The Labor Department has released its projections for when it will phase in the new versions of the LCA Form ETA 9035 and the PERM Form ETA 9089.
The Deptartment of Labor indicates that its implementation timing for the new LCA Form ETA-9035 is:
– It will begin receiving the new form for processing on April 15, 2009.
The effective date of the new I-9 form has been delayed for 60 days, until April 3, 2009. It was originally scheduled to take effect on February 2. The comment period on the new form now runs until March 4, 2009.
It is nice to be recognized by the media from time to time. The American Bar Journal is taking an interest in Immigration law, in the February issue they feature our office and the unique H2A practice we operate.
H-2As are used by seasonal agricultural workers, who must prove that (a) they have residences in other countries they have no intention of abandoning, and that (b) they will be in the United States no longer than eight months. The ABA Journal is read by half of the nation’s 1 million lawyers every month. It covers the trends, people and finances of the legal profession from Wall Street to Main Street to Pennsylvania Avenue. We are honored.
February 2009 Visa Bulletin shows about six months of forward movement in EB2 for India and China. There is a bit of forward movement in some of the EB3 chargeability areas.In the EB2 section China’s moved forward by almost the same amount. The cutoff date for India moved to January 1, 2004. China reflects a cutoff date of January 1, 2005.
In EB3, The cutoff date for countries under the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed,” as well as for the Philippines, is stagnant, at May 1, 2005. India also remained unchanged, at October 15, 2001. The cutoff date for Mexico advanced by almost five months, to April 1, 2003. China also progressed to October 1, 2002.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule on December 19, 2008 that will subject U.S. permanent residents (“green card” holders) to the US-VISIT (United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology) travel screening requirements. The program, which started January 5, 2004, requires the fingerprinting and photographing of most nonimmigrant foreign nationals applying for admission to the U.S. The final rule now extends the provisions to include U.S. permanent residents. This rule takes effect on January 18, 2009.
US-VISIT is aimed at verifying the identity of nonimmigrants seeking to enter the United States. As part of the program, digital finger scans are used to verify that the individual seeking to enter is the same person to whom the visa or other travel documents were issued. It is also used to check for new information (arising after visa or other document issuance) regarding involvement in terrorism or crime.
While there are advantages in expanding US-VISIT to include green card holders, including reducing the incidence of document fraud and potentially enhancing national security, the privacy interests of permanent residents will likely be eroded. An anomaly is also created by excluding certain classes of nonimmigrants from undergoing additional security measures upon entry to the U.S., while at the same time requiring that lawful permanent residents undergo the process of additional scrutiny. As mentioned in the comments to the rule, permanent residents have already undergone background checks and otherwise been scrutinized. Many permanent residents have resided in the U.S. for many years for suspicion – without incident or reason. However, they will now undergo the additional screening to reenter the U.S. after foreign travel.
The following information was reported to me and I wanted to share with you for your information. Beginning January 20, 2009, all non-immigrant visa applicants, regardless of visa class, with an appointment at the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico will be required to use the DS-160 electronic NIV application form available at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv. This form takes the place of the DS-156, DS-157, and DS-158 paper forms. (Note: E class investor applicants will need to fill out DS-156E in addition to DS-160. K class visa applicants will continue to use the DS-156 and DS-156K forms).
Applicants must fill out completely and accurately all questions presented in the online application process. Applicants who incorrectly fill out the form, leave information blank or attempt to use previous paper based forms will be denied, asked to resubmit their applications online again, and required to schedule a new appointment. Applicants need only print the Confirmation Page available after the form is complete and bring it with them to their interview.
Also, as a reminder, the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez now accepts legal inquiries exclusively through its online form at http://ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov/feedback-form.html. Inquiries sent through other means will face significant delays in processing. I expect that other posts around the world will start implementing the new form during 2009 as well.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services (“CIS”) announced that it has submitted to the Federal Register an Interim Final Rule that will streamline the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) process.
The Interim Final Rule narrows the list of acceptable identity documents and further specifies that expired documents are not considered acceptable forms of identification. An expansive document list makes it more difficult for employers to verify valid and acceptable forms and to single out false documents compromising the effectiveness and security of the Form I-9 process. The changes included in the Interim Final Rule will significantly improve the security of the employment eligibility verification process.
The Rule eliminates Forms I-688, I-688A, and I-688B (Temporary Resident Card and older versions of the Employment Authorization Card/Document) from List A. CIS no longer issues these cards, and those that were in circulation have expired. The Rule also adds to List A of the Form I-9 foreign passports containing specially-marked machine-readable visas and documentation for certain citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia (“FSM”) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (“RMI”). The Rule makes other, technical changes to update the list of acceptable documents. The revised Form I-9 includes additional changes, such as revisions to the employee attestation section, and the addition of the new U.S. Passport Card to List A.
The nursing shortage in the United States is becoming increasingly problematic and may adversely affect the health care industry. According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2007 study, the United States will require 1.2 million new Registered Nurses (RNs) by 2014 to meet the nursing demand: approximately 500,000 RNs to replace nurses leaving the field, and “an additional 700,000 to meet growing demand for nursing services.”
In meetings with nursing organizations and stakeholders, the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman heard concerns about the time it takes for a foreign nurse to be admitted to the United States to work. We link t a recent USCIS memo that addresses some of the current problems with Nurse Immigration and possible solutions for the new future.
The linked report, while specifically providing recommendations for improving the processing of Schedule A nurse cases, should also be required reading for all persons active in the field of recruiting foreign nurses to the United States.
If you were planning to apply for the Green Card Lottery, but have not taken the time to do so, you had better move fast real fast. The DV-2010 lottery application period expires at noon, Eastern Standard Time, December 1st, that is actually today. You can still apply online without having to pay an attorney by clicking here
The DV-2010 program apportions visa issuance among six geographic regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, North America (other than Mexico ), Oceania, and South America (including Mexico , Central America and the Caribbean ). The world is divided up into high and low admission regions and each of the six regions is divided into high and low admission states. A greater portion of the visas goes to the low admission regions than to high admissions regions. High admission states are entirely excluded from the lottery (those states are listed above)
and low admission states compete equally with other low admission states in the same region. No single state may receive more than 7% (3,500) of the 50,000 allotted visas.
There is currently a shortage in the United States of nurses, physical therapists and other healthcare workers. This blog post answers questions about temporary and permanent immigration options for nurses and physical therapists.
Work Visas for Nurses
Some nurses could qualify for H-1B visa status if their positions required at least a bachelor’s degree. However, many nursing positions do not require a bachelor’s degree, making the H-1B visa category somewhat difficult to obtain.
Many prospective U.S. employers apply directly for a green card for foreign nurses because there is no requirement to first obtain a labor certification from the Department of Labor. The labor certification process, which requires a very extensive test of the U.S. labor market, has been waived for professional nurses. Thus, applying for a green card option for a foreign nurse may be the preferred option.
Work Visas for Physical Therapists
Physical therapists are generally eligible for an H-1B visa, since the bachelor’s degree is generally a standard requirement for that occupation in the United States. The H-1B visa is available when the occupation requires a bachelor’s degree. If you are a physical therapist in another country, you must first submit your educational credentials to a U.S. state therapy board for a temporary license or permit. (A list of state therapy boards is available on the Federal of State Boards of Physical Therapy website). Once you have a permit, you can apply for an H-1B visa to work in the United States. Once you enter the United States, you will have to take the state licensing exam, and then renew your H-1B visa.
Visa Lawyer Blog