed in, including an increase in H-1B visas.


    Beginning on 23 January 2007, all persons entering or leaving the United States by air will be required to show a passport. Previously, people travelling between Canada and the U.S., and various other countries in the immediate Western Hemisphere such as Jamaica and Bermuda, could enter and leave the U.S. with other methods of identification.

    HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  2006,  Nov 23,2006

     

    At 300 million, U.S. enters uncharted territory

    CNN Oct 16, 2006:The population of the United States will reach 300 million early Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau says. The United States has become a "supersize, metro-nation with a fast-growing population, and supersize appetites for housing, land and resource consumption," one expert says. The U.S. is now a vastly different nation from the one where the Baby Boomers were born.

     

    Improve America Oct 15, 2006
    ProgressiveU.org - San Mateo,CA,USA
    ... My answer to illegal immigration is this we offer this to the "guest workers" register with ... to pay back what you owe, and we'll give you a green card, and in 7 ...

    Senate bill on doubling H1B visas may have to wait Sep 28, 2006
    Daily News & Analysis - Mumbai,India
    ... permanent residency or "green card" applications. What made the process very difficult was the fact that the House version of Immigration legislation passed ...

    US citizenship vs US nationality Sep 27, 2006
    Philippine News Online - Philippines
    ... In an effort to curb illegal immigration to the US, several proposals to amend ... at least one parent were a US citizen or permanent resident (“green card holder ...

    Feds crack down on Pennsylvania illegal immigrants Sep 25, 2006
    Pocono Record - Stroudsburg,PA,USA
    ... Trimi was one of 115 illegal immigrants arrested over the past several days in Pennsylvania and Delaware as part of nationwide crackdown on those living here ...

    More than 200 residents become US citizens Sep 20, 2006
    South Bend Tribune - South Bend,IN,USA
    ... percent from India, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services ... He held his green card and a Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony form ...

    Immigration reform still on Bush's agenda (August 24, 2006)

    WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush continues to push for comprehensive immigration reform. He discussed how the United States is seen as the land of opportunity and freedom. Miami has been the first destination for many who had been oppressed in their homeland or were fleeing poverty. Bush welcomed the influence of other cultures in the United States and their contributions, but he also brought up that border enforcement needs to be addressed in a reasonable manner.

    The president made reference to the Border Patrol agents and the U.S. Coast guard who are responsible for border enforcement and commended their efforts. While he recognizes that the border must be enforced, it must be done in a way that is rational. Since many immigrants enter the United States on a temporary basis to take on jobs that Americans are not taking, Bush suggested the introduction of a guest worker program. This type of program would give immigrants a way to achieve their dreams. Due to the millions of illegal immigrants that reside in the United States, Bush said it would not be realistic to grant them amnesty or deport them in masses. However, Bush said there should be a process that gives illegal immigrants the opportunity to eventually become a United States citizen. The process would include a fine, learning English, proving one has been a law abiding citizen and then patiently waiting at the end of the citizenship line.

    Possible expansion of fingerprinting at U.S. port of entries (August 22, 2006)

    WASHINGTON, DC - The Department of Homeland Security has proposed having to require United States permanent residents to get fingerprinted on each occasion that they re-enter the country. Some Canadian visitors could also be included. The security checks would take place at port of entries such as international airports, land borders, seaports, and would be an expansion of the US-Visit Program. Under the US-Visit Program most foreign visitors must have biographic and biometric information recorded when entering the United States or when obtaining visas at posts abroad. The U.S. government is then able to verify the identity of the foreign visitor. During this process officials are also able to check for criminal records, terrorist suspects and the validity of the visa. As of January 2004, 61 million foreign visitors have had a digital photograph taken along with being fingerprinted.

    The expansion is seen as a safety measure needed to intercept those using fraudulent or stolen Green Cards. In addition, it would allow the Department of Homeland Security to comply with the requirement of having to use biometrics to verify the validity of travel documents issued by the government. The expansion will not take place immediately and there will be a 30 day comment period before any changes can take place. Critics of the expansion claim that there are already enough security measures to obtain United States permanent residency and that introducing unnecessary measures sends the wrong message to those trying to become United States citizens.

    U.S. Eases Immigration Rules for Some Cubans
    Los Angeles Times Sat, 12 Aug 2006 0:14 AM PDT
    The Bush administration said it would relax immigration rules for some Cubans, focusing largely on reuniting families who have relatives in the U.S.

    Many states, federal government working on immigration reform laws
    Ridgecrest Daily Independent - Ridgecrest,CA,USA
    The immigration debate isn't limited to California, as 2006 has seen dozens of states across the country passing legislation to crack down on illegal ...

    Legal residents to be fingerprinted at airports
    The News-Review Sat, 29 Jul 2006 5:15 AM PDT
    WASHINGTON (AP) The federal government wants U.S. residents with green cards, parolees and some Canadians to l have their fingerprints checked every time they re-enter the U.S. by air or sea.

    Immigration Officials Using New Tactics
    CBS 11 - Dallas/Fort Worth,TX,USA
    (CBS 11 News) DALLAS The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arm of Homeland Security is going after employers who hire illegal immigrants, and they're ...

    Supremes On Removal

    According to a Los Angeles Times news report, "[Undocumented] immigrants who return to the US after being deported are "continuous lawbreakers" and are subject to automatic removal from this country, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday, even if they have lived here more than 20 years and have jobs and families."

    For the full news story, see here.


    Senate approves sweeping immigration reform bill
    San Jose Mercury News,  USA - May 26, 2006
    WASHINGTON - The Senate's bipartisan passage Thursday of sweeping changes in the nation's immigration laws could lead to citizenship for millions of illegal ...
    Senate approves major immigration reform bill San Jose Mercury News
    Senate, in Bipartisan Act, Passes an Immigration Bill New York Times

    Senate committee OKs ag immigration plan (Mar 30, 2006)
    Central Valley Business Times - Stockton,CA,USA
    ... undocumented agricultural workers to legalize their immigration status in ... After a “blue card” holder shows ... they will then be eligible for a green card. ...

    More H1B visas on the cards? (Mar 29, 2006)     -> H1B-Visa
    Moneycontrol.com - Mumbai,India
    The US Immigration Bill proposes an increase in H1B visas from a cap of 65,000 to 115,000 ... The new quota will not include family members of the Green Card holder

    People power wins hope for US illegal immigrants (Mar 29, 2006)
    Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
    ... A US immigration reform bill that would allow 12 million illegal immigrants to become citizens eventually and would create a guest worker program for up to ...
     

    McCain/Kennedy leads to 30 million new illegal immigrants
    Town Hall - Washington,DC,USA
    According to Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, passing the McCain/Kennedy immigration plan will result in 30 million new illegal immigrants entering the US over

    11 million illegals? Thank the economy (Mar 29, 2006)
    Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA
    ... It gave green card status to 3 million illegal immigrants (and eventually their wives ... Europeans can only look at our immigration "problem" and drool with envy.

    Employers of Illegal Workers in a Catch-22 (Mar 06, 2006)
    ktla 5 - Los Angeles,CA,USA
    ... The foreign worker can then apply for a green card through US Citizenship and Immigration Services. But workers here illegally must ...

    Employment Agencies Targeting Immigrants Often Offer 'False' Hope (Mar 06, 2006)
    New York Sun - New York,NY,USA
    ... the agencies - generally run by immigrants - break wage laws or scam the newcomers ... job for $1,000." The truth, he said, is that without a green card they cannot ...

    US laws apply to 'bad guys' and illegal immigrants (Mar 02, 2006)
    USA Today - USA
    ... Marisa Treviño is highly critical of the US Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies for picking on illegal Mexican and other immigrants trying to ...

    Senate to start debate on compromise immigration bill (Feb 28, 2006)
    AZ Central.com - AZ,USA
    ... With immigration now a nationwide issue, how Congress deals with those questions could ... six years expired and could not apply for a green card without applying ...

    States Want Action on Illegal Immigrants
    Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
    ... number got through. Nationally there are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants draining government resources. "We're absorbing ...

    Immigration loophole leads to spread of fake-ID mills  (Feb 20, 2006)
    San Diego Union Tribune - United States
    ... and airport, hoping to sell phony immigration papers and ... Security card and resident-alien card, commonly referred to as a green card, averages between ...

    Wanna do biz in US? Get a EB-5 visa now (Feb 19, 2006)
    Economic Times - India
    For entrepreneurs, one of the best routes to US is the EB-5 or investor visa. The USCIS has a 10,000 immigrant visas per year available ...

    Hundreds gather in opposition to federal immigration legislation  (Feb 18, 2006)
    The Grand Rapids Press - Grand Rapids,MI,USA
    ... Advocates of tough immigration measures say it is time to seal the borders and crack down on undocumented workers and companies who employ them. ...

    Real 'reform' must end illegal immigration (Feb 17, 2006)
    Jackson Clarion Ledger - Jackson,MS,USA
    By Rodney Hunt. Why do 75 percent of Americans want illegal immigration stopped? ... Illegal immigration places a great burden on our working citizens. ...
     



    Ending of protected status to hit Central Americans (Feb 08, 2006)

    WASHINGTON, DC - As the U.S. Senate gears up to deal with immigration reform, hundreds of thousands of immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua are facing a deadline...

     

     

     



    Border police on alert for illegal immigrants (Feb 06, 2006)

    DETROIT, MI - Robert Johnson was down on his luck and short on cash last month when a man named Hunt offered him $800 to smuggle two Chinese immigrants in the trunk of his car

     

     

    December 05, 2005:   Registration Green Card Program 2006  DV-2008 started

    November 24, 2005 :  HAPPY THANKSGIVING   30 Mio eCard

    US embassy alert for visa waiver nations
    Gulf Times - Doha,Qatar 02 November 2005
    ALL travellers, to the US from any of the 27 Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) countries, with passports issued on or after October 26 this year must have a machine ...
     

    US Senate to Take Up Immigration Reform Issues in November
    Voice of America - USA  Washington DC 26 October 2005
    ... to work for 6 years and then be eligible for a green card and get ... which represents more than 10,000 border patrol agents wants all illegal immigration halted. ...

    When immigrants overstay visas, US does little
    The US Department of Homeland Security frequently fails to follow up on leads that foreign visitors have overstayed their visas, the agency's inspector general says in a new report.

    Bush Says U.S. Will Tighten Borders, Fight Illegal Immigration
    Oct. 22 , 2005 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush said the U.S. will boost efforts to catch and expel people entering the country illegally, and said he will work with Congress to create a program that gives immigrants legal access to jobs.
     

    Report Details Growth in Illegal Migration Source: WASHINGTON POST
    WASHINGTON, DC - More immigrants came to the United States illegally from 2000 through 2004 than the number who were granted legal status in those years, according to a study released yesterday that attributed much of the historic shift to visa slowdowns since 2001 and to the nation's strong job market before that. The study by the Pew Hispanic Center said that immigration to the United States -- legal and illegal, from all regions of the world -- totaled about 1.1 million each year during the 1990s, peaked in 2000 at 1.5 million and declined substantially since 2001 to earlier levels. The number of new arrivals increased in 2004, the study said, though it is too early to say that the rise will last.

    New Faces of Amerika  /   More than 2000 new Americans neutralized
    October 10, 2005

    Test your Knowledge with Civics Flash Cards

    Fourteen arrested on green card violations
    Brownsville Herald - TX United States
    October 5, 2005 -- Federal agents on Wednesday arrested 14 green card holders who ... Agents with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested the 14 ...

    Green card marriage business alleged
    St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg,FL,USA Oct 05, 2005
    ... paying thousands of dollars to marry US citizens to obtain green cards, which ... said Evan M. Grose, supervisory special agent with US Immigration and Customs ...
     

    Green-card quota seen as undercutting security
    World Peace Herald - Washington,DC,USA Oct 04, 2005
    ... She said all applications are put through law-enforcement checks, and those checks must be completed before a green card or other immigration benefit is granted ...

    No more Business-sponsored Visas!
    U.S. imposes limits on business-sponsored visas (Sep 17, 2005, Herald)


    As of this week, it's almost impossible for skilled workers from certain countries to get an immigrant visa. To understand an extraordinary shift this week in the awarding of visas for business-sponsored immigrants, imagine you're a talented engineer from India ready to move to South Florida where a job is waiting.If you applied for the visa last year, you'll likely get your travel papers soon. But if you are applying now, you may have to wait at least four to six years -- if not longer -- to get your visa.

    California Advances Bill to issue Driver's Licenses to Illegal Immigrants (Sep 19, 2005)

    SACRAMENTO, CA - After a late-night debate on the politically sensitive issue of immigration, the California Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill to extend driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. The measure would clear the way for California to create a distinct driver's license, with a unique design and color, for people who cannot prove legal citizenship in the United States. The license could be used only for driving and would not be valid identification for other purposes such as opening a bank account or boarding an airplane. The bill, SB 60 by Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), would also allow roughly 800,000 people in California who have applied to federal immigration officials for legal residency to get a California driver's license starting as soon as March 2006. The bill passed 42 to 34.

    Cedillo's bill passed the Senate in June on a 22-16 partisan split. Now the Senate is expected to approve recent amendments and send it to the governor, who is under pressure from Republicans to veto the measure. Cedillo said he included several elements in the bill aimed at overcoming objections from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who last year vetoed a Cedillo driver's license bill. But before the state Assembly took up the new bill Wednesday, there were no indications that the changes would satisfy the governor. The governor's office has consistently said Schwarzenegger does not want to take any action until the federal government finishes deciding its requirements for state licenses - changes spawned by concern that terrorists or other criminals could get such documents. Congress gave states the option to create distinct driver's licenses for illegal immigrants under the Real ID Act passed in May. That sweeping law will require most states to change the information they include on driver's licenses, the documents they require to issue a license and how they store driver's license data.

    Source: LA TIMES more

    August 12, 2004 Foreign Visitor Overstays No Longer Criminal
    The U.S. government will stop treating foreign visitors harshly simply because of visa overstays from previous trips. Foreigners who are permitted to enter the U.S. on a visa waiver won't be handcuffed, searched or denied entry due to an overstay of a few days on a previous visit. Previously, such visitors were treated as criminals.

     

    Program allows immigration status checks
    (Business News
    Saturday, September 10, 2005)

    LOS ANGELES -- Many Americans focus on the border when they consider the fight against illegal immigration. But some experts say the real battle should be in the workplace to stop the hiring of people without work visas.

    Simple enough in theory, but how can you tell who's an illegal immigrant?

    Many companies now do little more than eyeball documents, saying they lack the expertise and resources to go any further -- and they seldom face federal sanctions.

    But across the country, a small group of businesses is quietly testing a Department of Homeland Security program that can check immigration status with a few clicks on the Internet.  more...

     

     

    Despite Illegal Status, Buyers Get Home Loans

     
    Mortgage lenders are designing programs aimed at undocumented immigrants. Real estate agents also see a huge untapped market.
    LOS ANGELES - Each week, Pedro Morlet knocks on doors in the Bay Area, looking for illegal immigrants. Morlet isn't an immigration agent. He's a real estate agent, and he's scouting for business. "Do you want a house, work and pay taxes but don't have a Social Security number?" reads his flier, written in Spanish and tailored to his potential customers. "We can help you LEGALLY!"  Across the country, particularly in Texas and parts of the Midwest, hundreds of illegal immigrants have bought homes using special lending programs that bypass the need for a Social Security number. Now, with backing from some of the country's largest financial institutions, this newest effort to tap customers for the real estate market is moving to the nation's largest concentration of illegal immigrants - California.
    Source: LA TIMES [full article]
     
    U.S. to Begin Issuing Electronic Passports
     
    WASHINGTON - The United States will begin issuing electronic passports in December to help tighten border and identity security, the State Department said recently. A computer chip will be embedded in passport covers and will hold the same information that is written on the inside: name, date of birth, gender, place of birth, dates of passport issuance and expiration, passport number and a photo. The chip will also have a unique digital signature designed to protect the data from tampering. The chips will have technology to prevent unauthorized reading, or "skimming," of the data.
     
    Diversity Immigrant Visa Program - Green Card Lottery
     
    green card, greencard

    2005 Green Card Lottery (DV-2007) Registration is already open
    Every year the US government issues 50,000 permanent Green Cards through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program; the Green Card Lottery. Applicants are selected randomly by a computer generated drawing. If you are selected, you and your family will be authorized to live and work permanently in the United States.

     
     

    Instructions for the 2005 Green Card Lottery are now available.

    2004 Green Card Lottery (DV-2006) Results to be announced
    Registration for the 2004 Green Card Lottery (DV-2006) ended on January 7th 2005. Applicants selected will be notified by email/mail between May and August 2005.

     
     

    Changes Made To Green Card System In Colorado
     

    Rocky Mountain News, June 1. Thousands of immigrants in Colorado who have either lost or need to renew their permanent residency cards must now mail their applications and fees totaling $255 to Southern California. That means authorized immigrants in the state will no longer be able to submit their forms to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at its Denver district office in Montbello or send their applications to the Nebraska Service Center. The new policy took effect Tuesday. 'It's the only way to do this, and it's by mail,' said Sharon Rummery, spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Services. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is under the Department of Homeland Security, also announced that immigrants must submit their I-90 applications for permanent resident cards, known as 'green cards,' to the Los Angeles Lockbox, a new processing facility that the agency hopes will speed up the collection of applications and petitions.
    [Read More?]

    Florida Employers Support Increasing Work Permits For Illegal Immigrants
     

    South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June 1. Finding themselves short of qualified staff, Florida growers, gardeners and builders said they would welcome efforts to boost the labor market with workers from overseas as proposed in an ambitious immigration bill unveiled last month. The bipartisan bill, introduced May 12 by Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democrat Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, would open the way for millions of undocumented immigrants living in the United States on or before that date to pay $2,000 in fees and obtain work permits. Another clause would allow an additional 400,000 nonagricultural and low-skill workers to come from abroad. All would have the option to apply for permanent residency after six years.
    [Read More?]

    Federal ID Act May Be Flawed
     

    Los Angeles Times, May 31. A federal law designed to make it harder to assume someone else's identity may instead have the opposite effect, critics of the measure say. The Real ID Act, attached to a crucial bill for military spending and tsunami relief that was signed by President Bush on May 11, sets new rules for issuing driver's licenses and requires states to share electronic access to their records. The standards are intended to weed out impostors applying for licenses, in part by requiring state employees to check on the validity of birth certificates and other supporting documents. After states adopt the necessary changes, anyone applying for or renewing a license will get one reflecting the new standards.
    [Read More?]

    Venezuela Warns US Over Judge’s Cancelled Visa
     

    Venezuela may stop allowing visits by American officials after US immigration authorities cancelled the tourist visa of the Venezuelan Supreme Court president, the country’s vice president said.Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel’s office issued the warning on Monday in a statement criticising the withdrawal this month of a US visa granted to Venezuela’s top magistrate, Omar Mora.
    [Read More?]

    TV, Radio Give Legal Advice to Immigrants
     

    Los Angeles Times, May 31. When Juan Antonio Sigala was arrested in Puerto Rico by U.S. immigration agents in 1998 and faced deportation, he knew whom to call for help: South Pasadena attorney Enrique Arevalo. Sigala, who had gone to San Juan for an AIDS conference, knew of Arevalo from listening to the lawyer's Spanish-language radio show in Los Angeles that focuses on immigration law. 'I didn't have much faith in lawyers,' said Sigala, 37, a Mexican immigrant who was working for an HIV-prevention organization at the time. 'But after listening to his show, I thought I should try.'
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    New Mayor Talks His Way Across Los Angeles's Divides
     

    New York Times, May 30. When Antonio Villaraigosa was a teenager, an acquaintance hung the nickname Tony Rapp on him because he never seemed to shut up. A bright but irrepressible boy who was thrown out of one high school and dropped out of another, Antonio had ambitions to match his mouth, telling one disbelieving teacher that he planned to be a lawyer, even as the school shuffled him off to an upholstery class. The lawyer thing did not work out - he failed the bar exam four times - but in four weeks Mr. Villaraigosa will be sworn in as mayor of Los Angeles.
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    Employers of Illegal Immigrants Face Little Risk of Penalty
     

    Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2005. Nearly every day, immigrants newly arrived from Mexico pick up job applications at Car Wash on Sunset. Owner George Garcia insists that they provide proof, such as Social Security or green cards, that they are authorized to work. What he does not do is pick up the phone to see if the documents are phony. 'I run a business,' he said. 'Why is it my job to kick people out? It is not my responsibility to figure out who is legal and who is not legal. It's their job to stop them at the border.'
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    Scholarship May Lead To Citizenship
     

    Eugene Register-Guard, May 28. Machiko Shirai is almost home. The Japanese tai chi instructor who came to Eugene to go to school and fell in love with Oregon has been granted a waiver that will allow her to apply for permanent residency in this country.
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    Groups Support Kennedy McCain Reform Bill
     

    Orlando Sentinel, May 28. A coalition of community groups, trade representatives and immigrant advocates joined Orlando Bishop Thomas Wenski on Friday in calling for immigration reform -- lending support to a bipartisan bill in Congress that would create a broad visa program and open the door for the legalization of millions of undocumented immigrants. The coalition -- brought together by the Association of Communities for Reform Now, or ACORN, an advocacy group for the rights of low-income people -- also called on Central Florida's congressional delegation to back a bill that they think would improve the local economy and working conditions.
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    Biotech Visa Controversy Ends, But Suspicions Remain
     

    FoodNavigator, May 27. Egziabher, the director general of the Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia, was finally granted a visa after intense international pressure forced Canadian authorities to capitulate, but the experience has left a bitter taste. “In the exchange of information following my appeal for pressure to be applied on Canada, I came to realize that many others have also had their visas delayed or totally denied,” he said. “They are all from developing countries.”
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    Gonzales, GOP Court Hispanics
     

    Chicago Tribune, May 27. It's no secret that Alberto Gonzales' appointment as attorney general was a watershed moment for American Hispanics--and for a yearslong effort to woo more Latino voters to the Republican Party. Though the political strategy is long-term, Gonzales has moved swiftly and energetically, more like a political candidate in a campaign than a Cabinet member, to reach out to kindred ethnic audiences and showcase his status as the first Latino U.S. attorney general.
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    U.S. and Europe Turn Hopeful On Biometric-Passport Accord
     

    Wall Street Journal, May 25. U.S. and European Union security officials said they are getting closer to a deal to allow European citizens to continue visiting the U.S. without visas beyond this fall, despite the failure of many European countries to meet a U.S. deadline for implementing new high-tech passports. The U.S. and Europe have been in a diplomatic standoff over a U.S. law that says citizens of countries that lack biometric passports can no longer enjoy a waiver from U.S. visa rules after October.
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    Amnesty Brings 600,000 In Spain From Black Economy
     

    Expatica News, May 24. Spain's Socialist government said its immigrant amnesty would 'legalise' about 600,000 foreigners and bring to the surface a large portion of the underground economy. The secretary-general for employment, Valeriano Gomez, was commenting on the three-month process, completed in early May, for applying for residence and work documents. Slightly more than 690,000 people, mostly Latin Americans and North Africans, applied for legal status. Those who can demonstrate they were in Spain for six straight months last year and have an employment contract for another six months will be allowed to stay.
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    New Rules Have Clever Aussies Eyeing US
     

    Sydney Morning Herald, May 22. Training designer Kevin Wong can picture himself working in America's famous high-tech Silicon Valley. Mr Wong, 23, is one of many of Australia's best and brightest workers who are likely to move to the US after the introduction of 10,500 unrestricted US visas. Headhunters from major American companies are also expected to seek out Australia's top university students, poaching them as soon as they finish their studies. While Mr Wong is happy in his job at Hills Industries, he sees the boost in availability of US work visas to Australians as 'amazing' and an exciting opportunity.
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    Hoping To Win The Green Card Lottery
     

    Westchester Journal News, May 2. Sana Mulji Dutt wants to become an American citizen, but first, the Pakistani-born Canadian needs a green card. Dutt, 31, wants to be able to work, but the terms of her admittance to the United States do not allow her to be employed. She and her husband, Arijit Dutt, 36, who live in Haverstraw, are exploring the avenues that may lead them to a coveted green card, the colloquial term for the Alien Registration Receipt Card, or permanent resident's card. Getting a green card is the first step in becoming a citizen.
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    New Dimensions -- African Immigrants In The US
     

    pww.org, May 21. The election of Barack Obama to the U.S. Senate brought national attention to the growing presence and influence of African immigrants in the United States. The son of a Kenyan immigrant, Obama is only the third African American senator since Reconstruction. The growing African presence is also manifested in the mushrooming of African churches, mosques, fashion boutiques, hair-braiding salons, and in emerging hip-hop icons like AKON and Shaka Zulu. Contrasted with the majority of African Americans, descendents of enslaved Africans brought to the U.S. centuries ago, voluntary African immigrants are a relatively new phenomenon.
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    US-VISIT Shows 'Unprecedented Results'
     

    Washington Times, May 20. A program that collects biometric and biographic information from visa applicants and visitors to the United States has achieved 'unprecedented results' in identifying criminals and other potential security threats seeking to enter America, Department of Homeland Security officials said yesterday. 'In the past, criminals and others who were the subject of lookouts needed only a new name to slip across our borders,' said Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Michael J. Garcia. But the US-VISIT program can 'reveal the true identity underneath any alias' using fingerprints and other data.
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    Seasonal Workers Can Turn In Visa Paperwork Next Week
     

    Associated Press, May 20. Under pressure from Congress to quickly expand the number of foreign workers allowed in the United States, federal immigration officials will begin accepting visa applications for returning seasonal workers on Wednesday. Some approvals could take up to 90 days, creating problems for parts of the summer tourism industry. To avoid the delay, business owners — from Cape Cod restaurateurs to Maryland crabbers — said they will probably pay a $1,000 fee per worker for expedited reviews, so they can get approvals in about two weeks.
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    As Ethiopians Prosper, A Safety Net Is Displaced
     

    Washington Post, May 19. Hermela Kebede is consumed by worry. It pinches her forehead and tugs at her throat, making her voice sound tight. She sits in a small, airless office under a poster that shows a smiling girl with cocoa skin. 'Ethiopia,' it says. 'Thirteen months of sunshine.' More than 30 years ago, Kebede left Ethiopia to study business administration in the United States. Now, at 56, she is the leader of the Ethiopian Community Center, which she said is the country's oldest organization of its kind. It offers English classes and more elementary help to the nation's largest Ethiopian community.
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    Canada Denies Visa For African Biosafety Expert
     

    AllAfrica.com, May 19. Africa's chief negotiator for the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety has been denied entry into Canada to attend meetings to finalise key provisions regarding the international movement of genetically engineered organisms. Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, the Ethiopian government's chief scientist, had his passport returned without the requested Canadian visa Wednesday despite previous visits to Canada. Tewolde is trying to attend talks starting May 30 in the Canadian city of Montreal.
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    McCain/Kennedy Reform Bill Draws Mixed Response
     

    Green Valley News, May 18. Last Friday, some Republican and Democratic congressional members introduced a comprehensive plan to help solve problems of illegal immigrants on the Southwest border. Among other things it calls for a guest worker program and would permit foreign workers here illegally to apply for a visa to permit them to stay in the United States and perhaps gain citizenship after 11 years. It would also double the fines for U.S. employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Editor’s Note: The full text of this bill is available in our downloads page.
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    U.S. Warns Fijians Of Visa Scam
     

    ABC, May 18. The United States embassy in Fiji has issued a statement warning the public of an e-mail and website scam aimed at people wanting to win "Green Cards" which allow them to live and work in the US. The embassy says it's become aware many people in Fiji have received e-mails and phone calls from deceptively named "Green Card Offices" informing them they have won the US Green Card lottery. The winners are then asked to send money for the processing of the visa. The embassy says the US Government has no association with these organisations, and it doesn't deal with third parties on visa issues. The embassy says no processing fee is collected under the US Diversity Visa Lottery Program until the applicant appears in person for an interview.
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    Visa Law Change Buoys Firms
     

    Chicago Tribune, May 17. Jeff Korhan applied for 15 visas for his foreign workers this year, but got none. Unfortunately for the Plainfield landscaping company owner, the government-mandated cap on visas was reached early. But like other seasonal employers, Korhan is hopeful that a recent change by Congress regarding the visa program will enable him to bring over the seasonal workers he said he can't find in the U.S. The program is called the H-2B visa program and it allows employers to apply to bring over temporary foreign workers to fill non-agricultural jobs they say they can't fill with Americans.
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    H-1B Admission Rose 2.3% In 2004
     

    InformationWeek, May 16. The number of foreign nationals entering the United States last year on H-1B visas totaled 386,821, an increase of 26,325, or 2.3%, from 2003, the Department of Homeland Security reported Monday. About 65,000 foreign workers are first-time H-1B visa holders. In a report on temporary admissions of nonimmigrants to the United States, Homeland Security's Office of Information Statistics didn't break down how many of those visa holders work in IT, but in recent years, the government has issued more than one-third of the H-1B visas to those with computer-related skills. Editor’s Note: The full text of this report is available in our downloads page.
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    Higher Rent, Immigration Laws Push Away Hopeful Tenants
     

    Daily Herald (American Fork, UT), May 15. Housing officials are close to filling the 13-unit complex for farm workers at Spring Lake, but not with any farm workers. When the new Spring Lake complex opened to renters in September last year, officials from the Housing Authority of Utah County and Rural Housing Development Corporation hoped farm workers and their families would rush to live in the affordable housing. But Brad Bishop, executive director of the Rural Housing Development Corporation in Provo, says if just one farm family moves into the complex of two- to four-bedroom units, more will follow.
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    Most Green Card Requests Come From Intel
     

    MSNBC, May 15. Over the past five years, companies based or active in Greater Sacramento applied for more than 2,000 permanent worker certifications for foreign-born employees -- known as 'green cards' -- and about 75 percent of them have been granted, according to federal applications data obtained by the Business Journal. Nearly three-fourths of all the applications came from a single company, but some major employers didn't show up at all. It's unclear whether that's because they filed their applications from other sites, had other companies handle their applications, or simply didn't seek green cards. The application data covered companies that listed an address in Sacramento, Davis, Folsom or Roseville, and a period from Oct. 1, 1999 to Sept. 30, 2004.
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    Slow Immigration Rate May Cost Michigan Cash
     

    Detroit News, May 13. The pace of immigration to Michigan and the rest of the United States has slowed since 2001 as potential emigrants were confronted by tougher security restrictions, longer delays and a sagging national economy, according to government estimates. While that slowdown touched nearly every corner of the country, it poses particular obstacles for Michigan, which increasingly relies on immigrants to maintain its already anemic population growth -- and the federal spending and political muscle that come with it -- and to replace well-educated workers who have been leaving the state in droves.
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    Visa rules Confuse Medical Professionals
     

    Amednews.com, May 2. The next batch of medical residents are set to be on the job July 1, and if they are coming from another country, they'll need a visa before then. But there's a good deal of confusion regarding the additional 20,000 H-1B visas for fiscal year 2005 that were supposed to be released March 8. At press time, the government had not issued the visas, and the criteria for who will qualify for them was still unclear, immigration lawyers said. The confusion is affecting about 300 to 400 of the roughly 9,000 IMGs who need visas annually.
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    Asylum-Seeker to Get Settlement
     

    Los Angeles Times, April 29. The U.S. government has agreed to pay $87,500 to a Kenyan woman who was initially spurned when she pleaded with authorities not to send her back to her homeland — a case that could spur other asylum-seekers to sue federal authorities for alleged mistreatment, legal experts said. Immigration officials spurned Rosebell Munyua, 36, when she arrived at San Francisco International Airport in March 2001 and forced her to return to Kenya with her then 2-year-old daughter. Munyua was admitted six months later on a tourist visa in Houston. She was granted political asylum in September 2002 and later sued the U.S. government, contending negligence, misconduct and discrimination by government border agents.
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    Muslim Scholar Urges Halt to Extreme Punishments
     

    Inter Press Service, April 29. A Muslim scholar, Tariq Ramadan, who was issued and then denied a visa to teach in the United States because of alleged ties to terrorists has called for an immediate moratorium on corporal and capital punishment and dialogue aimed at creating less repressive Muslim societies. Other scholars of Islam gave the idea a mixed welcome.
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    Stricter Immigration Rules Have White House Support
     

    Houston Chronicle, April 28. A bill that would enact hotly contested immigration rules, including one that would bar illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses, is marching toward approval with the backing of the White House. The provisions are attached to an emergency spending bill that would provide $81 billion for military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. A bipartisan House-Senate conference committee is expected to agree on a compromise version of the bill today; each chamber is slated to vote on the measure within the next two weeks and then send it to President Bush for his signature. The immigration provisions, which were introduced as the Real ID Act in January, include new identification requirements for people seeking driver's licenses, toughened standards for immigrants seeking asylum in the United States, and money to complete a three-mile stretch of border fencing near San Diego. The House version contains the immigration provisions but the Senate's version does not. Lawmakers from both parties, as well as civil liberties groups and immigration advocates, decry the addition of the provisions to the must-pass supplemental bill. Supporters of the provisions know that it would be politically unwise to vote against a bill that sends money to American soldiers.
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    Bill Gates Criticizes Visa Restrictions
     

    Washington Post, April 28. Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates said yesterday the software giant is having enormous difficulty filling computer jobs in the United States as a result of tight visa restrictions on foreign workers and a declining interest among U.S. students in computer science. Speaking on a technology panel at the Library of Congress, Gates said a decline in the number of U.S. students pursuing careers in science and technology is hurting Microsoft in the short run, and could have serious long-term consequences for the U.S. economy if the problem is not addressed. 'We are very concerned that the U.S. will lose its competitive position. For Microsoft, it means we are having a tougher time hiring,' Gates said. 'The jobs are there, and they are good-paying jobs, but we don't have the same pipeline.'
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    U.S. To Alter Design Of Electronic Passports
     

    New York Times, April 27. Responding to fears raised by privacy advocates that new electronic passports might be vulnerable to high-tech snooping, the State Department intends to modify the design so that an embedded radio chip holding a digitized photograph and biographical information is more secure.
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    Microsoft Wants End to Limits on Overseas Hiring
     

    Associated Press, April 27. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates urged the Bush administration and lawmakers Wednesday to abolish immigration limits on foreign engineers who can be hired by U.S. companies, a sensitive subject among American technology workers watching their own jobs increasingly move overseas.
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