Visa Lawyer Blog

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President Obama predicted re-election in an interview this week with Univision Radio, telling a largely Hispanic audience he will use a second term to push comprehensive immigration overhaul. “My presidency is not over,” Obama said when asked about the failure to come up with an immigration bill. “I’ve got another five years coming up. We’re going to get this done.” Obama rejected suggestions that the lack of an immigration bill is a broken campaign promise, saying “we’re going to need help from Congress” and Republicans have blocked legislation.

The re-election candidate said his Republican candidates oppose comprehensive immigration overhaul, which involves tighter border enforcement as well as a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who are already here. Obama also made what appeared to be a reference to Republican candidate Mitt Romney, who opposes legislation that would offer potential citizenship to illegal immigrants who attend college or join the military.

“So far, have we haven’t seen any of the Republican candidates even support immigration reform,” Obama said. “In fact, their leading candidate said he would veto even the Dream Act, much less comprehensive immigration reform.” Obama’s reference was to Mitt Romney’s own statements regarding how he would not support the DREAM Act as it stood. At a debate in Florida, Mitt Romney reiterated the harder stance he took Iowa and South Carolina by saying that “I’d just noted that’s the same position that I have, and that’s that I wouldn’t sign the Dream Act as it currently exists, but I would sign the Dream Act if it were focused on military service.” Even changing his stance slightly, Mitt Romney shows that it is not enough having good moral character and wanting to go forward with a college education should help put a child out of status on the path to legal status. It is amazing how Mitt Romney and others who tout a hardline stance for immigration cannot imagine being in that situation, since they would likely change their tune if it was one of their own relatives who suffered in the same situation.

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This is a great update from the CPB Liaison Practice group. A nonimmigrant alien who has previously presented a visa for admission to the United States may sometimes be readmitted (a) in the same nonimmigrant classification as shown on an expired visa or (b) in a different nonimmigrant classification than shown on an expired or valid visa if a change of status occurred while the individual was in the United States. The nonimmigrant alien’s absence from the United States must be limited to 30 days or less, and the individual’s travel must be limited to certain geographic locations.

Admission under this procedure is called “automatic visa revalidation.” Automatic visa
revalidation is applied differently depending on the individual’s nonimmigrant visa
classification. Most nonimmigrants may rely on automatic visa revalidation to apply for readmission after travel to a “contiguous territory” (Canada or Mexico).

Nonimmigrants in the F or J classification may rely on automatic visa revalidation to apply for readmission after travel to a “contiguous territory” or “adjacent islands other than Cuba.” At a minimum, in order to be eligible for this benefit, the nonimmigrant alien must present a valid passport, a valid Form I-94 (Departure Record or Arrival-Departure Record), and either (a) an expired nonimmigrant visa in any classification or (b) a current, valid nonimmigrant visa in any classification.

Documentary and Other Requirements

To rely on automatic visa revalidation, a nonimmigrant alien must meet the following conditions when applying for readmission to the United States:
– Present a Form I-94 showing an unexpired period of initial or extended authorized stay. If the individual has applied for and received an extension or change of nonimmigrant status while in the United States, the Form I-94 may be attached to, or separated from, a Form I-797, Notice of Action. ¾ Nonimmigrant aliens (including an accompanying spouse or child) applying to be admitted in F, M, or J classification must also present one of the following documents as applicable:
F or M classification: A valid Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant,
issued by the school at which the Department of Homeland Security has authorized
the principal nonimmigrant’s attendance.

J classification: A valid Form DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange
Visitor Status, issued by the authorized program sponsor showing the unexpired
period of stay.

– Present a valid passport with a nonimmigrant visa, whether valid or expired, used for a prior admission to the United States. If the individual’s current passport does not contain the nonimmigrant visa, the individual must present a prior passport with a visa.

An expired nonimmigrant visa includes (1) a visa that is no longer valid because of
the passage of time and (2) a visa that is no longer valid because the maximum
number of entries has been used.

Canadian Citizens and Presentation of a Passport Containing a Visa

Canadian citizens must have been admitted at least once after presentation of a visa to
qualify for automatic visa revalidation. Canadian citizens are exempt from the requirement to present a visa for admission to the United States in nonimmigrant
classifications other than E or K. If a Canadian citizen is admitted in a nonimmigrant
classification that does not require a visa and then changes status to E-1 or E-2 while
in the United States, the Canadian citizen may not rely on automatic visa revalidation.

Instead, this individual must apply for an E visa before readmission. The Canadian
citizen must hold either a valid or an expired visa in the passport at the time of the
application for admission in E-1 or E-2 status.

Example #1: A Canadian citizen is admitted to the United States in
TN status (a visa exempt classification). The Canadian citizen
changes status to E-2 during the period of temporary stay within
the United States. This person travels to Canada for a week, does
not apply for an E-2 visa, and then asks to return to the United
States in E-2 status. The Canadian citizen presents a valid passport
and a valid I-94 card, but no visa.

The Canadian citizen is not currently admissible under automatic
visa revalidation and must apply for an E-2 visa prior to
readmission to the United States.

Example #2: A Canadian citizen is admitted to the United States in
TN status (a visa exempt classification). The Canadian citizen
changes status to E-2 during the period of temporary stay within
the United States. This individual travels to Canada, applies for
and is issued an E-2 visa, and presents the visa for admission to the
United States in E-2 status. Through the passage of time, the E-2
visa expires even though E-2 status has been extended as reflected
on a Form I-94. The Canadian citizen then travels to Canada, does
not apply for a new E-2 visa, and applies for readmission to the
United States in E-2 status. The Canadian citizen presents a valid
passport, a valid, unexpired Form I-94, and the expired E-2 visa.

The Canadian citizen is admissible under automatic visa
revalidation.

In summary, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has the authority and the responsibility over the admission of travelers to the U.S. Under the automatic revalidation provision of immigration law, certain temporary visitors holding expired nonimmigrant visas who seek to return to the U.S. may be admitted at a U.S. port of entry by CBP, if they meet certain requirements, including, but not limited to the following:
* Nonimmigrants who departed the U.S. for brief travel to Canada, Mexico, or an adjacent island (for F and J nonimmigrants) for thirty days or less;
* Nonimmigrants with a valid (unexpired) Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, endorsed by DHS.

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According to the National Foundation for American Policy, USCIS dramatically increased denials of L-1 and H-1B petitions over the past four years, harming the competitiveness of U.S. employers and encouraging companies to keep more jobs and resources outside the United States. Data indicate much of the increase in denials involves Indian-born professionals and researchers. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services adjudicators have demonstrated a capacity to keep skilled foreign nationals out of the United States by significantly increasing denials, along with often time-consuming Requests for Evidence (RFE), despite no change in the law or relevant regulations between 2008 and 2011.

Employers report the time lost due to the increase in denials and Requests for Evidence are costing them millions of dollars in project delays and contract penalties, while aiding competitors that operate exclusively outside the United States – beyond the reach of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services adjudicators and U.S. consular officers.

Given the resources involved, employers are selective about who they sponsor. The high rate of denials (and Requests for Evidence) is from a pool of applicants selected by employers because they believe the foreign nationals meet the standard for approval, making the increase in denials difficult to defend. Denying employers the ability to transfer in key personnel or

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The Labor Department released statistics from DOL’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification for year-to-date FY2012, including total number of applications received, total number of applications processed, PERM processing priority dates, and breakdown of active PERM cases at the DOL. Interesting to see almost 1000 cases were denied that year, but more files were actually certified. See the Chart below for the statistics.

div style=”width:477px” id=”__ss_11642105″>Perm statistics 2012

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A final rule has gone into effect allowing the U.S. Department of State (DOS) to issue L visas based on the visa reciprocity schedule. Under current regulations, L visa issuance is limited to the petition validity period, which is determined by the Department of Homeland Security and cannot exceed three years.

The DOS has changed the regulation to allow a visa to be issued for the same period as determined in the reciprocity schedule, which reflects the reciprocal treatment the foreign national applicant’s country accords U.S. nationals.

Nationals from countries for which the reciprocity schedule prescribes visa validity for a longer period of time that the initial validity period indicated in the petition that was approved by the Department of Homeland Security and who have extended their stay in the U.S. would benefit from the pending rule. They would not need to re-apply for an L visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate overseas if they travel outside the U.S. during the period specified in the relevant reciprocity schedule, the number of visa applications that a foreign national will need to make will be reduced.

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It looks like another state might be following California’s example soon. Immigrant students in New York City have gotten the attention of assemblymen in the New York state assembly.

The teens from Brooklyn and Queens are pressuring the polls to pass legislation that would help young people without papers get aid for higher education.

“I’m going to tell them that people like me, we want to succeed, we want to go to college,” said Katherine Tabares, 16, a senior at International High School. She left Colombia for Corona, Queens, two years ago and overstayed a tourist visa after her mother decided to remain in the city. She’s racked up 21 college-level credits and wants to become an environmental engineer — but won’t get state aid for higher ed because she doesn’t have a green card.

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The Department of Labor (the Department) is amending its regulations governing the certification of the employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal non-agricultural employment and the enforcement of the obligations applicable to employers of such nonimmigrant workers. This Final Rule revises the process by which employers obtain a temporary labor certification from the Department for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status. Theses are major changes, so please review the chart below to compare with the 2009 changes.

2009 2012 h2 b comps

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Israelis may soon be able to live and work in the US as small Business owners by investing money in active and new Businesses. The US Congress is currently legislating a bill that, if passed, will make it easier for Israeli businessmen and investors to receive a visa to the US.

Jewish US Congressman Anthony Weiner from New York placed a bill on the House Judiciary Committee’s table that will allow Israeli investors access to this benefit.

The E2 visa is a special non-immigrant visa available to nationals of treaty countries entering the US to do the following:

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Some good news to help speed up the process of getting a Student Visa. On January 19, 2012, President Obama announced an initiative to improve and speed up the visa process for certain categories of travelers. One of the cornerstones of this initiative is the Department of State’s Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waiver Pilot Program, under which certain foreign visitors who were interviewed in conjunction with a prior visa application may be able to renew their visas without undergoing another interview.

What are the prevailing interview and fingerprint requirements of the U.S. nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application process?

Generally, all Non Immigrant applicants must make a personal appearance and be interviewed by a consular officer. In addition, visa applicants must provide biometric identifiers for verifying their identity (the biometric identifiers currently required are fingerprints and a photo image).

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PERM is the process for obtaining labor certification, the first step of the green card process for foreign nationals seeking permanent residence through their employment.

To obtain an approved PERM Labor Certification, the employer must prove (through newspaper advertising and other recruiting methods) that they were unsuccessful in recruiting a qualified U.S. worker for a certain position.

The employer must be prepared to hire the foreign worker on a full-time and permanent basis. Watch our Video to learn more, and yes you can subscribe to our You Tube Channel as well, click here.

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